The Quest for Insight and Empathy in Alice Munro’s Stories of Dementia

Abstract

Le storie di malattie da demenza di Alice Munro forniscono strumenti narrativi per illuminare territori cerebrali altrimenti impenetrabili e per comprendere ed empatizzare con la malattia mentale. “The Bear Came over the Mountain” e “In vista del lago” si focalizzano su viaggi di ricerca di una comprensione profonda, nei quali chi legge è direttamente coinvolto/a in un processo di esplorazione narrativa del deterioramento cognitivo da due prospettive differenti (interna ed esterna). In “The Bear Came Over the Mountain” si accede alla ‘mente dell’Alzheimer’ dal punto di vista di Grant, che porta testimonianza della malattia della moglie; in “In vista del lago” i/le lettori/lettrici sono testimoni del progressivo declino cognitivo della protagonista. Il processo di lettura e comprensione getta una nuova luce sulla mente di chi è affetto dalla sindrome di Alzheimer, e mostra a lettori e lettrici le connessioni fra il guardare e il comprendere, e fra l’avere cura e l’empatia.

DOI: 10.17456/SIMPLE-133

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