Radical Intimacy in Sally Rooney's <i>Intermezzo</i>

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.