La famiglia ideale... Portret rodziny Brunettich w kryminalnych powieściach Donny Leon

Abstract

The article deals with the motif of a family in crime stories by the American writer Donna Leon. The family of the protagonist, Guido Brunetti, may be considered as a model. The relations between the protagonist and other characters become an important component of the family portrait. The wife and children function as a frame of reference and appear to be an asylum, the protagonist’s shelter. The family ties make it possible for the main character to keep a mental balance and asses the situation properly. They also play an important role in solving crime mysteries by determining the hero’s point of view. Of special significance are Brunetti’s conversations with his wife. The extraordinary exemplariness of his family counterbalances the disharmony of the external reality as well as guarantees an objective assessment of the investigation and its development. Emotional bonds presented by Leon are to a large extent related to the anthropological aspirations of the authors of crime fiction which may be exemplified by, among other things, the abundance of daily-life details or the particulars of the family life of the Brunettis.