Review article

Expatriate longing of Duška Crmarić Tomašić

Ivana Odža ; Sveučilište u Splitu, Filozofski fakultet, Split, Hrvatska

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to present the experience of the homeland, with a special focus on the birthplace, Solin, in the travel prose Putosnovice (2017) and the poetry collection Galerija likova (2018) by Duška Crmarić Tomašić. By applying the spatial turn theories, the analysed literary works are considered in the context of Croatian travel writing tradition and in the context of Croatian emigrant literature. The analysis showed that the fundamental tools in constructing the text are memory and longing, which are used to contrast the space of the «two homelands» - the one from which one originates and the one to which one has arrived. The main motifs through which the homeland is experienced are the small places significant to the author’s life. Solin is a recurring motif, with certain chapters explicitly dedicated to it. The depiction of Solin in Duška Crmarić’s travel prose is a deconstruction of the space of memory into an imaginary spiritual space of the author's inner world, clearly positioning the author within the expatriate literature. In a broader cultural context, her travelogue and poetry collection can be seen as a lyrical portrayal of the Solin’s past, offering contemporary readers an opportunity for cultural reflection on space, both past and present, and on the cultural meaning and importance of memory as a guardian of significance

Keywords

longing; homeland; emigrant literature; space imaginary; travelogue; Solin

Hrčak ID:

322589

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/322589

Publication date:

15.11.2024.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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