Coscienza, anima, imperfezione. Il mito di Elena nella riscrittura di Hildesheimer

This paper aims to examine the Hildesheimer’s rewriting of the Helen myth. In Das Opfer Helena, the author links the character of Helen to the theme of the scapegoat. The goal of Helen’s sacrifice is not to highlight feelings of guilt, but it involves a more crucial issue: human relationships within the nonsense of life. The analysis of Helen’s psychology becomes an interesting opportunity that Hildesheimer exploits in order to point out the imperfection of mankind.