The Enigma of Svevo's Jewishness

Everything about Ettore Schmitz-Italo Svevo's life is ambiguous: ‘prima di tutto Ie notevoli reticenze ed ambiguità frapposte dallo scrittore stesso che circondò sempre di un velo la sua vita privata’;. In ‘Profilo autobiografico' fact and fiction are inextricably interwoven, and it reveals very little about his Jewish origins. Several svevisti have commented on the significance of l'ebraisma in Svevo's life and work, drawing on various sources to elucidate their arguments. Many might think that this subject has now been exhausted. However, in this article the intention is to lift the veil still further, and by utilizing hitherto neglected material, disclose something more of the nature of Svevo's Jewish background

Antisemitism · Art · Art history · Humanities · Judaism · Literature · Theology · Educational and Social Studies · Italian Fascism and Post-war Society · Italian Literature and Culture · Philosophy