THE THEME OF EXILE IN THE DRAMA „ORËMIRA“ BY ZEF SKIRO DI MAXHOS
Vebi BEXHETI, Arbana AJDINI
Abstract
Through this work, the great Arbëresh playwright and poet, Zef Skiro Di Maxho, deals with the fate of the Arbëresh of Sicily, many years after they settled in the new land, when for economic reasons they were forced to leave their new homeland to take the path of exile, initially to the more developed parts of Italy, and later to the developed countries of Western Europe. The Arbëresh experienced displacement of this nature even in more distant countries, such as Brazil, Argentina and the USA, countries where the Arbëresh did not escape assimilation. The phenomenon of migration to countries outside southern Italy was a constant preoccupation of playwright Zef Skiro Di Magjo, aware that Arbëresh families, who suffered a “second breakup”, would not be able to preserve their identity, unlike those who had spent centuries in Calabria and Sicily, preserving their language, tradition, culture, clothing and many other identity elements.
The playwright presents this entire second migration of many Arbëresh families, who left their homes in Calabria and Sicily, through the family of an elderly couple: La’ Masi Muzakja, Vo’Mena and their three sons, who left their parents and took the path of exile. Despite the “watchful care” that the mother put on her sons to protect them from any harm, and to protect the Arbëresh identity, they could not withstand the influence of the foreign language and culture.
Pages: 183 - 193