Shifting Narrative and Subjective Time in the Novel “Zeno's Conscience”: Confluences between Literature and Psychoanalysis

Abstract

Italo Svevo is a writer whose work deeply delves into the enigmas of perception and reality, exploring the complexity of the human mind and the existential condition. His novel “Zeno’s Conscience” connects to universal themes, such as the nature of time, memory, and subjectivity. The author invites the reader to embark on a journey of inquiry and discovery, in which the linearity of time is deconstructed, and the human psyche is laid bare in its multifaceted layers. In the novel, time is portrayed as a fluid and fragmented experience where past, present, and future intertwine. This approach resonates with Freudian psychoanalysis, which posits that the unconscious operates within its own subjective temporal framework. In this study, we explore connections between Svevo’s novel and Freudian theory, focusing on the fragmentation of psychological time and the role of memory as a cornerstone for understanding the human mind. We argue that Svevo, by challenging the narrative conventions of his era, offers an innovative vision of subjectivity that aligns with Freudian ideas about the unconscious and temporal experience. Our analysis concludes that Svevo’s deconstruction of temporal linearity through the lens of unconscious poetics anticipates Freudian concepts of the unconscious. Svevo’s literature not only reflects but also expands psychoanalytic insights into the human condition, underscoring the relevance of his work to interdisciplinary studies bridging Literature and Psychoanalysis.