Social Obsolescence

Representations of Dementia in Italian Fiction

Abstract

This study discusses the representation of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and cognitive decline is a group of Italian contemporary novels. In doing so, it focuses on such sub-topics as the symbolic value of homes in family sagas, the effects of memory loss on individual identity, and the metaphoric use of cognitive decline to discuss different societal challenges. Particular relevance is given to narrative devices in the context of autobiography and unintentionally unreliable narrators. This article discusses novels by, among other authors, Nicola Gardini, Donatella Di Pietrantonio, Michela Marzano, Sandro Frizziero, and Bruno Arpaia.