Il treno dei nomi

Abstract

Il treno dei bambini, a celebrated novel written by Viola Ardone in 2019, narrates the story of Amerigo Speranza, one among the many Southern children who embarked on a remarkable journey across the peninsula towards the North during the tumultuous years following World War II. This initiative, spearheaded by the Communist Party, aimed to secure a better life and education, which their impoverished places of origin could not provide. Beyond their connection to the real-life protagonists of the historical events that inspired the author, the names of the characters play a vital role in intricately weaving the tapestry of the narrative. They give rise to a complex interplay of correspondences, wordplay, and revelations, while also engaging in a vibrant dialogue with the distinctive linguistic substratum that breathes life into its contrasting and dual settings – the Mezzogiorno and the North.