Delphine di Germaine de Staël: gli inconvenienti della pietà

Abstract

This article examines the central role of pity in Germaine de Staël’s 1802 novel, Delphine. Through the protagonist’s painful experiences, de Staël explores the ambivalent nature of pity and how it is exercised. On the one hand, pity emerges as an essential ethical principle, but on the other, it appears as a potentially dangerous force capable of subverting the foundations of the social order. The analysis focuses on the tensions between Delphine’s compassionate nature and the rigid social conventions of the aristocratic, patriarchal world in which she lives. Particular attention is paid to the complex interplay between pity and love. Although pity is presented as a noble and altruistic force, it also plays a role in the tragedy of Delphine’s experience, highlighting the incompatibility between individual moral sentiments and the established social order. Ultimately, the article argues that, in Delphine, pity functions not only as a personal ethical principle, but also as a disruptive force that challenges the normative frameworks of gender and society.