The Woman in White, with its many twists and cliffhangers, reflects the turmoil of Victorian England, which was becoming a multicultural society. London's hosting of the 1851 World's Fair, a lavish event held in a huge "Crystal Palace", reflected both this transformation and England's pride in its important place on the world stage. Yet the growing waves of immigrants arriving in England also caused fear and tension; Cartoons in the then-popular Punch magazine reflected fear of competition for jobs and foreign thieves. In his novel, Collins represents attitudes toward Italian immigration through the characters of Fosco and Pesca. Both men embody a variety of Victorian stereotypes about Italians in particular and foreigners in general: Fosco is both a suave charmer and a Machiavellian poisoner; Pesca is both an irredeemably alien buffoon and a member of a dangerous political society. By giving these two characters personalities based on often contradictory stereotypes, Collins gives them more depth than a number of his British characters; by seemingly leaning into his audience's clichés, he subverts them, giving the presumed archetypes of the "funny foreigner" or "foreign devil" nuance and credibility. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on 'Why violent video games should not be banned'?Get the original essayCollins creates Italian characters from Pesca and Fosco, allowing him to cover a variety of often contradictory stereotypes that the British had about foreigners . In the 19th century, the Risorgimento, a political and social movement aimed at creating a unified Italy, led to the political exile of many people. Pesca depicts these refugees, a number of whom arrived in Britain, greeted with both disdain and fascination. Annemarie McAllister explains that “the Italians inhabited a particularly contested cultural area. They were dashing revolutionaries, conquering their freedom, they were the heirs of Rome, they were sensual, exciting, musical, beautiful and therefore represented a threat to the self-esteem of the English. Other currents of discourse about them were therefore necessary: ​​the bourgeoisie could make Italy a country of peasants, whose much-vaunted cultural superiority revealed itself as an imposture – a degenerate animal race which used music as a weapon of blackmail. and a legitimized crime. » (180) The Hartright family's treatment of Pesca reflects these contrasting attitudes; Old Mrs Hartright is rejuvenated by his presence and delights in his antics – to her, Pesca is the archetypal "funny foreigner", whose mannerisms and unfamiliarity with British culture are a great source of amusement. On the other hand, Walter's sister has difficulty accepting Pesca's "un-British" character, which offends her sense of propriety. Collins condemns this latter sentiment through Walter, who wonders if “[we] are, these days, the least trifle in the world too well-bred? (Collins 14). As the reader's primary "guide" throughout the novel, Walter seems trustworthy and sympathetic. Collins' choice to give him these feelings gives them particular weight, because he has established himself as a sort of hero by saving the drowning Pesca - and yet he is also a likeable, ordinary young man. This use of average British characters to extol tolerance and open-mindedness shows Collins' desire for his message to be heard; for example, Ms. Michelson's call forbenevolence towards strangers is easy to understand for Collins's Victorian readers, for she herself is a familiar and comforting figure: the widow of a clergyman, respectable and very ordinarily British. This argument for a better understanding of strangers does not seem at first glance very radical, since Ms. Michelson speaks in pious terms of the need for a "feeling of human indulgence toward strangers." They do not possess our blessings and our advantages; » (Collins 362). But this form of closed-mindedness, as Mrs. Hartright limits Pesca to an amusing distraction, is subtly mocked by Collins. Mrs. Michelson is a well-meaning but easily deceived character, leaving Fosco to immediately charm her. Collins even appears to mock her when it is revealed that Fosco, whom she praised as a "very considerate nobleman", is probably not a real count, and details how he took advantage of her "simple trust" (Collins 601). Mrs. Hartright is also blind, in another way - Walter comments that she believes Laura is a madwoman who is cheating on him, and she abandons them, unlike Pesca. Pesca shakes up her image of him when he reveals his affiliations with a secret society, in which he holds a high rank. Fosco and Pesca are not helpless strangers in a foreign land: Fosco speaks English more fluently than most Britons, and Pesca has great responsibilities in the English branch of his organization; Collins makes it clear that they deserve neither pity nor suspicion because of their foreignness. It may seem ironic that Pesca escapes the stereotype of the stupid and funny foreigner by representing another, that of the Italian revolutionary, member of a mafia-type secret society. . These actual organizations, like the Carbonari, undoubtedly contributed to the Victorian idea of ​​Italians as “dashing revolutionaries” invoked by McAllister. However, Pesca and Fosco overturn this stereotype. Fosco is an old and obese man, with almost childish manners, and Pesca is almost a dwarf; neither can really be described as "dashing", despite Fosco's enormous charm. Collins presents a balanced and realistic view of Italy, a country he visited and seems to have loved - according to Mariaconcetta Costantini, he "felt a strong attraction to the culture of the Mediterranean country, which he strived for to represent from a realistic and impartial perspective” (Costantini 13). He acknowledges the political reality of secret societies and creates characters grounded in those realities, but rather than pandering to his audience's imagination of handsome revolutionaries fighting in the streets, he reminds them that people are full of surprises - including foreigners, and that Italian politics is more complex than we think. Pesca and Fosco have established themselves as characters who go beyond the stereotypes concerning their nationality; Yet Collins goes beyond using them as devices to prove his point and makes them both central characters in the plot. It is Pesca, the little Italian who speaks broken English, who begins and ends the action of the novel, first by securing Walter's position as Laura's drawing master, then by becoming the key to Foso's undoing . The fact that he becomes the godfather of Walter and Laura's son demonstrates the crucial role he plays in the book: more than just a fun friend, he earns a place of honor in the family, alongside the very British Mr. Gilmore, an indication from Collins that the foreigner and the British have equal weight in his novel; it radically makes the godfather of the aristocratic Earl of Limmeridge an Italian member of a secret political organization, who admits to having led a lifetumultuous. Furthermore, by choosing to make Pesca the instrument of Fosco's dismemberment, Collins shows that what Walter could not accomplish alone, he can do with Pesc, who remained his faithful friend when he went into hiding with Laura and Marian, even more than with his own family. . He even states that “one had to implicitly rely on his honor and courage” (Collins 565), attributing to Pesca qualities considered typically British. As further evidence of Walter's—and, by extension, Collins'—esteem for Pesca, his confession of his connection to the Count is in Italian. Walter reveals that he himself “learned to read and understand his native language…early in our intimate companionship” (Collins 574). For once, Pesca has no trouble speaking English; it is Walter, the British hero, who adapts to a foreign language he learned from his friend. The revelations that follow are crucial to Walter's victory over the Count and to the resolution of the novel - and they are translated from Italian. Collins makes it clear that strangeness has a place in the heroes' struggle for justice; here, success comes from working with a political rebel from another culture, rather than a British law-and-order representative like Mr. Kyrle or Mr. Gilchrist. Fosco also has more depth than just the “evil foreigner.” He challenges this role by proving that he has a real philosophy behind his actions and by being much more capable of thinking than the very British villain, Sir Percival. Fosco plans to replace Laura and Anne Catherick, rather than just being a sidekick to Percival. Marian, whose judgment readers trust, warns Walter that “…if you are obliged to spare one of them, do not let it be the Count” (Collins 448), indicating that he is the real threat . Fosco, for all his melodramatic theatrics, is also one of the most nuanced characters in the novel. He excels in chemistry and uses it to create poisons; Yet he also correctly identifies Marian's typhus and is willing to use his talent to save her, despite being her enemy. His attraction to her also reveals an inner turmoil: he is clearly capable of experiencing deep feelings, even when they interfere with his plans. The strength of his personality is best illustrated by Marian's attraction to him in return – she admits that he is one of the few men who could have completely "tamed" her. Fosco further shows the true depth of his character in his discussion with Marian, in which he states: "I have encountered, in my time, so many different kinds of virtues, that I am perplexed, in my old age, to say which one is the most appropriate. the good kind and which is the bad” (Collins 234). By giving Fosco a voice to defend his position – and, later, allowing him to tell the story – Collins highlights the narrow-mindedness of the British and the ability of foreigners to express their own ideas and live according to their own values. It is particularly significant that Pesca echoes Fosco's words, passionately telling Walter: "Leave the refugee alone!" Laugh at him, beware of him, open your eyes in wonder to that secret self that smolders within him… but do not judge us!… the long luxury of your own freedom has made you incapable of doing us justice now. » (Collins 575). Although readers may not be convinced by the villain Fosco's argument for moral relativism, they must be more affected by Pesca's impassioned plea, in which he attacks attitudes toward foreigners that have been present throughout of the novel. He and Fosco are on opposite sides, one villain, the other protagonist, but they express the same sentiment, forcing readers to wonder, 2007.