Da Lighea a Doris Thalassia Waters. Il nome della sirena in alcuni scritti novecenteschi

Abstract

In contemporary culture the mermaid’s fascination is still alive. Nineteenth and twentieth century prose offers intense pages which deal with the theme of the mermaid in different ways: some writers remain linked to the tradition without deviating substantially from the representation given by the ancients (Tomasi di Lampedusa); others overturn the topos, which from fantastic becomes real (Camilleri; Wells; Salgari); others cancel the topos (Bazlen; Kafka; D’Arrigo; Malaparte): this operation nullifies the possibility for the Fantastic, a genre where myth comes to life, to survive.