Una Vita
Encyclopedia
Una vita is the first novel of Italo Svevo
, the author of the seminal modernist novel, Zeno's Conscience. Originally titled "Un inetto," this name was refused by the editor. It was changed to "Una vita" which is also the name of a famous Maupassant
novel. The first draft was submitted in 1888. It was refused by the publishing house Treves, and wasn't published until 1892 by Vram, at the expense of Svevo himself.
The title, "Un inetto" was chosen perhaps to better illustrate the psychology of the main character and, in a certain sense, the pessimism
typical of the author, being changed into the more neutral "Una vita" at the request of his editor.
and work a white collar
job.
One day, he is invited to the house of the banker Maller who knows Macario, a young man with whom Alfonso is friends and with Annetta, Maller's daughter. Annetta, like Alfonso, is interested in literature and the two begin a relationship. On the verge of marrying her, however, he flees, deciding to change his life, returning to the country where his mother, very ill at the time, dies.
Alfonso goes back to Trieste and decides to live a life of contemplation, away from passions. Then, after discovering that Annetta is engaged to Macario, Alfonso feels wounded and attempts to return to the preceding arrangements, but not only does he fail in doing this, he even worsens the situation. When, following the umpteenth mishap with the Maller family, he must duel Annetta's brother, he decides to kill himself thus ending his maladjusted existence.
Italo Svevo
Aron Ettore Schmitz , better known by the pseudonym Italo Svevo, was an Italian writer and businessman, author of novels, plays, and short stories.- Biography :...
, the author of the seminal modernist novel, Zeno's Conscience. Originally titled "Un inetto," this name was refused by the editor. It was changed to "Una vita" which is also the name of a famous Maupassant
Guy de Maupassant
Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant was a popular 19th-century French writer, considered one of the fathers of the modern short story and one of the form's finest exponents....
novel. The first draft was submitted in 1888. It was refused by the publishing house Treves, and wasn't published until 1892 by Vram, at the expense of Svevo himself.
The title, "Un inetto" was chosen perhaps to better illustrate the psychology of the main character and, in a certain sense, the pessimism
Pessimism
Pessimism, from the Latin word pessimus , is a state of mind in which one perceives life negatively. Value judgments may vary dramatically between individuals, even when judgments of fact are undisputed. The most common example of this phenomenon is the "Is the glass half empty or half full?"...
typical of the author, being changed into the more neutral "Una vita" at the request of his editor.
Plot
Alfonso Nitti, a young intellectual with literary aspirations, leaves his home in the country where his mother lives to go to TriesteTrieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
and work a white collar
White-collar worker
The term white-collar worker refers to a person who performs professional, managerial, or administrative work, in contrast with a blue-collar worker, whose job requires manual labor...
job.
One day, he is invited to the house of the banker Maller who knows Macario, a young man with whom Alfonso is friends and with Annetta, Maller's daughter. Annetta, like Alfonso, is interested in literature and the two begin a relationship. On the verge of marrying her, however, he flees, deciding to change his life, returning to the country where his mother, very ill at the time, dies.
Alfonso goes back to Trieste and decides to live a life of contemplation, away from passions. Then, after discovering that Annetta is engaged to Macario, Alfonso feels wounded and attempts to return to the preceding arrangements, but not only does he fail in doing this, he even worsens the situation. When, following the umpteenth mishap with the Maller family, he must duel Annetta's brother, he decides to kill himself thus ending his maladjusted existence.