Authors and Facism: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Literary Resistance in Italy and Spain

Abstract

With the rise of fascism in Europe. many writers found they could no longer voice their opinions freely. Aside from the threat of imprisonment or death, strict censors were put into place, so any criticism of the regime had to be disguised. Nevertheless, some writers were able to bypass the censors and offer criticism of the regime in power. The authors warn against the techniques used like mass propaganda, aggressive approaches to war, and extreme nationalism in their literature. By examining the literature that appeared under fascism, this thesis attempts to establish a cross-cultural connection between Italy and Spain through two unique authors and their highly personalized criticism by examining Carlo Emilio Gadda's La cognizione del dolore and Carmen Laforet's Nada. Gadda uses autobiographical references in his works as symbols of Mussolini's fascism, and Laforet is able to capture the female perspective of life under Franco's rule due to her unique upbringing in the Canaries. In distressing political times they were able to relate the situation to their own lives and by doing so find a creative outlet to oppose fascism. In the case of these authors, it is essential to consider their biographies to fully comprehend their workst due to the personalized approach to criticism, which allows for a more complete reading of the text. With this comparative study I hope to bring more attention to these authors through an emphasis on the value of literary opposition to fascism in the context of history.

Notes

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Thesis Completion

2005

Semester

Spring

Advisor

Ferri, Luigi

Degree

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Degree Program

Foreign Languages and Literatures

Subjects

Arts and Sciences -- Dissertations, Academic; Dissertations, Academic -- Arts and Sciences; Fascism and literature; Gadda, Carlo Emilio -- 1893-1973 -- Cognizione del dolore; Laforet, Carmen -- Nada

Format

Print

Identifier

DP0021950

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Document Type

Honors in the Major Thesis

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