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Exploring Negative Representations of Female Friendship across Cultural and Social Backgrounds: A Comparative Analysis of Emma, L’amica geniale and NANA
Braun, Vanessa
Braun, Vanessa
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Abstract
Some second-wave feminists thought that women’s friendship is the deepest and most important bond that humans can create. Since women were speculated to have inherent nurturing qualities, they were regarded as the only ones capable to fulfill emotional needs. Women can gain a deeper understanding of themselves and their friends through dialogue, mutual recognition, and interpretation, leading to more meaningful relationships and a heightened sense of identity. However, recent feminists look on these beliefs with skepticism, as they point out a reality in which women friendship is complex and ambivalent. Indeed, the literature in question, which represents various cultures, languages, and time periods, portrays friendships marked by negative qualities such as competitiveness, possessiveness, jealousy, and other similar traits. This analysis of Elena Ferrante’s tetralogy L’amica geniale, Jane Austen’s novel Emma, and Ai Yazawa’s manga NANA ultimately concludes that the concept of sisterhood, as conceived by some second-wave feminists, remains an unfulfilled ideal.
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Thesis (B.A. in English Literature, Minor in Italian Studies)--John Cabot University, Spring 2023.
Date
2023
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Keywords
Jane Austen, 1775-1817, Emma Woodhouse (Fictitious character), Ai Yazawa, 1967-, Manga, Female friendship
Citation
Braun, Vanessa. "Exploring Negative Representations of Female Friendship across Cultural and Social Backgrounds: A Comparative Analysis of Emma, L’amica geniale and NANA". BA Thesis, John Cabot University, Rome, Italy. 2023.