History by Elsa Morante

Introduction

Elsa Morante's History (1974) begins with a declaration: "There's no such thing as History without the capital H." The true history, she insists, is the experience of the powerless—those swept up in forces they cannot control. Her novel follows Ida Ramundo, a half-Jewish schoolteacher in Rome, and her young son Useppe, as they struggle to survive World War II, the Nazi occupation, and the chaotic aftermath.

Each section opens with a dry summary of "History"—the dates of battles, the movements of armies—before plunging into the human reality those abstractions conceal. Useppe, born of Ida's rape by a German soldier, is one of literature's most heartbreaking characters: a child of astonishing joy and sensitivity in a world that has no place for either.

Key Takeaways

• History is what happens to the powerless
• Children bear the cost of adult violence
• The personal is more true than the official