Lo sguardo di Briseide. La schiava il testimone/narratore e “noi”

The essay addresses, by analyzing and comparing three examples of literary, journalistic and cinematic narratives, the relationship among the phenomenon of modern slavery, sexual female exploitation through deception and force, its representations and the ambiguities of the response to them; the difficulties associated with its legal definition, and the conflicting views of the relationship between trafficking in persons, irregular immigration and prostitution; the ways in which slavery has been explored, discussed, interpreted and narrated in the last twenty years; the impact of reportages and stories focusing on the links between legal economy, global crime and exploitation through coercion of socially and economically vulnerable persons. Keywords: schiava, testimone, narratore, schiavitù moderna, economia globale, trafficking, clandestinità, prostituzione, violenza, viaggio; slave, witness, teller, slavery, global economy, trafficking, clandestinity, prostitution, rape, travel.