Lucía Etxebarria; women´s narrative; transformation of intimacy; love discourse; erotic discourse

Abstract

With reference to the title of the book by anthony Giddens and in accordance with the book’s content, this paper explores the space of intimacy (emotional relations and sexual practices) in the narrative of Lucia  Etxebarria. The aim is to find out how the woman depicted in lucía Etxebarria´s fiction and essay writing has managed to free herself from traditional models and to integrate her intimacy into the reflexive project of the self.The work of lucia  Extebarria demonstrates evident consciousness of the changes in the sphere of intimacy which occur at the present time. In her texts there is an obvious aspiration to establish in literature a renewed perspective which seeks larger knowledge and enjoys female sexuality as well as larger autonomy in love realtionships. The novelist reconsid- ers common sexual behavior patterns with a view to question the hierarchical and heteronormative constructions. The attention paied to female desire enables one to construct new reference models with dissident characters and transgressive code of sexual conduct.