Editing and translating he young Mario Praz: A journey through his unpublished juvenilia

Abstract

This doctoral thesis aims to present the first ever edition and translation of three unpublished juvenile texts written by Mario Praz, who is considered the godfather of Comparative and Cultural Studies. The first text I am presenting is a poem called Frine (Phryne) set in ancient Greece and cantered on the relationship between Phryne and the sculptor Praxiteles. In the first chapter the reader will find a philological edition of the text, a translation and a comparative study of the sources used by Praz to compose this work. The second chapter will be focused on the poem Ifigenia (Iphigenia). The text is set in the underworld where Iphigenia and Helen of Troy discuss about the responsibilities of the Trojan War. In the end, Helen will absolve herself, acknowledging that the only ones to be considered guilty for the terrible bloodbath of Troy were Greek men. Also in this chapter I am presenting a philological edition of the text, a translation and a comparative analysis of the sources of Praz. Moreover, I will show how writers and artists portrayed Iphigenia and Helen through centuries. In the last chapter of this thesis, I will present the play Discorsi di autunno e di primavera (Dialogues of Autumn and Spring), set during the WWI in Italy. The chapter will begin with the edition and the translation of the text. After that, I will present a comparative analysis of the play, stressing the influence that the historical events had on the composition of the work. This chapter will show the influence of literary movements, such as Futurismo, on Mario Praz. This thesis aims to be a fundamental contribution in rediscovering the importance of Mario Praz and shading a new lights on the origins of his innovative approach to literature.