The stories and ideas of Giovanni Verga and Italo Svevo show us a lot about Italy in the late 1800s and early 1900s. They reflect the big changes happening in society during their times.

1. Historical Contexts:

• Giovanni Verga (1840-1922):

  • Verga's writing grew during the time when Italy was uniting as one country.
  • He wrote about the hard lives of Sicilian farmers, showing their battles with poverty and social unfairness.
  • Verga used real-life language and told stories about tough realities, focusing on how money matters can shape how people act.
  • Key works include I Malavoglia (1881) and Mastro-don Gesualdo (1889), which show the troubles in farming communities and how they deal with modern life.

• Italo Svevo (1861-1928):

  • Svevo's stories came out when Italy was changing fast, especially after World War I.
  • His characters often face deep personal questions about who they are and feel disconnected from society.
  • Using a psychological approach, Svevo points out the issues of modern life and how people often focus more on their personal experiences than on what the group thinks.
  • A key work, La Coscienza di Zeno (1923), explores a person’s fragmented sense of self in the chaos of modern life.

2. Comparing Social Critiques:

• Themes:

  • Verga:
    • He points out social unfairness and the strictness of social classes.
    • Verga emphasizes how people's lives are affected by their social and economic conditions.
  • Svevo:
    • He critiques capitalist society and the shallowness of bourgeois values.
    • Svevo focuses on the inner thoughts of individuals, looking at the struggles his characters face.

• Literary Techniques:

  • Verga:
    • He uses verismo (realism) to show everyday life, using dialect to make it feel real.
    • The setting plays a big role, highlighting Sicilian culture's impact.
  • Svevo:
    • His writing style includes a stream of consciousness, reflecting the complicated nature of modern thinking.
    • He uses irony and humor to show the absurdities of society and individual insecurities.

3. Conclusion:

The critiques by Verga and Svevo reflect the times they lived in. Verga’s focus on social issues in the late 1800s contrasts with Svevo’s deep, personal concerns in the early 1900s. This shows a shift from collective struggles to individual searches for meaning. Their works highlight the changes in society in Italy, giving us valuable insights into the evolving human experience. By comparing their writings, we see the richness of Italian literature and how it reflects and engages with the historical realities of their time.