Zone Incestuose: Canne al Vento e le Sorelle Materassi

Abstract

The article compares two novels: Canne al vento (1913) by Grazia Deledda and Sorelle Materassi (1934) by Aldo Palazzeschi, demonstrating the reliance of the latter on Deledda’s work through the analysis of the setting, the relationships between the different protagonists and the narrative style. The focus of the analysis is directed in particular to the theme of sublimated incest between aunts and niece. The two texts also enter into dialogue with other works dedicated to the theme of incest and ‘the spinster’.