The tale of freedom

Salvation and migration in Ornela Vorpsi's debut work

Abstract

The article discusses the literary debut of Albanian author Ornela Vorpsi: Il paese dove non si muore mai, which retraces the years she lived in her home country – then under Enver Hoxha’s dictatorship – and analyzes some of most inhumane limitations on freedom, both public and private.
Special attention is given to the female condition, oppressed under Hoxha’s regime and subjected to deep stigmatization, often perpetuated by women themselves.
The article also explores the connection with the fairy tale genre through Italo Calvino’s interpretation. It clarifies the relationship between Vorpsi, the Italian author and the significance of the fairy tale contextualized within this representation of a journey of struggle and search for freedom.