Germaine de Staël’s Corinne ou l’Italie The tragic identity of a woman of genius, or the crisis of dialogue between nations

Staël, in Corinne ou l'Italie, considers identity of a poetess, dispossessed of her genius and her freedom by unhappy love. Split between two countries to which she remains attached,Corinne is confronted with a dilemma : to live for her fame by hiding her real name, or to reveal her identity and lose her happiness in love and her genius. The sentimental rupture with the English lover opens up the question of national, cultural, and historical belonging.