Visible spaces, indistinguishable pain: notions of home in the novels of Irena Vrkljan and Dubravka Ugresic
Abstract
Notions of home in the novels of Irena Vrkljan and Dubravka Ugresic is the main focus is on the analysis of autobiographic narrative in relation to (pre)defined meanings of term home the novels Silk, scissors (1984) by Irena Vrkljan and the Ministry of Pain (2004) by Dubravka Ugresic through the lens of a feminist critique. Although it discusses hierarchical gender dichotomy that fundamentally influenced ideological misinterpretations of women writers as irrational, emotionally unstable and less talented, it focuses on both Vrkljan and Ugresic resistance against conventional concept home as a primary place for women.
Vrkjan fundamentally rejects this romanticising of subordinate position and offers individual perspective as well as Ugresic that questions and criticise meanings of the term "home" in enforced exile as a result (neo)conservative nationalist constructivism that leads to revival of "traditional" gender roles and excessive patriotism. It concentrates on different manner of creating identity of heroines in above mentioned novels, it clarifies not only the meaning in factual and symbolic level but also their ethical and aesthetic point of view.
In general Vrkljan uses sentimental modernist metaphor of pain and sadness in the perception of "her own" feeling of loss and deformation, Ugresic approach is mostly based on stylized carnivalisation and subversion creating a crucial analogy of living in exile.