ABSTRACT
The Le donne di Messina is the longest, most complex and most troubled novel written by Elio Vittorini. In his review of Donne 1, Italo Calvino mentioned a conversation with Vittorini which had taken place at the beginning of 1946. The narrative structure of Le donne di Messina is based on three parallel themes and each of them requires close examination. The repetition of words, the interrogative mode, the 'universalizing' of the experience are all trademarks of Vittorini's prose style. Mention of the autobiographical entries leads us to the experimental narrative technique with which Vittorini presented the events of the commune. Certainly the complexity of the narrative apparatus makes for a very fragmented reading. To return to the content of the story, Vittorini's portrayal of the future of the commune is of central importance. Vittorini is certainly supportive of their cause and the novel ends on a general note of optimism.
