Inside the labyrinth : the thematics of space in the fiction of Paola Capriolo

Ania, GF

Abstract

In Capriolo's fiction we see, above all, the centrality of place in the minds and lives of her protagonists, often linked with the idea of the labyrinth: labyrinth as endless tortuous passageways, enclosed place, puzzle, quest. The stories, built around the obsessions of their protagonists, transcend normal temporal and spatial boundaries, and reflect the labyrinth in various forms: as a physical maze; as mirror reflections, sometimes infinitely receding; as a remote, closed-off place; and as a metaphor suggesting confusion of the mind or of ideas. As well as a considerable degree of overlap within these areas, there is a pervading, underlying sense of ambiguity, and the idea of permanence and of eternal 'being'.

Citation

Ania, G. (2000). Inside the labyrinth : the thematics of space in the fiction of Paola Capriolo. Romance Studies, 18(2), 157-171. https://doi.org/10.1179/ros.2000.18.2.157

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Online Publication Date: Jul 19, 2013
• Publication Date: Dec 1, 2000
• Deposit Date: Feb 11, 2009
• Publicly Available Date: Aug 9, 2018
• Journal: Romance Studies
• Print ISSN: 0263-9904
• Publisher: Maney Publishing
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 18
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 157-171
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1179/ros.2000.18.2.157
• Keywords: Italian literature
• Publisher URL: https://doi.org/10.1179/ros.2000.18.2.157
• Related Public URLs: https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/yros20/current
• Additional Information: Additional Information : Originally published by Maney Publishing.