Youth in late Communism: post-transitional Life Writing and Autobiographical Representations

Abstract

The paper discusses the Romanian youth’s memories of the late communism. The post-transitional autobiographical texts were chosen as a main research corpus based on the temporal distance and on the revealed surpassing of the trauma memory discourse. Following the main representations and structural topics, the analyses indicate the narrativization of generational memories and representations, including the main lines of generational conflicts. The analyses also reveal a complex narrative of the past, involving the transition to youth years and specific data of the life conditions and challenges during late communism. A significant connection between nostalgia and communist memorabilia was identified. The active engagement in obtaining different commodities indicates the complex connection between nostalgia and communist memorabilia.