Filters, Risks, and Ironies : An Inquiry between Nostalgia and Trauma

Abstract

This article explores nostalgia as a filtered emotion that can distort the past when used as a political tool to consolidate collective identities. When nostalgia serves as an ideological instrument, it selectively highlights aspects conducive to hegemonic goals while ignoring contradictory elements. This interaction between nostalgic and traumatic memory is evident because the longing for the past inherently seeks an idealized version, often glossing over or transforming traumatic elements. Examining cases related to the reception of former Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and the Fascist past, this chapter investigates three narrative strategies and effects: filtering, communicative risk, and irony.