Voglio morire! Suicide in Italian Literature, Culture, and Society 1789-1919 : Suicide in Italian Literature, Culture, and Society 1789-1919

The theme of suicide was of paramount importance in Italy in the long nineteenth century, from the French revolution to the outbreak of World War I. A number of writers, intellectuals, politicians, and artists wrote about suicide, and a very high number of people killed themselves, for several reasons. There were suicides for love and for homeland, suicides for despair, and suicides for ennui. In Italy, once a very traditional, Catholic country, where suicide was very uncommon and rarely treated as a subject of moral theology or literature, it suddenly became extremely widespread. This book provides the first interdisciplinary account of this phenomenon, taken from several angles, including literature, the arts, politics, society, and philosophy, as well as sociology. Its authors rank among the best international specialists on suicide, and the figures dealt with include major intellectuals and writers such as Ugo Foscolo, Emilio Salgari, Giuseppe Pellizza da Volpedo, Giacomo Leopardi and Carlo Michelstaedter. TABLE OF CONTENTS 8 PREFACE 10 NOTE ON THE COVER IMAGE 14 INTRODUCTION - A CULTURE OF DEATH 16 CHAPTER ONE - THE “CIVIL SUICIDE” OF FRANCESCO LOMONACO 42 CHAPTER TWO - THE LIFE AND TRAGIC EPILOGUE OF PATRIOT FRANCESCO BENEDETI 66 CHAPTER THREE - THE ETHICS OF SUICIDE IN GIACOMO LEOPARDI 84 CHAPTER FOUR - SUICIDI DI PRIMO OTTOCENTO 100 CHAPTER FIVE - EMILIO PRAGA’S SUICIDIO 130 CHAPTER SIX - LA TEMATICA DEL SUICIDIO NELLA SCAPIGLIATURA. 148 CHAPTER SEVEN - REPRESENTATIONS OF SUICIDE IN ITALIAN NARRATIVES FROM THE 1860S TO THE EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURY 174 CHAPTER EIGHT - IN PLAIN SIGHT 192 CHAPTER NINE - “THEN I SHALL SLEEP.” 214 CHAPTER TEN - EGOISTIC AND ALTRUISTIC SUICIDE IN THE WRITINGS OF F.T. MARINETTI PRE- AND POST-FUTURISM 230 CHAPTER ELEVEN - MICHELSTAEDTER THE POET THROUGH MONTALE 244 CHAPTER TWELVE - HARAKIRI ALL’ITALIANA 262 CHAPTER THIRTEEN - ANTONIA POZZI 278 CONTRIBUTORS 300 Content: Table of contents preface note on the cover image introduction -- a culture of death chapter one -- the "civil suicide" of francesco lomonaco chapter two -- the life and tragic epilogue of patriot francesco benedeti chapter three -- the ethics of suicide in giacomo leopardi chapter four -- suicidi di primo ottocento chapter five -- emilio praga's suicidio chapter six -- la tematica del suicidio nella scapigliatura. chapter seven -- representations of suicide in italian narratives from the 1860s to the early twentieth century chapter eight -- in plain sight Chapter nine -- "then i shall sleep."chapter ten -- egoistic and altruistic suicide in the writings of f.t. marinetti pre- and post-futurism chapter eleven -- michelstaedter the poet through montale chapter twelve -- harakiri all'italiana chapter thirteen -- antonia pozzi contributors