Alessandro Iannucci

Da Samosata a Oxford. Il Sogno di Luciano (e Thomas Hardy) tra biografia, finzione letteraria e parodia

This paper is an analysis of the prolalia of Lucian Somnium sive Vita Luciani . It is a common belief that the Somnium have an autobiographical nature in order to present a possible role model for society. But I believe that the literary function of this representation of a prolalia is rather to present a parody of the situation and therefore the antithesis of the role model concept. I support my hypothesis with several indications within the text and other works of Lucian, to show the autobiographical function in a polemic role. Ultimately the Somnium is compared with a Thomas Hardy novel Jude the Obscure , where the apparently autobiographical elements also have a satirical value and are exploited to differentiate between the author and the narrative portrayal