UNDERSTANDING CONFLICT AND CHARACTER: AN ANALYSIS OF NORMAN MAILER’S NARRATIVE “THE NAKED AND THE DEAD” / COMPRENDERE IL CONFLITTO E IL CARATTERE: UN'ANALISI DELLA NARRATIVA DI NORMAN MAILER “THE NAKED AND THE DEAD”

Ricardo Viola, Manuela Federica Paride

Abstract


Norman Mailer’s first novel, “The Naked and the Dead,” published in 1948, is widely regarded as one of the most realistic and psychologically penetrating narratives of World War II in American literature. This review explores Mailer’s portrayal of military life and its attendant psychological struggles through an in-depth analysis of the novel’s narrative structure, character development, and thematic concerns. It also provides a brief biographical sketch of Mailer, situating his debut within the broader context of his literary career and its impact on subsequent war literature. Mailer’s use of innovative narrative techniques and his profound insights into power dynamics and human frailty offer a stark depiction of the horrors of war and their enduring effects on those involved. This article examines how “The Naked and the Dead” remains a critical work for understanding the complexities of human nature when stripped down by the extremities of war, making it a seminal piece in the study of both American literature and historical war narratives. Il primo romanzo di Norman Mailer, "The Naked and the Dead" pubblicato nel 1948, è ampiamente considerato uno dei racconti più realistici e psicologicamente penetranti della Seconda Guerra Mondiale nella letteratura americana. Questa recensione esplora la rappresentazione di Mailer della vita militare e delle sue lotte psicologiche attraverso un'analisi approfondita della struttura narrativa del romanzo, dello sviluppo dei personaggi e delle preoccupazioni tematiche. Fornisce anche un breve profilo biografico di Mailer, collocando il suo debutto nel contesto più ampio della sua carriera letteraria e del suo impatto sulla letteratura di guerra successiva. L'uso di tecniche narrative innovative da parte di Mailer e le sue profonde intuizioni sulla dinamica del potere e sulla fragilità umana offrono una rappresentazione cruda degli orrori della guerra e dei loro effetti duraturi su coloro che sono coinvolti. Questo articolo esamina come "The Naked and the Dead" rimanga un'opera critica per comprendere le complessità della natura umana quando è spogliata dalle estremità della guerra, rendendolo un pezzo fondamentale nello studio sia della letteratura americana che delle narrazioni storiche di Guerra.

 

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Keywords


Norman Mailer, World War II, American literature, military fiction, psychological realism / Norman Mailer, Seconda Guerra Mondiale, letteratura americana, narrativa militare, realismo psicologico

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejls.v5i2.527

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