Utopia and Dystopia in Postwar Italian Literature: Pasolini, Calvino, Sanguineti, Volponi (Italian and Italian American Studies)

This book is about the presence of utopian and dystopian elements in the Italian literary landscape. It focuses on four authors that are representatives of the various positions in the Italian cultural debate: Pasolini, Calvino, Sanguineti, and Volponi. What did concepts like utopia and dystopia mean for these authors? Is it possible to separate utopia from dystopia? What is the role of science fiction in this debate? This book answers these questions, proposing an original interpretation of utopia and of the social role of literature. The book also takes into consideration four of the most influential literary journals in Italy: __Officina__, __il menabò__, __il verri__, and __Nuovi Argomenti__, that played a central role in the cultural and political debate on utopia in Italy. 'utopia And Dystopia Is A Skillful Synthesis Of The Work Of Calvino, Sanguineti, Volponi And Pasolini, Cutting-edge Intellectuals Of The Latter Twentieth Century. Fioretti's Book Fills A Gap In Our Knowledge Of The Literature Of Commitment In Italy By Connecting It To The Tradition Of Utopian Literature In Europe, A Framework The Author Explores Theoretically And Practically, And Applies To The Texts Of These Very Diverse Authors. By Virtue Of His Method And The Elegant And Streamlined Nature Of His Prose, Fioretti Succeeds In Presenting This Complex Material In A Way That Is Highly Legible And Inviting, Whether To The Novice Reader Or The Expert.' - Thomas E. Peterson, Professor Of Italian, University Of Georgia, Usa. This Book Is About The Presence Of Utopian And Dystopian Elements In The Italian Literary Landscape. It Focuses On Four Authors That Are Representatives Of The Various Positions In The Italian Cultural Debate: Pasolini, Calvino, Sanguineti, And Volponi. What Did Concepts Like Utopia And Dystopia Mean For These Authors? Is It Possible To Separate Utopia From Dystopia? What Is The Role Of Science Fiction In This Debate? This Book Answers These Questions, Proposing An Original Interpretation Of Utopia And Of The Social Role Of Literature. The Book Also Takes Into Consideration Four Of The Most Influential Literary Journals In Italy: Officina, Il Menabò, Il Verri, And Nuovi Argomenti, That Played A Central Role In The Cultural And Political Debate On Utopia In Italy. Utopia And Dystopia In Postwar Italian Literature; Acknowledgements; Contents; 1 Introduction; Notes; 2 The Theoretical Landscape; 2.1 History Of A Concept; 2.2 Utopia And Ideology; 2.3 Utopia And Industry; 2.4 Is There A Blueprint For Utopia?; 2.5 Utopia And Power; 2.6 The Enemies Of Utopia; 2.7 How To Rethink Utopia; Notes; 3 Pier Paolo Pasolini: The Contradictions Of Utopia; 3.1 A Utopia Of Origins; 3.2 The Body Of Utopia; 3.3 Poet Of Ashes; 3.4 Ragazzi Di Vita: Utopian Perspectives In Pasolini's Narrative; 3.5 Death In The Cinema Of Poetry; 3.6 The Crisis Of The Subproletarian Myth 3.7 A Cinema Of Crisis3.8 Can We Trans-humanize; 3.9 Abjuration And Collapse Of Utopia; Notes; 4 Italo Calvino: A Reasonable Utopia; 4.1 Utopia And The Resistance; 4.2 The 1950s And The Crisis Of Ideology; 4.3 Images Of Utopia; 4.4 Map And Labyrinth; 4.5 World And Prison; 4.6 From Fourier To Le Città Invisibili; 4.7 Describing The Invisible; 4.8 The Epistemological Utopia Of The Last Calvino; Notes; 5 The World As A Marsh: Dystopia And Utopia In Edoardo Sanguineti; 5.1 Utopia In Sanguineti; 5.2 A New Language; 5.3 Entering The Palus; 5.4 On The Bottom Of The Marsh; 5.5 After Laborintus 5.6 From Wirrwarr To Varie Ed Eventualinotes; 6 Utopia And Hybridization In Paolo Volponi; 6.1 A Corporeal Utopia; 6.2 Industry And Madness; 6.3 A New Model: From History To The Body; 6.4 After The Catastrophe: Il Pianeta Irritabile And The Mis-education Of Mamerte; 6.5 Con Testo A Fronte: The Return To Poetry; 6.6 The Defeat Of The Knight; 6.7 Nel Silenzio Campale And The Last Poems; Notes; 7 Conclusion; Note; Bibliography; Index Daniele Fioretti. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Utopia and Dystopia in Postwar Italian Literature 4 Acknowledgements 7 Contents 8 1 Introduction 11 Notes 26 2 The Theoretical Landscape 27 2.1 History of a Concept 27 2.2 Utopia and Ideology 32 2.3 Utopia and Industry 36 2.4 Is There a Blueprint for Utopia? 38 2.5 Utopia and Power 42 2.6 The Enemies of Utopia 47 2.7 How to Rethink Utopia 48 Notes 53 3 Pier Paolo Pasolini: The Contradictions of Utopia 55 3.1 A Utopia of Origins 55 3.2 The Body of Utopia 62 3.3 Poet of Ashes 64 3.4 Ragazzi di Vita: Utopian Perspectives in Pasolini’s Narrative 68 3.5 Death in the “Cinema of Poetry” 71 3.6 The Crisis of the Subproletarian Myth 79 3.7 A Cinema of Crisis 85 3.8 Can We Trans-Humanize? 89 3.9 Abjuration and Collapse of Utopia 92 Notes 96 4 Italo Calvino: A Reasonable Utopia 99 4.1 Utopia and the Resistance 99 4.2 The 1950s and the Crisis of Ideology 103 4.3 Images of Utopia 104 4.4 Map and Labyrinth 114 4.5 World and Prison 116 4.6 From Fourier to Le città Invisibili 119 4.7 Describing the Invisible 123 4.8 The Epistemological Utopia of the Last Calvino 131 Notes 138 5 The World as a Marsh: Dystopia and Utopia in Edoardo Sanguineti 141 5.1 Utopia in Sanguineti 141 5.2 A New Language 146 5.3 Entering the Palus 149 5.4 On the Bottom of the Marsh 153 5.5 After Laborintus 155 5.6 From Wirrwarr to Varie ed Eventuali 159 Notes 163 6 Utopia and Hybridization in Paolo Volponi 164 6.1 A Corporeal Utopia 164 6.2 Industry and Madness 170 6.3 A New Model: From History to the Body 176 6.4 After the Catastrophe: Il Pianeta Irritabile and the Mis-Education of Mamerte 183 6.5 Con Testo a Fronte: The Return to Poetry 187 6.6 The Defeat of the Knight 190 6.7 Nel Silenzio Campale and the Last Poems 196 Notes 201 7 Conclusion 203 Note 208 Bibliography 209 Index 215 This book is about the presence of utopian and dystopian elements in the Italian literary landscape. It focuses on four authors that are representatives of the various positions in the Italian cultural debate: Pasolini, Calvino, Sanguineti, and Volponi. What did concepts like utopia and dystopia mean for these authorsIs it possible to separate utopia from dystopiaWhat is the role of science fiction in this debateThis book answers these questions, proposing an original interpretation of utopia and of the social role of literature. The book also takes into consideration four of the most influential literary journals in Italy: Officina, il menabo, il verri, and Nuovi Argomenti, that played a central role in the cultural and political debate on utopia in Italy Front Matter....Pages i-xi Introduction....Pages 1-16 The Theoretical Landscape....Pages 17-44 Pier Paolo Pasolini: The Contradictions of Utopia....Pages 45-88 Italo Calvino: A Reasonable Utopia....Pages 89-130 The World as a Marsh: Dystopia and Utopia in Edoardo Sanguineti....Pages 131-153 Utopia and Hybridization in Paolo Volponi....Pages 155-193 Conclusion....Pages 195-200 Back Matter....Pages 201-212