The statement I found most intriguing in the introduction of Multicultural Literature in Contemporary Italy was, “Literature, therefore, is the ideal forum for examining the anxieties about the present and the future of Italy” because it recognizes the importance of the creation of literature texts by immigrants because it gives them a voice that is able to be inserted into the public sphere. This is essential to nullify stereotypes of immigrants and to allow them to have a voice in a country that does not provide them with legal rights to vote.
In addition, I was also interested in seeing how the author discussed Mikail Bahktin’s theory that laughter is the best tool for liberation. I have read his pieces before in my education classes and have seen the impact his work has in the classroom structure and interactions. He discusses that in order to become a novel character, that is able to learn and change, in comparison to an epic character that is fixed, laughter must be utilized. He said in his essay “Epic and Novel” that an epic character is only able to view himself as others view him which is very interesting when applied to social interactions of children in school, but other when applied to immigration and the coinciding stereotypes of foreigners. He poses a great argument that laughter must be utilized in literature created by immigrants so their voice of humor can be spread in the public arena.
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