Literary double between space and time : a thematic constellation about Einstein’s theories

In 1916 Albert Einstein formulated the theory of relativity, a great XX century scientific revolution, which will have repercussions affecting all areas of human knowledge. The aim of our study is to draw a framework of the existing relations between European literature and the theory of relativity, about the interaction of their two languages and the exchange of their images. If science and literature interact to each other, they do so within an atmosphere, the spirit of the times. The two disciplines take their images and their themes from a common ground: they thus become the expression of an era and at the same time the source from which the era nourishes itself. The dialogue between science and literature is reflected in our methodology: the paradox of twins, which Einstein uses to explain spatio-temporal deformation, is transformed in the double theme from which a European corpus was selected. Then, we proceeded to an analysis on two levels, the one narratological and the other symbolic. For the first level, we have focused on space-time double relation, discovering how the two are interlaced and how space-time is not limited to assuming a decor function. For the second level of analysis we have borrowed certain images used by Einstein in his popularization texts, such as train and light, to build a critical grid that we have called the “Einsteinian constellation”. Thanks to this grid of symbols, which is superimposed on that of narratology, we can see that the elements evoked by Einstein transform into literature while retaining all their scientific value. From our analysis results a framework where scientific elements and fiction texts intertwine in the expression of the spirit of the time. Scientific relativity finds its counterpart in literary relativity.