Challenging The Social Norms In Radcliff's The Italian

The time of the Enlightenment brought forth a major change to Western Europe. Many citizens of Western European countries presented ideas about reform. The ideas that were presented to reform ranged from rights of people to the government. One part of the Enlightenment that brought on reform was the gap between social classes. During the enlightenment if you happened to fall in the middle class you were often looked down upon and viewed as less than everyone else. The lives and actions of the characters Ellena Rosalba and Vincientio di Vivaldi challenge the social norms that were evident during the Enlightenment in the book The Italian by Ann Radcliff. The actions of the characters, Ellena and Vincientio, illustrate the reform that took place …show more content…
The character of Ellena strikes love inside of another main character Vivaldi, when Vivaldi first laid eyes onto her. As a reader of the novel one may think that the relationship is just a like any other relationship but there is a problem. As evident in the story Vivaldi’s mother, the Marchesa, forbids him to marry Ellena after the Marchesa acquires the knowledge that she is an orphan. At the time the story was written a person only married within their own social class. Due to Ellena being an orphan, her parents where unknown and her social class could not be determined. To avert the marriage the Marchesa employees an ambitious and cunning confessor, Father Schedoni. The threats did not discourage Vivaldi, after he was promised the hand of Ellena by Signora Bianchi Ellena is kidnapped. The kidnapping starts off journeys by between Vivaldi and Ellena together and by themselves to be with each …show more content…
Ellena and Vincientio get married after facing multiple challenges. The Marchesa and Father Schedoni keep putting forth challenges that tries to prevent the two from being married. Each time the Marchesa of Father Schedoni put forth a challenge such as kidnapping Ellena to the raid on the church the characters get through it and unite with one another. The successful overcoming of the challenges exemplifies what was happening in Europe. To get reform in Europe the population of Europe had to overcome challenges. Many people at the time of the Enlightenment where not open to the idea of reform, many liked to keep the country the way it was. The marriage of Ellena and Vivaldi show that the reform was possible. They showed that if the citizens of Europe kept overcoming the challenges brought forth by the reform the Enlightenment was possible. It was possible to have equality and equal