Abstract
This article studies a version of female development contained in Elena Ferrante‘s My Brilliant Friend, one that opposes the typically male development of the Bildungsroman. The Neapolitan novels invoke ideologies of development often associated with the Bildungsroman but also carve out subversive paths to female Bildung. Viewing the relationship between the two protagonists, Lila and Elena, as modulated by generic tensions—one trajectory following the classical Bildung, the other resisting it—the article uses Rachel Blau DuPlessis‘s notion of transgressive narrative strategies, contending that the novels suggest a narrative of entanglement offering an alternative geometry of female development.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
