Italian Women at War

Sisters in Arms from the Unification to the Twentieth Century

Häftad, Engelska, 2019

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Italian Women at War: Sisters in Arms from Unification to the Twentieth Century offers diverse perspectives on Italian women’s participation in war and conflict throughout Italy’s modern history, contributing to the ongoing scholarly conversation on this topic. Part one of the book focuses on heroines who fought for Italy’s Unification and on the anti-heroines, or brigantesse, who opposed such a momentous change. Part two considers exceptional individuals, such as Eva Kühn Amendola, who combatted both with her body and her pen, as well as collective female efforts during the world wars, whether military or civilian. In part three, where the context is twentieth-century society, the focus shifts to those women engaged in less conventional conflicts who resorted to different forms of revolt, including active non-violence. All of the women presented across these chapters engage in combat to protest a particular state of affairs and effect change, yet their weapons range from the literal, like Peppa La Cannoniera’s cannon, to the metaphorical, like Letizia Battaglia’s camera. Several of the essays in this volume discuss fictional heroines who appear in works of literature and film, though all are based on actual women and reference real historical contexts. Italian Women at War furthers the efforts begun decades ago to recognize Italian women combatants, especially in light of the recent anniversary of the Unification in 2011 and global discussions regarding the role of women in the military. Its aim is not to glorify violence and war, but to celebrate the active role of Italian women in the evolution of their nation and to demystify the idea of the woman warrior, who has always been viewed either as an extraordinary, almost mythical creature or as an affront to the traditional feminine identity.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum2019-04-11
Mått150 x 224 x 15 mm
Vikt313 g
FormatHäftad
SpråkEngelska
Antal sidor206
FörlagAssociated University Presses
ISBN9781611479553

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Introduction: Italy’s Sisters in Arms Susan AmatangeloPart I: The Unification of Italy1One in a Mille: Countess Martini Della Torre Benedetta Gennaro2Peppa La Cannoniera: Citizenship in Action Giovanna Summerfield3“Sono briganta, io, non donna di brigante”: The Female Brigand’s Search for Identity Susan AmatangeloPart II: The Two World Wars4Women at War: Eva Kühn Amendola (Magamal) – Interventionist, Futurist, Fascist Lucia Re5“We will build a better world together”:Female Partisans’ Memories of Their Resistance to Fascism (1943-1945) Fiona M. Stewart6Where Women Meet Resistance: Fenoglio’s War Narratives Daria ValentiniPart III: State Terrorism and the Mafia7A Sister Without Arms: The Myth of Antigone in Liliana Cavani’s The Cannibals Stefania Benini8Fighting Cosa Nostra with the Camera’s Eye: Letizia Battaglia’s Evolving Icons of “Traumatic Realism” Norma BouchardAbout the Editor and ContributorsIndex

If it is not surprising that the readership of a thematically based collection of essays will be, primarily, upper-division undergraduates and specialists, it is noteworthy to find one with such a broad-based appeal. Students of Italian studies, whether concerned with history, literature, the cinema, or photography, will find something of interest in this book. The essays, whose temporal focus is exclusively from the Risorgimento through the 20th century, are structured around women’s participation in warfare and how society imagined, welcomed, or acknowledged their contributions. This includes discussions of actual women such as the brigantessa (female brigands) in post-unification Sicily and those partigiani struggling against the Nazi and Salò regimes, as well as literary representations of female fighters as found in novels such as Grazia Deledda’s Marianna Sirca (1915), or in films such as Liliana Cavanni’s The Cannibals (1969). The essay on the life of Eva Kühn Amendola—who was at the crossroads of interventionism, futurism, and Fascism—is especially fascinating.... Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above.