Page 66 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol 7(2) (2019)
P. 66
dia universitatis her editati, letnik 7 (2019), številk a 2 66v črno luknjo. Če citiramo Dones: »Gremo. Živimo.the 80s and 90s, in the period of transition from the op-
Hrabro. In brez kovčkov.« pressive regime to that of an apparent democracy, in-
hereditati tertwined with a love story, of those who change their
Summary lives. In its history, it shaped that of many men and wom-
en who crossed the Adriatic confident in a better future,
New generation Albanian writers, emigrating to Ita- full of hope and who faced the thousand difficulties of
ly, broaden the geography of transnational literature of being refugees, uprooted, repudiated at home, despised
today’s traditions in Italy, from the 1990s. Their works by people with whom they have shared their lives for
tell stories that had been lived personally or belong- years.
ing to collective memory, from the time of the Stalin- Both novels can be narrated and summarized in three
ist regime and the fall of the dictatorship, but also sto- cardinal plans which at first sight seem quite simple,
ries during the years of emigration, which, in addition to but which hide in their background a fascinating world
reading for entertainment, are also worthy texts for the in layers even in the reality surrounding the reader: the
study of psychological nature. temporal, in turn divided into three parts, the stay pe-
In this short speech we deal with two following nov- riod in Albania under the communist dictatorship, the
els: Goes and does not come back (Kubati,R. 2004) by Ron exodus, the process of integration into the new acquired
Kubati and Without luggage (Dones, E., 2015) by Elvira reality; the spatial one, the fatherland in relation to the
Dones, both novels being the first two novels for each dictatorship, symbol of the collective prison and of
author, disposing of a strong autobiographical note, re- awareness, the construction of mobility abroad, name-
ferring to the dictatorship period and ending with aban- ly the empty space of the journey to another home, fi-
donment, on-the-spot discovery on the other side of the nally the country of arrival; the psychological one, real-
sea. ized through perspective, experience and certainly the
Kubati shows his own life, memories of childhood dur- action of the protagonists, Elton and Klea Borova.
ing the dictatorship period, the arrest and imprison- Through the lines of the two novels, emerges the figure
ment of his father at his teens and the prohibition of of the emigrant who presents the syndrome of frontiers,
watching TV, dancing parties organized in secret, the not only the conventional ones, but also those which are
official determination of pursuing studies, and the nar- invisible and present in everyday life. There remains to
ration ends with his student life in Italy among work, us the surreal desire to give meaning to the fatherland
studies and efforts of survival, interspersing in a back abandonment, which in the two specific cases is the es-
and forth between the present and the past personal and cape from different circumstances.
public events in Albania, the last of which is the flight The frontiers syndrome then evolves into the neurosis
from the country. of success, which confers the right to remain in the new
Elvira Dones, whose biography closely resembles that of land. Many things happen in the emigrant’s psyche. He
the protagonist of her novel, a television operator, gives is a complicated being, he surrounds himself with inse-
us a double story; the history of Albania between the curity, so he does not immediately give in to the narra-
eighties and nineties, in the period of transition from tion. He feels exposed to rejection, indifference, unpro-
the oppressive regime to that of an apparent democracy, tected, exploited. To understand an emigrant, his first
intertwined with a love story, of those that change life. story must be told, that of the “anti-emigration”, the
Through her story the author shapes that of many men background of the exodus and the diary is a form of it.
and women who have crossed the Adriatic confident in The double point of view, of those who are in Albania
a better future, full of hope and who have faced thou- and those who are in exile, undoubtfully highlights the
sand difficulties of being refugees, uprooted, repudiated condition of Albania under the communist regime.
at home, despised by people with which for years have It ends with the sad reflection on immigrants, con-
shared their lives. demned to love and hate their homeland at the same
Elvira Dones, whose biography closely resembles that time. The narration moved between Albania and Italy,
of the protagonist of her novel, a television operator, whereby the past and the present are always present, the
tells us a double story; the history of Albania between
Hrabro. In brez kovčkov.« pressive regime to that of an apparent democracy, in-
hereditati tertwined with a love story, of those who change their
Summary lives. In its history, it shaped that of many men and wom-
en who crossed the Adriatic confident in a better future,
New generation Albanian writers, emigrating to Ita- full of hope and who faced the thousand difficulties of
ly, broaden the geography of transnational literature of being refugees, uprooted, repudiated at home, despised
today’s traditions in Italy, from the 1990s. Their works by people with whom they have shared their lives for
tell stories that had been lived personally or belong- years.
ing to collective memory, from the time of the Stalin- Both novels can be narrated and summarized in three
ist regime and the fall of the dictatorship, but also sto- cardinal plans which at first sight seem quite simple,
ries during the years of emigration, which, in addition to but which hide in their background a fascinating world
reading for entertainment, are also worthy texts for the in layers even in the reality surrounding the reader: the
study of psychological nature. temporal, in turn divided into three parts, the stay pe-
In this short speech we deal with two following nov- riod in Albania under the communist dictatorship, the
els: Goes and does not come back (Kubati,R. 2004) by Ron exodus, the process of integration into the new acquired
Kubati and Without luggage (Dones, E., 2015) by Elvira reality; the spatial one, the fatherland in relation to the
Dones, both novels being the first two novels for each dictatorship, symbol of the collective prison and of
author, disposing of a strong autobiographical note, re- awareness, the construction of mobility abroad, name-
ferring to the dictatorship period and ending with aban- ly the empty space of the journey to another home, fi-
donment, on-the-spot discovery on the other side of the nally the country of arrival; the psychological one, real-
sea. ized through perspective, experience and certainly the
Kubati shows his own life, memories of childhood dur- action of the protagonists, Elton and Klea Borova.
ing the dictatorship period, the arrest and imprison- Through the lines of the two novels, emerges the figure
ment of his father at his teens and the prohibition of of the emigrant who presents the syndrome of frontiers,
watching TV, dancing parties organized in secret, the not only the conventional ones, but also those which are
official determination of pursuing studies, and the nar- invisible and present in everyday life. There remains to
ration ends with his student life in Italy among work, us the surreal desire to give meaning to the fatherland
studies and efforts of survival, interspersing in a back abandonment, which in the two specific cases is the es-
and forth between the present and the past personal and cape from different circumstances.
public events in Albania, the last of which is the flight The frontiers syndrome then evolves into the neurosis
from the country. of success, which confers the right to remain in the new
Elvira Dones, whose biography closely resembles that of land. Many things happen in the emigrant’s psyche. He
the protagonist of her novel, a television operator, gives is a complicated being, he surrounds himself with inse-
us a double story; the history of Albania between the curity, so he does not immediately give in to the narra-
eighties and nineties, in the period of transition from tion. He feels exposed to rejection, indifference, unpro-
the oppressive regime to that of an apparent democracy, tected, exploited. To understand an emigrant, his first
intertwined with a love story, of those that change life. story must be told, that of the “anti-emigration”, the
Through her story the author shapes that of many men background of the exodus and the diary is a form of it.
and women who have crossed the Adriatic confident in The double point of view, of those who are in Albania
a better future, full of hope and who have faced thou- and those who are in exile, undoubtfully highlights the
sand difficulties of being refugees, uprooted, repudiated condition of Albania under the communist regime.
at home, despised by people with which for years have It ends with the sad reflection on immigrants, con-
shared their lives. demned to love and hate their homeland at the same
Elvira Dones, whose biography closely resembles that time. The narration moved between Albania and Italy,
of the protagonist of her novel, a television operator, whereby the past and the present are always present, the
tells us a double story; the history of Albania between
