Menarca, pubertà e riti di passaggio: la ri-definizione del (S)oggetto femminile in La ragazza di nome Giulio di Milena Milani (1964)

Abstract

The article offers a study of the novel La ragazza di nome Giulio (A Girl Called Jules) by Milena Milani, which caused a scandal due to its alleged obscenity following its publication in 1964, by examining one of the central and most provocative themes addressed in the text, namely the menstrual cycle of the protagonist. Through her first menstruation and the related intratextual references, as well as considering the theoretical framework on puberty and the sociocultural significance of menarche provided by Simone de Beauvoir in Le deuxième sexe, the narrator’s search for identity leads to the definition of an autonomous Subject that distances itself from the socially defined female role as the ‘Other’ through the rejection of traditional patriarchal constructs and gender roles. By narrating the formation of a female Subject who rebels against the socially and culturally constructed role of woman-as-Other, Milani deconstructs the biological moment that determines the assignment of this role. By advancing a strong critique of patriarchy, the author stands out as an innovative feminist voice capable of assigning literary dignity to the menstrual cycle and its evident but unspoken socio-cultural and discursive significance.