THE ROLE OF MYTH IN THE MODERN NOVEL: AN EXAMINATION OF FEDERIGO TOZZI'S JX PODERE

THE ROLE OF MYTH IN THE MODERN NOVEL; AN EXAMINATION OF
FEDERIGO TOZZI'S JX PODERE
A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF
MASTERS OF ARTS
Department of Hispanic and Italian Studies
(
to the required standard
October 1980
© Ezio Clvidino, 1980
In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for
an advanced degree at the University of Brit ish Columbia, I agree that
the Library shall make it freely available for reference and study.
I further agree that permission for extensive copying of this thesis
for scholarly purposes may be granted by the Head of my Department or
by his representatives. It is understood that copying or publication
of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my
written permission.
Depa rtment
The University of Brit ish Columbia 2075 Wesbrook Place Vancouver, Canada V6T 1W5
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A B S T R A C T
T h i s t h e s i s c o n s i s t s o f a n e x a m i n a t i o n o f a s e l e c t e d n u m b e r o f m y t h
v i e w s . I t i s s u g g e s t e d t h a t m y t h i s n o t t h e p r i v a t e p r e s e r v e o f a n y o n e
a c a d e m i c d o m a i n , b u t r a t h e r b e l o n g s t o a l l d i s c i p l i n e s . I f c o n f u s i o n
e x i s t s o v e r i t s d e f i n i t i o n i t i s d u e t o ' l i m i t e d v i e w s * e n g e n d e r e d b y
d i v e r s e s c h o o l s . I t i s f u r t h e r s u g g e s t e d t h a t d e v e l o p e d d e f i n i t i o n s
h o l d n o s w a y o v e r m y t h ' s f u n c t i o n . T o d e m o n s t r a t e t h e a b o v e p o i n t s , t h i s
t h e s i s e x a m i n e s t h e n o v e l I I p o d e r e . b y F e d e r i g o T o z z i , a n d a l s o a t t e m p t s
t o p o i n t o u t t h a t : l ) I n d i v i d u a l g r o w t h i s n o t h a p t t z a r d b u t f o l l o w s a
m y t h i c s t r u c t u r e , Z) m y t h d e t e r m i n e s s o c i e t a l s u p e r s t r u c t u r e s , a n d 3)
m y t h i c a n a l y s i s o f l i t e r a t u r e , e s p e c i a l l y t h e ' p s y c h o l o g i c a l n o v e l * , w i l l
n o t o n l y a d d t o t h e r i c h n e s s o f l i t e r a r y u n d e r s t a n d i n g b u t a l s o o f f e r
a r t i s t i c d e p t h . I t f u r t h e r s u g g e s t s t h a t m y t h r e s e a r c h s h o u l d n o t b e
t a k e n a s f i n i t e , a n d p r o p o s e s t h a t l i t e r a r y c r i t i c s c l o s e l y f o l l o w
c u l t u r a l c h a n g e a n d m o n i t o r n e w r e s e a r c h , e s p e c i a l l y t h e c o n c e p t o f
' r e a l i t y * a s h e l d b y o t h e r c u l t u r e s .
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.1.0 Some myth schools 2
1.2.0 Myth use in literature 5
1.2.1 The language of myth 5
1.2.2 Analysis of myth i n literature 6
1.3.0 Scope of thesis 8
1. ^.0 Reference Footnotes 1°
II. 2.0.0 Myth and i t s c r i t i c s 12
2.1.0 Positive evolutionists 12
2.3.1 Neo-romantics impact on literature 21
2. .0 An anthropological approach 2+
2 A.l Paul Radin 26
2.5.0 Myth and literature of what value? 28
2.5.1 Myth skeptics 28
2.5.2 Myth exponents 31
3.1.0 Myth and culture ^
i v
C h a p t e r I I I . 3.2.1 I n b o r n i m a g e s 49
3.2.2 B i o l o g i c a l i m a g e s 50
3.2.3 O e d i p a l c o m p l e x 52
3.2.4 C h i l d h o o d a n i m i s m 53
3.2.5 S o c i a l i z i n g i m a g e s 54
3.2.6 T h e u l t i m a t e i m a g e s 55
3.3.0 M n e m o n i c i m a g e s 56
3.3.1 M i s s e d o p p o r t u n i t i e s 56
3.3.2 F i r s t e x p e r i e n c e s 56
3.3.3 K o l l e k t i v e u n c o n s c i o u s n e s s 57
3.4.0 F u n c t i o n o f i m p r i n t i m a g e s 59
3.4.1 F u n c t i o n o f s o c i a l i m p r i n t i n g 60
3.4.2 W h e n s o c i a l i m p r i n t i n g f a i l s 60
3.5.0 R e f e r e n c e F o o t n o t e s 62
I V . 4.0.0 T h e i m p l e m e n t a t i o n o f t h e o r y s T o z z i a n d
h i s n o v e l I I p o d e r e 64
4.1.0 T h e o u t e r w o r l d : e x t e r i o r i t y 64
4.1.1 I t s i n s t i t u t i o n s 65
4.1.2 H o w t h e y f u n c t i o n 66
4.2.0 I n w a r d j o u r n e y : i n t e r i o r i t y 73
4.2.1 T h e f e m a l e w o r l d 76
4.2.2 T h e m a l e w o r l d 83
4.2.3 O e d i p a l c o m p l e x 87
4.2.4 T h e c h i l d ' s w o r l d 93
4.2.5 T h e s o c i a l w o r l d 96
4.2.6 T h e l a s t s p h e r e 1 0 " -
V
4 . 3 . 1 The self 106
4 . 3 . 2 . The universe 10?
4 . 3 . 3 Philosophy of experience 109
4 . 3 . 4 Psychological harmonization 110
4 . 4 . 0 Reference Footnotes 113
V. 5 . 1 . 0 Conclusion 115
5 . 2 . 0 Reference Footnotes 120
VI . 6 . 0 . 0 Bibliography 121
6 . 1 . 0 Anthropology 121
6 . 1 . 1 Journals No. 3 5 - N 0 . 4 3 123
6 . 2 . 0 Art 123
6 . 2 . 1 Journal No. 14 124
6 . 3 . 0 Comparative Mythology 124
6 . 3 . 1 Journals No.28 - No. 32 126
6 . 4 . 0 Language 126
6 . 4 . 1 Journal N 0. 11 126
6 . 5 . 0 History 12?
6 . 5 . 1 Journal No. 9 12?
6 . 6 , 0 Literature and Myth 12?
6 . 7 . 0 History 129
6 . 7 . 1 Journals No. 17 - No. 20 130
6.8.0 Philosophy 130
6 . 9 . 0 Poetry 132
6 . 9 . 1 Journal No. 5 132
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C h a p t e r V I 6 . 1 0 . 0 L i t e r a t u r e a n d A n t h r o p o l o g y 133
6 . 1 0 . 1 J o u r n a l s N o . 10 - N o . 11 133
6.11 .0 P s y c h o l o g y 133
6.11.1 J o u r n a l s N o . 1? - N o . 19 1 3 2 *
6 . 1 2 . 0 R e l i g i o n 134
6.12.1 J o u r n a l s N o . 15 - N o . 1 8 135
6 . 1 3 . 0 S o c i o l o g y 135
6 . 1 3 . 1 J o u r n a l s N o . 9 - N o . 11 136
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A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S
I w o u l d l i k e t o e x p r e s s m y a p p r e c i a t i o n t o t h e m e m b e r s o f m y
t h e s i s a d v i s o r y c o m m i t t e e . M u c h t h a n k s t o M a r i a T o m a s i c h a n d S t e f a n i a
C i c c o n e w h o s e c r i t i c a l e v o l u t i o n r e s u l t e d i n c l a r i f i c a t i o n o f m a n y i d e a s
e x p r e s s e d i n t h i s t h e s i s . S p e c i a l t h a n k s t o C a r l o C h i a r e n z a f o r h i s
c a r e f u l g u i d a n c e a n d c o n t i n u o u s e n c o u r a g e m e n t t h r o u g h o u t t h e l o n g p r e p a ­
r a t i o n o f t h i s w o r k . T h o u g h n o t a m e m b e r o f t h e t h e s i s c o m m i t t e e ,
s p e c i a l m e n t i o n g o e s t o E n r i q u e L u i s R e v o l w h o s e e n c y c l o p e d i c k n o w l e d g e
o n t h e s u b j e c t d i r e c t e d m y e a r l y r e a d i n g s .
- 1 -
1.0.0 I n t r o d u c t i o n ?
T h e a b s t r a c t n a t u r e o f m y t h d e f i e s d e f i n i t i o n ; n o t f o r l a c k o f u s e ,
b u t b e c a u s e e a c h u s e r a c c o m m o d a t e s i t t o s e l f - n e e d s . C o n s e q u e n t l y , a n y
s t a t e m e n t a s t o i t s d e f i n i t i o n w o u l d b e p o l e m i c a l , f o r m y t h a d a p t s i t s e l f
t o b o t h a g i v e n t i m e a n d d i s c i p l i n e .
H i s t o r i c a l l y i t c a n b e d e m o n s t r a t e d t h a t w h e n e v e r m a n f e l t h i s d e s t i n y
w a s b e y o n d h i s o w n c o n t r o l , t h e s t u d y o f m y t h g a i n e d i n i m p e t u s , d i s t i n ­
g u i s h i n g i t s d e f i n i t i o n o r c l a r i f i c a t i o n b y i t s e m p h a s i s o n t h e n e e d f o r
m y t h . C o n v e r s e l y , w h e n e v e r m a n f e l t t h e n e e d f o r r e - a s s u r a n c e t h a t h e w a s
m a s t e r o f h i s o w n f a t e a n d i n c o n t r o l o f h i s o w n d e s t i n y , m y t h i n t e r ­
p r e t a t i o n a n d f u n c t i o n s u f f e r e d . B e t w e e n e a c h h i s t o r i c a l m y t h c r e s t
d e f i n i t i o n s a n d f u n c t i o n s b r o a d e n e d f u e l l i n g t h e c o n t r o v e r s y a s t o i t s
d e f i n i t i o n .
O n v i e w i n g t h e d i v e r s e e m b e l l i s h m e n t s t o t h e m e a n i n g , i t i s w o r t h y t o
n o t e t h a t e a c h a d d i t i o n w a s i n f a c t a n a c c o m m o d a t i o n t o t h e l a t e s t s o c i a l /
s c i…