Historical Metafiction: Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Novels as a Postmodern Rethinking of History

Abstract

The Neapolitan Novels (2011–14), translated into English by Ann Goldstein, are aprime example of postmodern literature, distinguished by Elena Greco’s uniquestyle of narration, structurally and ideologically. Elena Ferrante utilizes multiplenarrative techniques, including unreliable narration, self‐reflexivity, and paradoxes,to challenge existing literary and historical narratives’ rigidity and present variouspossible ways of retelling history within the text. This study draws on Linda Hutcheon’spostmodern theories of history and historical metafiction to examine the representationof history in the Neapolitan Novels. Specifically, it analyzes the novels’metatextual, intertextual, and metanarrative aspects, exploring how they challengetraditional historical narratives and present alternative perspectives on the past. Byproviding insights into the representation of history in postmodern literature, thisstudy contributes to the broader discourse on the relationship between history andfiction in contemporary literature.