La nascita come rito di passagio nel racconto "Non tremare" di Dora Albanese

Abstract

Pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium, in addition to being physiological processes, are cultural and social events loaded with meaning. Childbirth represents both the conclusion of a natural process and the beginning of motherhood. This transition is culturally codified in the different stages that make up the rite of passage of motherhood, which do not always meet the mother’s needs or her physical and emotional well-being. Using Van Gennep’s (1909) concept of rite of passage, this study analyzes the ritualization of childbirth and postpartum in the story “Non tremare” (2009) by Italian writer Dora Albanese. The transition of the protagonist, Erica, from non-mother to mother, and how rituals have contributed to define the experience of childbirth for women will be examined. The result is an alienating motherhood, marked by norms, rules and external controls that distance the woman from her own experience.