Alexandros Papadiamantis: A Passionate Spirit

Abstract

Abstract

Despite his appellation as a ‘Saint of Greek Literature’, Alexandros Papadiamantis, a writer of national acclaim in Modern Greece, produces texts describing extraordinary passions as well as uncontrolled and uncontrollable drives. This article explores the emotional dynamics underpinning his work in light of four themes: the covert Hedonistic gaze, scenarios involving jealousy, staging the ineffable jouissance of the Other, Eros for women deprived of physical sensation due to a deeply-rooted fear of otherness, and the recurring deaths of feminine beings assimilated with preventive murder in the name of virginity and sterility.