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Heart. VII ISTITUTO COMPRENSIVO G. A. COSTANZO Siracusa – Italy. Project n° 2011-1-RO1-COM06-14665-5 Rediscover the Real European Values. The novel Heart was written in 1886 by Edmondo De Amicis who, after the great success of this book, became the most widely read writer in Italy.
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Heart VII ISTITUTO COMPRENSIVO G. A. COSTANZOSiracusa – Italy Project n° 2011-1-RO1-COM06-14665-5 Rediscover the RealEuropeanValues
The novel Heartwas written in 1886 by Edmondo De Amiciswho, after the great success of this book, became the most widely read writer in Italy.
Heartis set in Turin just after the Unification of Italy, between 1878 and 1886. When the book was published, the young Italian unitary state was trying to spread a single national consciousness and to achieve cultural and linguistic unification, still missing.
Edmondo De Amicis’ intent, through the writing of a simple child, is to show an Italy without common roots, which tries to overcome social and cultural diversities and to build the real unity of the country.
The main character is Enrico Bottini, a child who’s in the third year of Primary School. He writes on his notebook the events, impressions, school stories which, together with stories of everyday heroism, still manage to excite the modern reader over one hundred years from publication.
Every month, Henry’s teacher tells his students heroic stories about other kids in order to emphasize the positive values of a civilized society. Heartaims to teach the love for the country, the respect for authority and for parents, the spirit of sacrifice, heroism, charity, piety and obedience.
Among the most significant episodes we present the “Calabrian boy”, the story of an immigrant boy from Reggio Calabria in southern Italy.
The teacher promotes the integration of the new student explaining the importance of brotherhood and claiming that anyone who had offended the new companion, because he was born in the south, would have been unworthy of looking at the tricolor symbol of national unity. The Calabrian boy is well accepted and welcomed by his new schoolmates.
The author’s moral applies to everyone, from children in Northern Italy to those in the South; from rich men to poor ones; it’s a moral which exalts the sacrifice and work, respect and human brotherhood.
The book Heartalways holds on because, in addition to stir deep emotions, gives us the opportunity to compare children of yesterday with those of today helping us to become better people for positive values it conveys.
«Oh, dear old book Heart, with your simplicity, continue to make dreaming kids of all ages. My old book Heart I will never forget you».