This book examines representations of Italy and Italians in the mid-nineteenth century and the uses made of them by English writers and readers. Italians were shown on the one hand as despised public nuisances, personified by organ grinders, but were also depicted in the most glamorous and fashionable settings such as opera houses. The range of meanings accorded to the sign ??? ~Italian??? (TM) was vast and this is the source of the title metaphor: as John Bull played his Italian Snakes and Ladders, his self esteem and self ...
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This book examines representations of Italy and Italians in the mid-nineteenth century and the uses made of them by English writers and readers. Italians were shown on the one hand as despised public nuisances, personified by organ grinders, but were also depicted in the most glamorous and fashionable settings such as opera houses. The range of meanings accorded to the sign ??? ~Italian??? (TM) was vast and this is the source of the title metaphor: as John Bull played his Italian Snakes and Ladders, his self esteem and self-image waxed and waned correspondingly. In tracing this, the study examines how and why Italy operated as an important mechanism in the construction of ??? ~Englishness??? (TM), and the factors combining to make the mid-nineteenth century such a crucial period. The versions of ??? ~Italianness??? (TM) in circulation established an iconography of ??? ~the Italian??? (TM), emblematic representations which could be repeated or alluded to as a taxonomy, building up a complex map of discourses about Italy. Sometimes these might conflict, or they may be traced as combining to create a field of prejudice as, for example, the construction of Italians as primitive, closer to nature, and more instinctive. Such a view could shade either into ideas of dirtiness, disreputability and evil or, conversely, into Italy as a site of unspoilt, ??? ~natural??? (TM) bliss. The study focuses particularly on the middle-class male reader and traces reasons for, and advantages conferred by, the circulation of such myths. Masculinity, nationality and class positioning can be seen as fragile walls to the edifice of self-esteem, supporting each other from similar foundations. The sources for analysis are chosen with this readership in mind; there is a wide range of texts from high and popular culture, including contemporary periodicals, and a key feature is the central use of visual texts in the argument, with over fifty illustrations. Italy, and Italians, can be seen to have held an important place in Victorian self-fashioning. Annemarie McAllister??? (TM)s book on the representation of Italian culture in the nineteenth century draws on both a range of cultural theory and a wide diversity of sources to suggest some of the ways in which stereotypes and popular perceptions were constructed and used within Victorian society. Particularly compelling and original is her analysis of music as a site for building popular beliefs and assumptions about Italy and its people, but her study includes such topics as Italian history, gender, and sensuality as the focus for debate. McAllister??? (TM)s use of illustrations, and her detailed knowledge of the illustrated press, offer original and telling ways into the constructions of national identities so central to the Victorian way of thinking and believing. Brian Maidment Professor of English, University of Salford. ??? oeI am delighted to have the chance to comment on this book. I read the doctoral thesis on which it is based with great interest and enjoyment, and learnt enormously from it. As a historian of nineteenth-century Britain with a particular interest in the construction of identities (and as an Italophile) I found it highly rewarding. The topic is of intrinsic interest and considerable significance. The author identifies a key period in the emergence of the English idea(s) of ??? ~Italianness??? (TM) and interrogates the topic through a variety of thoughtfully chosen case studies and via a rich array of appropriate primary sources. Most of the material was new to me and even topics that I felt some familiarity with, notably street music, were presented in a novel and rewarding way. I think the topic alone is worthy of a book-length study; matters Italian were at the heart of much political and cultural discussion in the mid-Victorian period and shaped both international political
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Add this copy of John Bull's Italian Snakes and Ladders: English to cart. $57.54, new condition, Sold by Basi6 International rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Irving, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Add this copy of John Bull's Italian Snakes and Ladders: English to cart. $69.57, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Add this copy of John Bull's Italian Snakes and Ladders: English to cart. $82.84, new condition, Sold by Revaluation Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Exeter, DEVON, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2007 by Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Add this copy of John Bull's Italian Snakes and Ladders: English to cart. $106.71, new condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
