Recurring Plots in Alberto Moravia's Fiction

摘要

Recent research has suggested a new interpretation of Moravia, based on a plot which persistently recurs in his fiction and represents, through several variations and some concealment, a story of child sexual abuse. However, if that abuse is so central to Moravia's work, how can we explain other plots that appear repeatedly in his fiction? At least four of Moravia's novels – La romana, I due amici, Il disprezzo and La donna leopardo – are devoted to the relationship between rich and poor (not between adults and minors) and to social exploitation (not to the coerced corruption of innocents). This article shows that interpretations based on the child-abuse plot are not weakened by the existence of other frequently occurring stories. It analyses these four novels to show the strong influence of Moravia's essential story (his archetype) on other plots, and how ultimately the latter are only a variation on the former.