Radical Intimacy in Sally Rooney’s Intermezzo

Abstract

Drawing on care ethics and vulnerability theory, this study addresses the prominent role of intimacy in Sally Rooney’s Intermezzo (2024), set in contemporary Ireland. Written in a language that focuses on the protagonists’ interiority, bodily sensations, and emotional world, the novel vividly portrays a “radical” sense of intimacy which helps characters reassess their phobias and insecurities within their closest relationships. As will be argued, intimacy in Rooney’s Intermezzo is not just a matter of human connection, but of a personal transformation that allows protagonists to move away from the neoliberal and patriarchal values, norms, and stereotypes of today’s world.