Ritirate parallele: Hemingway, Comisso e la rotta di Caporetto

Abstract

Both Ernest Hemingway and Giovanni Comisso were involved in the First World War, but while Comisso was a career officer who witnessed the rout of Caporetto and the ensuing chaotic retreat of the Regio Esercito, Hemingway reconstructed the events of October-November 1917 ex post facto, inasmuch as he only arrived in Italy in June 1918. However, a close comparative reading of Comisso's memoir Giorni di guerra and Hemingway's novel A Farewell to Arms proves that the American novelist had carefully researched his narrative, as many details are consistent with the Italian writer's first-hand report. Moreover, the comparative analysis highlights some only apparently marginal utterances of Hemingway's characters which should be interpreted as hidden prolepses, hinting at oncoming events (the looming Caporetto disaster and its consequences). Hence this comparative reading helps us to fathom how deep is the hidden part of the narrative iceberg in A Farewell to Arms, and bring to light new layers of meaning of this complex and sometimes beguiling narrative.