Between East and West: the border writing of Yeoryios Vizyinos

Abstract

This paper addresses the inter-relationship between Greek nationalism, literature and the construction of cultural identity. Using the 'border' stories of the Greek author, Yeoryius Vizyinos, the author illustrates how literature can be employed to study late nineteenth century militant nationalism. The metaphor of the 'border' is employed to highlight the precariousness of modern Greek national identity. The author concludes that literature can be used to chart the contingent and contradictory narratives of Greek nationalism. These observations have relevance for more recent times given the ongoing conflicts over Macedonia and Cyprus.