Niya Uzunova

Abstract After dealing with the Italian influence on the 19 c. English literature, the paper concentrates on Elizabeth Gaskell’s article “An Italian Institution’, which comments on the history and main characteristics of the infamous even today Neapolitan mafia. Key words: Italy, England, literature, Gaskell, La Camorra Throughout the 19th century Italy proved to be not only a strong culturally influential force, but also a “magical place” (Marroni 1996: I) which fed the English imagination with creativity and inspiration. That is why Italy may be defined as a “mental landscape”, “a mirror reflection” in which the English writers and poets may recognize their own artistic selves. Really close to this idea is the concept of Grand Tour. According to researchers and specialists in the field of literature (Brand 1958, Churchill 1980, Maronni 1996), during the 19th century Italy has become the most important destination for artistic people as it came to their culmination in creative improvement – all incorporated in Italy’s culture, arts and monuments. The significance of the Italian land’s attribution is even much more remarkable than that. For the Romantics and later for the Victorian poets and prose authors Italian nature seems to be not just a beautiful, picturesque landscape, but also an integral part of the longing for freedom and independence. Such perception and interpretation of Italy and everything Italian continue to be valid during the 20th century. Authors, such as D.H. Lawrence and E.M. Forster, are convinced that a creator could realize his deeply sensed need of spiritual freedom only by physical contiguity with Garibaldi’s home land. As a result of these creative searches, re-creations and realizations the greatest minds in English literature manage to turn Italy into a “metaphor of life” (Maronni 1996), a separate and brightly expressed essence, capable of bringing to implementation their own sublime example of human existence. The 19th century literary works by English writers, dedicated to or inspired by Italy, its lands, culture and literature, are countless. The poems of the “lake poets”, the plays of Lord Byron and P.B.Shelley – “Marino Faliero” (1820), “The Two Foscari” (1821), “The Cenci” (1819), Mary Shelley’s historical novel – “Valperga” (1823), Leigh Hunt’s 1819 poem “The Story of Rimini” – appear to be just an attempt for the most famous of them to be listed. During Queen Victoria’s reign (1876 – 1901) many writers once again eternalize the southern country in their literary works. Robert and Elizabeth Browning in their poems (“A Toccata of Galuppi’s”, “Fra Lippo Lippi”, “Aurora Leigh”, etc.); Charles Dickens in his itineraries, novels and narratives (“Pictires from Italy”, “Little Dorrit”, “The Italian Prisoner”). The writer George Elliot has created a novel, entirely dedicated to the cradle of Italian renaissance – Florence (“Romola”), and Thomas Trollope has even received a medal from King Victor Emmanuel for his numerous works of art and scientific researches inspired by Italy (“A Decade of Italian Women” (1859), “Tuscany in 1849 and 1859” (1859), “A History of the Commonwealth of Florence” (1865), etc.) Among the above mentioned and many more Victorian writers, the name of Elizabeth Gaskell (1810 – 1865) stands out. She used to love travelling and always left the reeky Manchester with joy. Some of her favorite places for recreation and leisure were Northern Wales, England’s Lake District and Silverdale in Lancashire. She used to be a devoted beholder, but also willingly would have a nice conversation with any stranger she met, thus her many travels and vacations “provided” her with places and plots for her literary works and articles. Mrs. Gaskell, as she signed her works, rushed herself into journeys outside the Island. In 1853, she started undertaking trips to Europe every year, visiting France, Germany, Switzerland and Italy. Usually, she was accompanied by her daughters, because her husband, William, preferred to spend his vacations by himself. Due to her writing glory, Mrs. Gaskell used to draw lots of attention to herself during her trips. We’ve already mentioned that Mrs. Gaskell used to visit Italy. In 1857, while taking a vacation in the Eternal City, she witnessed the Carnival which used to be held in Rome and this left a deep impression directly into her soul – later on, in 1863, Gaskell dedicated it a novel – “A Dark Night’s Work”. In her other novel – “Cousin Phillis”, 1864, Gaskell once again uses her knowledge on the Italian lands, language and literature to reinforce the characters and suggestions in the novel. Both of these novels, however, cannot make such a strong impression with their plots and the skillful usage of the Italian aspect in them, as the novels “Crandford” (1853), “North and South” (1854) and “Wives and Daughters” (1865) make. Among the articles which Gaskell wrote as an associate in the Dickens’ magazine – “All the Year Round”, especially remarkable is the article named “An Italian Institution” written on the 21st of March, 1863.