Pamukkale Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi

Öz

Andrea Camilleri, a renowned Southern Italian writer, is recognized for his works in the genre of crime novels, which are considered popular narratives in Italian literature. In his fiction narratives specific to Sicily, Andrea Camilleri skillfully addresses the interplay of the church, mafia, and politics, which constitute the most influential elements of Southern Italy's social structure and political history. Within the framework of this literary genre, the narratives revolve around a crime as the central theme, featuring a detective who strives to solve the said crime, alongside individuals involved in the crime and witnesses. It should be noted that Camilleri also portrays the island of Sicily and its distinctive way of life as characters in his narratives. In literature, the concept of womanhood is approached through various perspectives that are influenced by feminist criticism. In the context of crime narratives, such examinations are often conducted through stories that feature a female protagonist as the main character. In the series centered around Inspector Montalbano, who embodies the typical figure of an Italian man from the South, the female characters are presented to the reader as secondary characters within the events that unfold. Throughout the historical process, Italy, especially the South, has been exposed to wars and migrations, which have transformed the geographical setting of the narratives into a multicultural and multi-layered structure. Within the Inspector Montalbano series, this structure is made more visible through the female characters. Indeed, when we refer to the female figure in Italian literature, it is known that its roots trace back to the 1300s. It is known that many authors, from Guido Cavalcanti to Dante Alighieri, from Francesco Petrarca to Ludovico Ariosto, from Carlo Goldoni to Gabriele D’Annunzio, have represented the female figure in various forms in Italian literature. This study will approach the concept of womanhood within the multicultural structure of Italy through the lens of feminist criticism, examining the archetypes of the angelic woman, the demonic woman, and the femme fatale. With this aim in mind, the examination of the female figures in the Inspector Montalbano series will be carried out within the context of feminist criticism, taking into account Sicily’s political and historical past. In this regard, the study will seek to determine the roles of the female figures created by Camilleri within the context of crime narratives.