Original scientific paper
Hi/stories from Hvar in Dalmatian Stories by Verka Škurla-Ilijić
Ivana Mandić Hekman
; Zavod za znanstveni i umjetnički rad HAZU u Splitu
Abstract
In the narrative opus of Verka Škurla-Ilijić (1891-1971) a special place is preserved for prose writing about the life in Dalmatia and the native island of Hvar, which, in comparison to her Bosnian hi/stories, often remains unmentioned or is exposed to unjust criticism. Written mainly in the 1920s and 30s, these stories were visibly influenced by Expressionism which enabled the author to convey her opinions about the world around her and in the communities she knew well in a more bold manner. Burdened by the hardships of life, which she never managed to come to terms with, she formulated stories with metaphysical visions or religious elements, especially when she tried to emphasise the traditional values of morality and redemption through unavoidable penitence. In many occasions, death is almost imposed as the sole possible deliverance. In order to make a story more credible, it was necessary to harmonize it with the description of the surrounding in which the story takes place. This resulted in exceptionally lyric images of the landscape constructing the island’s ambiance from the beginning of the past century. The author achieved a special reality-effect with a distinct, colourful urban local idiom, which is ultimately why her work represents a valuable contribution to the expressionist writing of the period.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
82209
URI
Publication date:
4.5.2012.
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