The Death of The Leviathan: The Apocalypse of Modernity in Stefano D’Arrigo’s Horcynus Orca
This dissertation explores Stefano D’Arrigo’s Horcynus Orca (1975) as a literary reflection on the collapse of modernity, examining the novel’s depiction of the Leviathan as a symbol of chaos in the postwar era. By intertwining the biblical myth of the sea-monster with the Ulysses archetype, D’Arrigo’s narrative delves into the apocalyptic consequences of technological and ideological advancements following the World Wars. The Death of the Leviathan traces the evolution of this motif, from Dante’s Ulysses at the threshold, to Moby Dick at its zenith, to the tragic culmination in Horcynus Orca. This dissertation explores how these literary figures reflect the disintegration of 20th-century Europe, capturing the collapse of a world shaped by the unresolved crisis of its own historical and ideological foundations.
Comparative Literature, Italian Literature, Horcynus Orca, D'Arrigo, Leviathan, Apocalypse, Modernity
City University of New York - Graduate Center
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