They mirror the Sturm und Drang movement in Germany and the political upheaval of the French Revolution.
As the century closes, the "solid" reality of the 1800s dissolves into psychology and symbolism.
Unlike the French "progress," Verga’s world is one of "vinti" (the defeated), where change is impossible. 4. Decadence and the End of Certainties (Early 1900s) Storia europea della letteratura italiana - III...
The story begins with the collapse of the Ancien Régime . Italian writers like and Ugo Foscolo are no longer just "letterati" (men of letters) but "prophets" of a new nation.
He creates the modern Italian novel ( I Promessi Sposi ), adopting the historical realism of Walter Scott but infusing it with Catholic morality and linguistic unity. They mirror the Sturm und Drang movement in
Giovanni Verga takes the French Naturalism of Zola and adapts it to the dry, brutal landscape of Sicily ( I Malavoglia ).
The third volume of Storia europea della letteratura italiana , titled (Literary Modernity), covers the period from the late 18th century to the early 20th century. It explores how Italian literature integrated into the broader European cultural landscape during the transition from the Enlightenment to Romanticism and eventually to the avant-gardes. 1. The Crisis of the Old World (Late 1700s) He creates the modern Italian novel ( I
A fragmented Italy slowly becoming part of a restless, industrializing Europe.