The Death of The Leviathan: The Apocalypse of Modernity in Stefano D’Arrigo’s <i>Horcynus Orca</i>

<p>This dissertation explores Stefano D’Arrigo’s <em>Horcynus Orca</em> (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. <em>The Death of the Leviathan</em> traces the evolution of this motif, from Dante’s Ulysses at the threshold, to <em>Moby Dick</em> at its zenith, to the tragic culmination in <em>Horcynus Orca</em>. 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.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Comparative Literature

Grantor

The Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York

Year dc:date.available

2025

Author dc:creator

• Chichi, Anna

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Giancarlo Lombardi

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Morena Corradi
• Bettina Lerner

• Comparative Literature
• Italian Literature
• Horcynus Orca
• D'Arrigo
• Leviathan
• Apocalypse
• Modernity

Repository record dc:identifier

https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/6244

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:academicworks.cuny.edu:gc_etds-7431