Abstract
This chapter focuses on the analysis of maps drawn by two heterozygote adolescent twin girls that attend high school in a small town not far from their place of origin. Unlike the majority of other case studies that focus on university students who live far from their places of origin, in this case the subjects involved have not moved away completely, though they leave their place of origin every day for part of the day. Another difference from other case studies is the age of the subjects involved; they are teen-agers, in-between childhood– a period of their lives they have left behind– and adulthood– which they are headed towards. The main focus of this case study is the comparative analysis of the twin sisters’ representations of their place of origin. Though the sisters are heterozygotes twins and have spent all their lives in the same family and social environment, their graphic representations and verbal commentary on their drawings (which included a dialogue between the two girls) show marked differences. The comparative analysis includes the drawings of the two girls, their verbal commentaries, and satellite maps of their place of origin that were used to find and compare their respective representative choices, omissions and misrepresentations.
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Notes
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The idea of “possible world” refers to Nelson Goodman’s article (1978:1–22) “Words, works, worlds”.
- 5.
Studies on these ideas have been elaborated in the work of Groupe de recherches sémio-linguistique in Paris. The terminology used by their authors is characterized by affinities and difference. On the idea of topology, figurative semiotics and plastic semiotic see Greimas (1976 and, 1984:12–20). On the idea of énonciation abstraite, see Calabrese (1987:35–40). Here the author elaborates four possible kinds of analysis on a two-dimensional surface, such as a painting; see also Louis Marin’s (1994) terminology, in particular for terms such as présentation and répresentation. Concerning Marin, in the English edition (Marin 2001) the two levels (presentation, representation) are related by adding the suffix “re”. Re-presentation indicates the level at which representation shows itself. To deepen the relationship between “image” and “story”, see Lancioni (2009) and Marin (1984). For the semiotic debate around the Lynch’s concept of “imageability”, cf. Pozzato (2007).
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These ideas are borrowed from geography, and refer to a representation of space that considers the subject’s perspective and past lived experience and a more objective representation of space respectively. For a more detailed definition of these see Bonazzi, chapter “Geographical Imagination and Memory: Maps, Places, Itineraries” and Frixa, chapter “The Representation of the Places of Origin: A Geographical Perspective” in this volume.
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As noted by the anthropologist Franco La Cecla, the omission of names of place makes it difficult to identify them: What happens when places have no name?” Let us think of a situation in which the name of the place in which we live is cancelled from memory. We cease to have any hold on them. We must indicate them with ‘here’ or ‘there’ […] To accept to give up the name of one’s place means to give up one’s identity” (La Cecla 2000:50–53).
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Green area, park, indicated with “villa”. Here and henceforth the transcription of terms in inverted comas reproduces the small and big print as it appears in the drawing.
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Regional idiom for a small public fountain with drinkable water usually in town centres. Another regional variant used in Rome is the word “nasoni”.
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On genres and techniques that have inspired our subjects while representing their place of origin see D’Armenio, chapter “Intermedial Editing in the Representations of Places of Origin” in this volume.
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Where the writings “asilo”, “teatro san mauro”, “poste”, “centro sociale” and the building they indicate are.
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Playground part of the parish centre.
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This could be connected with place of origin’s as non-grammatical space that makes it similar with the mother language. As a matter of fact white spaces could be interpreted in different ways, as can be seen in Pozzato (Chapters “Introduction”, “Genres of Maps of Places of Origin. A Semiotic Survey”) and Mazzeo’s (Chapter “Maps of Early Childhood Places or Self Maps? A Graphic and Conversational Analysis”) essays in this volume.
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Metalanguage term. In french “énonciation énoncée).
- 15.
Here and henceforth we use the italics to express emphasis.
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It is significant to note that this view can be considered a generic image of the town (postcard image); this is often used as public image for official events, tourist photos, artistic photos. See Pozzato on “monumentalization” of places in some maps of places of origin.
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On this see Pozzato on “negation of place” in this volume.
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Particular paths that are frequently experienced because they are connected to specific events and whose representation could contribute to their evocation are not represented here. Also absent are those strategic paths that facilitate the movement from A to B.
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“Sea” is a system of description element and indicates the place where both subjects used to have summer vacations. This is in a different region from the place of origin.
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The place of birth of both subjects is near Melfi.
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“Even if you waste time and stay with friends in the end you have fun” (subject map 2).
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We are talking about 15–40km; these kind of distances can be easily covered only if you possess your own means of transport.
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In relation to what, to routine? To the norm? These could have been the possible questions that were not asked to avoid to the condition the commentary.
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For results of research work on this idea that are significant for this study, see Marsciani (2014:18).
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Donatiello, P. (2018). Self-Mapping and Construction of the Identity: The Case Study of Two Twin Girls Between Past, Present and Future. In: Visual and Linguistic Representations of Places of Origin. Perspectives in Pragmatics, Philosophy & Psychology, vol 16. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-68858-9_5
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