The reanimation of the Pirandellian protagonist

Abstract

My analysis demonstrates Luigi Pirandello’s application of spiritual modes of thought ranging from Eastern mysticism to the modern Western movements of Theosophy, Spiritualism and Parapsychology. Using Antonio Illiano’s seminal work, Metapsichica e letteratura in Pirandello (Metapsychics and Literature in Pirandello) as a point of departure, my research incorporates the various philosophical, scientific and spiritual frameworks Pirandello utilized to describe the psychological and spiritual crisis pervading man’s experience in the modern world. One of the most interesting facets of my research on Pirandello’s spiritual approach is the unequivocal parallel with Hinduism and Buddhism. Very few Pirandello scholars address the spiritual essence that encompasses Pirandello’s entire collection. This is surprising considering the author’s ingenuous admission of the fundamental role of the spirit in the genesis of his artistic creation as well as the explicit presence of spiritual elements that pervade his aesthetic theories and fictional stories. This dissertation contributes to the limited scholarship of this nature and aims to stimulate further discussion regarding the connection between Pirandello’s work and Buddhism. The historical research and close analysis of the selected texts in this dissertation provide ample evidence that beyond being an index of Pirandello’s fluency with current, cultural, scientific, and spiritual trends, these systems of thought provide the very scaffolding on which Pirandello’s works are constructed. This discourse allows the reader a deeper understanding of the spiritual evolution of the Pirandellian protagonist and offers insight to the author’s artistic process as guided by the spirited imagination, substantiating my claim that Pirandello’s oeuvre must be read through a spiritual lens.

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