The writing of Sally Rooney and the convergences with the Flâneur

Abstract

This study reflects on the aesthetic aspects of walking in the city through the female protagonists of Sally Rooney in “Conversations with Friends” (2017) and “Normal People” (2018). Using a phenomenological approach, we explore how Dublin is portrayed by the protagonists, focusing on their experiences while walking, considering Lauren Elkin’s (2022) flâneuse perspective.The analysis centers on the mental images and aesthetic sensations narrated by the author to understand the impact of walking on the narrative. We investigate the imaginary of Dublin constructed by the author, seeking to understand this aesthetic phenomenon in large cities, We ground our reflection on walking in the studies of Frédéric Gros (2010), complemented by authors like Edgar Morin (2017) and Walter Benjamin (1989), and connect these ideas with communicational aesthetic perspectives. The result reveals an intimate relationship between the city of Dublin and the narratives of these young women, aiming to identify literary and aesthetic connections in the female protagonists and urban environments.