Pride or shame? Sulla letteratura working class di Alberto Prunetti

The article proposes a reading of the novels of Alberto Prunetti, in the light of his critical reflection on working class literature. The author studies the relationship of Prunetti’s reflection with the debate on ‘literature and industry’ held in the ‘Menabò’ in the 1960s, in order to appreciate innovations and limits of this new perspective. A comparison is then proposed with contemporary French working class literature, in particular with the novels of Edouard Louis. On the basis of the different treatment of the two competitive concepts of Pride and Shame used by the writers, the author concludes that Prunetti’s writing is characterized by a heroic attitude, while Louis’ one, influenced by Ernaux and Eribon, is more pessimistic and intersectional.