Italian Heroines: Literature, Gender, and the Construction of the Nation

ABSTRACT Scholarship on Italian nationhood has historically focused on heroes rather than on heroines, in line with the established gendered dialectical relationship between the female nation (who nurtures those who fight for her), and the male patriot, who both adores and possesses her. However, it is argued that Italian literary heroines prove at least as productive as heroes, if not more, when it comes to generating alternative views on the nation. This essay offers an introduction to a themed issue that aims to fill this scholarly gap in relation to ideas about the Italian nation and nationhood.