The Reflections Between Clara and Saint Chiara in 'Italian Postcard' Alexandra Bayer College

In the story “Italian Postcard” by Jane Urquhart, the main character Clara, whose name alone mirrors Santa Chiara, shares many other, deeper similarities with the historical woman. Chiara’s love for St. Francis is mirrored in Clara’s relationship with Italy; Chiara’s overall unhappiness is depicted in many aspects of Clara’s life; and the general tone and written format of “Italian Postcard” also mirrors the sadness expressed in The Little Flowers of Santa Chiara, the novel which Clara reads in order to learn more of Chiara. Although the women live nearly a millennium apart, Clara relates to Chiara seemingly more than she does to the living, choosing to spend almost her entire Italian vacation immersed in her book rather than sight-seeing with her husband. The more that Clara learns of Chiara, the more she is able to see within herself.

The unrequited love and adoration that Chiara feels for St. Francis, of which Clara reads in The Little Flowers of Santa Chiara, is mirrored in several different ways in Clara’s life. As Clara explains it, “[Chiara] kept on wanting to see Francis and he kept not wanting to see her” (327). The most consistent similarity in Clara’s life lies within her fascination with Italy, which began with the...