TEMNIȚA – SPAȚIU AL OBNUBILĂRII FIINȚEI UMANE. CÂTEVA STUDII DE CAZ DIN MEMORIALISTICA ROMÂNEASCĂ A CELEI DE-A DOUA JUMĂTĂȚI A SECOLULUI XX/
THE DUNGEON – SPACE OF THE HUMAN BEING'S ECLIPSING. SOME CASE STUDIES FROM THE ROMANIAN MEMORIALS OF THE SECOND HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY

Summary/Abstract: The present paper focuses on analyzing the places of the carceral universe: the dungeon, the prison and detention, those spaces of hardship, fears and darkness, where the human being feels projected into a dystopia with which he cannot identify. This paper’s main purpose is to highlight that the darkest topos can become more than spaces of oblivion, places of memory healing. Thus space becomes a person’s identity trademark. Since extensive research is mandatory when analyzing the confession literature—more specifically, areas of captivity—built from the imaginary of writers such as Alice Voinescu, Constantin Noica, Alexandru Paleologu, Nicolae Steinhardt, and Valeriu Anania, we propose an inventory of topos like the dungeon, the prison and the space of detention. These spaces are perceived as universal places of captivity since people become isolated within the frames of these places. Due to their ability to create their own refuge in memory from the vicissitudes of life, writers have made a bow out of their creative power: a bow with which to play their misfortune like a cello. Furthermore, the Romanian confession of the imaginary shows these spaces of obscurity as shielding places, spaces for retreat, solitude and even destiny. Therefore, these places become favourable topos to memory organization or memory writing.

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