The morality of Ignazio Silone as developed through his narrative

MacLeod, Mary Margaret (2004) The morality of Ignazio Silone as developed through his narrative. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

This thesis aims to examine the ways in which the morality of Ignazio Silone is developed throughout the body of his narrative work. The dissertation is divided into three chapters, each reflecting a different time in the author's life and each containing a certain number of texts, eight of which are discussed in total. In each of these chapters the moral code which was so important to Silone is defined and developed through the actions and beliefs of his protagonists: their devotion to man, their regard for the tenets of love, truth, freedom and companionship, and their desire to oppose tyranny at all levels are fundamental principles of Silone's utopia. Chapter One focuses on the period spent in exile, the establishment of what is referred to as his morality and the novels produced upon his departure from the Communist Party in 1931. Chapter Two deals with the novels he wrote after his return to Italy in 1944 and the critical debate that surrounded his literary style. Finally, Chapter Three focuses on the two works which were instrumental in securing domestic recognition for the author and which are generally regarded as representing the pinnacle of his literary career. Although the texts examined in this study are divided into different chapters the hypothesis behind it is that each work is an autonomous part of the whole body of Silone's writing. Through close textual analysis this thesis aims to illustrate that each work is of itself reflective of a consistent, coherent moral vision which was defined at the very beginning of his career and which remained unwavering for almost forty years.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Keywords: Romance literature, biographies.
• Colleges/Schools: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Modern Languages and Cultures > Italian
• Supervisor's Name: Millar, Prof. Eileen Anne
• Date of Award: 2004
• Depositing User: Enlighten Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:2004-71145
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 10 May 2019 10:49
• Last Modified: 15 Jun 2021 10:52
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/71145