Elhai 1

Kellie Elhai

3 February 2017

Period 2

The Literary Merit of The Italian

The world is nearly infested with books; whether theyre comedic, tragic, or truly epic,

there are only so many that are of literary merit. This term is a collection of ideals and

expectations for a book that could be on the road to being considered a classic. One such

book, The Italian by Ann Radcliffe, is a perfect example of literary merit, whatever that may

entail.

Radcliffes piece of Gothic literature is, put very simply, good. It was in the church of

San Lorenzo at Naples, in the year 1758, that Vincentio di Vivaldi first saw Ellena Rosalba

(Radcliffe, 1797). This opening sentence of chapter one draws you into the initial romance whilst

effectively establishing a setting for the novel. The words, though written in a previous time

period, are understandable and communicate the same feelings and ideas to modern day

readers as they did to 1800s readers. As a high school student, I find it fascinating to read and

do not consider it a chore. The concepts are just as interesting, if not more. Although the story

begins as a typical romance, the Gothic influence comes into play a bit later on in the novel with

the introduction of darker themes such as rape and an invasion of privacy. This twist shatters

the expectations of readers and sucks them into the bold statements the pages contain. The

Italian and its messages have stood the test of time, continuing to be read and praised by the

literary community. The name Ann Radcliffe is recognized worldwide, despite the likely initial

connection to popular actor Daniel Radcliffe. In her day, she was hailed as the mighty

enchantress and the Shakespeare of romance writers (Melani, 2003). Anything she published

was as popular then as it is now.

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A vital reason for the The Italians success is the consistent integration of various themes

into the plot. Radcliffe geniusly weaves contrast, whether its of themes, word choice, or

symbols, into the pages of her book. The dark, Gothic themes combined with a rosy romantic

flair brought a bit of confusion from readers of the time. She was a fan of morality and doing the

right thing, yet described such dastardly deeds performed by her characters. This clashing of

ideas embodied her feelings and made a resounding statement about the events occurring at

the time of publication. The wide gap between the rich and the poor, the corruption of the clean

and pure church, and the fine line between love and lust are all represented in The Italian

(Cosgrove, 2014). Several readings are required to truly catch all of the yins and yangs in

Radcliffes novel. Her imagery is groundbreaking, as well, and inspired other authors to provide

the smallest of details in their pages. These words had a social impact, allowing the frightened

English upperclassmen of the time to indulge in their fears of the French Revolution whilst

retaining their poise, morality, and romance they so desperately hung onto (Melani, 2003).

Radcliffes novel appealed to every type of people, with all of its juxtaposition.

The Italian is a romantic novel-but with a dark, Gothic twist. It defies all expectations yet

continues to demonstrate exciting new storytelling techniques such as detailed imagery. It was

intended by Ann Radcliffe to be communicated in an artistic manner, and so it was. Although

mysteriously little is known about her, her works sparked the beginning of Gothic fiction

(Townshend, 2014). The Italian is a timeless novel of literary merit that appeals to anyone,

anywhere.

Sources

Melani. "Ann Radcliffe." Brooklyn College English Department. Brooklyn College, 2003. Web. 03
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Feb. 2017.

Cosgrove, Grace M. "Ann Radcliffe, The Italian." English Essays. Wordpress, 10 Feb. 2014.

Web. 5 Feb. 2017.

Radcliffe, Ann. "Chapter 1." The Italian. South Australia: U of Adeleine, 2014. N. pag. Print.

Townshend, Dale. "An Introduction to Ann Radcliffe." The British Library. The British Library, 22

Sept. 2014. Web. 03 Feb. 2017.