Transfiguring the World through Fantasy. Fantastic Elements in Elsa Morante’s and Anna Maria Ortese’s Short Stories

Abstract

This article compares Elsa Morante’s with Anna Maria Ortese’s short stories. There are several reasons why Morante and Ortese can be juxtaposed. In both cases, the content of their short stories became a significant part of their novels. Morante’s early short stories can be considered as preliminary to her later output; Ortese re-used many situations and characters of her short stories in her novels. A visionary element is evident in both authors, whose stories often take place outside common reality, even though they deal with realistic situations. Their narrations develop in real places, though filled with unrealistic details and atmospheres. They wanted to free the imagination and find an innovative balance between reality and fiction. Another common element is the love and care for humble and harmless creatures, that are numerous in their writings. Besides, both authors were self-educated, and often pointed out their atypical condition. They had the same problems to affirm their personality in a male, chauvinist milieu. For Morante and Ortese, writing was a practice of self-knowledge and a way of investigating the world.