Creation, the Word, and Relationships: “The Void” and Implicit Christian Theology in Calvino’s Later Fiction
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Keywords
italian, 20th century, fiction, italo calvino, christianity, creation, relationship, void, word, language, literature, morality, theology
Department
International Studies and Languages
Major
Italian Studies
Abstract
In Italo Calvino’s fiction, the concept of “void” is frequently mentioned, yet its definition remains ambiguous, shifting from the void before the Big Bang, to the void of the writer’s blank page, to the existential void within human beings. Furthermore, Calvino writes from an agnostic standpoint, yet much of his thought seems to be linked to Christian themes such as the beginning of the world, the meaning of the word—understood as language, literature or reason—and human relationship. In this paper/presentation, Calvino’s later fiction (1965-1985) is analyzed for instances of the concept of void, in an attempt to identify one or multiple meanings of it, and for instances of the aforementioned Christian concepts, in order to investigate possible interrelationships between the two subcategories of his thought. Calvino’s concept of the void is closely tied to these Christian concepts. While Calvino shares some elements of Communism and of Eastern philosophy, much of his thought on the Christian concepts is consistent with the teachings of the early church fathers on the same subjects.
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Fiona Stewart
Funding Source or Research Program
Not Identified
Presentation Session
Session D
Location
Rockwell Academic Center 175
Start Date
3-4-2015 4:00 PM
End Date
3-4-2015 4:15 PM
Creation, the Word, and Relationships: “The Void” and Implicit Christian Theology in Calvino’s Later Fiction
Rockwell Academic Center 175
In Italo Calvino’s fiction, the concept of “void” is frequently mentioned, yet its definition remains ambiguous, shifting from the void before the Big Bang, to the void of the writer’s blank page, to the existential void within human beings. Furthermore, Calvino writes from an agnostic standpoint, yet much of his thought seems to be linked to Christian themes such as the beginning of the world, the meaning of the word—understood as language, literature or reason—and human relationship. In this paper/presentation, Calvino’s later fiction (1965-1985) is analyzed for instances of the concept of void, in an attempt to identify one or multiple meanings of it, and for instances of the aforementioned Christian concepts, in order to investigate possible interrelationships between the two subcategories of his thought. Calvino’s concept of the void is closely tied to these Christian concepts. While Calvino shares some elements of Communism and of Eastern philosophy, much of his thought on the Christian concepts is consistent with the teachings of the early church fathers on the same subjects.