Discuss religion and superstition in Italian American immigration. In a coherent 2-page long paper, you will attempt to answer in your own words these major questions:
1. How did the political tensions and conflicts between Italy and the Catholic Church during the Risorgimento period influence the relations and interactions between Irish and Italian immigrants in the United States during the mid-19th century?
2. What is the role of the festa in the Italian religious tradition?
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
Religion and Superstition in Italian American Immigration
Italian American immigration to the United States during the mid-19th century was influenced by a complex interplay of political tensions, religious beliefs, and cultural traditions. The Risorgimento period in Italy, marked by struggles for unification and conflicts between the Italian state and the Catholic Church, had a significant impact on Italian immigrants’ relations and interactions with Irish immigrants in the United States. Additionally, the role of religious festivals, known as festas, played a crucial part in maintaining Italian religious traditions in the new homeland.
Political Tensions and Conflicts: Risorgimento Period
During the Risorgimento period in Italy, there were intense political tensions and conflicts between the Italian nationalist movement and the Catholic Church. The push for Italian unification led to clashes between proponents of a unified Italy and the Papal States, which were supported by the Catholic Church. This conflict spilled over into Italian immigrant communities in the United States, where divisions between Italian and Irish immigrants were often fueled by political allegiances and religious differences.
Italian immigrants, many of whom were Catholic, found themselves caught between their loyalty to the Church and their support for the unification of Italy. This conflict sometimes led to tensions with Irish immigrants, who were predominantly Catholic and often aligned with the Church’s positions during this period. The divide between Italian and Irish Catholics in the United States was not solely based on religious differences but was also influenced by political affiliations and loyalties to their respective homelands.
Role of the Festa in Italian Religious Tradition
The festa, or religious festival, holds a central place in Italian religious tradition and cultural heritage. These festivals are vibrant celebrations that honor patron saints, religious figures, or significant events in the Catholic calendar. In Italian American communities, festas serve as important gatherings that bring together families and neighbors to commemorate their shared faith and traditions.
Festas often involve elaborate processions, traditional music, dance, and culinary delights that reflect the rich cultural heritage of Italy. These celebrations provide Italian immigrants with a sense of connection to their homeland and help maintain a strong bond with their religious roots. The festa is not just a religious event but also a social occasion that fosters community cohesion and solidarity among Italian Americans.
In conclusion, the interplay between religion, politics, and cultural traditions shaped the experiences of Italian immigrants in the United States during the mid-19th century. The conflicts between Italy and the Catholic Church during the Risorgimento period influenced the relations between Italian and Irish immigrants, while the festa played a vital role in preserving Italian religious traditions and fostering community ties in the new homeland. These historical dynamics continue to resonate in Italian American communities today, highlighting the enduring legacy of religion and superstition in shaping immigrant experiences and identities.
