From a Double Trauma to a Double Destiny: New Traumatic Perspectives in Anna Banti’s Artemisia

Even though Anna Banti’s novel Artemisia is widely related to gender and trauma, a systematic study that considers these two aspects simultaneously has yet to be conducted. Focusing on the «multidirectional memory» underlying the open-structure of the work, the chapter explores the dialogical approach adopted by the author to represent her personal trauma and that of her protagonist. Contrary to the rape suffered by Artemisia Gentileschi, however, Banti’s wartime experience has perhaps not yet been sufficiently investigated, underestimating the fact that she experienced the bombings of Florence firsthand. Through the lens of trauma and a close reading of Banti’s correspondence, the essay thus suggests how WWII may have played an even more important role than previously thought in the elaboration of Artemisia’s «polytemporal» montage.