Since unification in 1860, Italy has remained bitterly divided between
the rich North and the underdeveloped South. This book examines the
historical, literary, and cultural contexts that have informed and
inflamed the debate on the Southern Question for over a century. It
brings together analysis of cinema, literature, and newspaper archives
to reconsider the myths and stereotypes that both Northerners and
Southerners deploy in their narratives. Salvatore DiMaria offers a
masterful assessment of the entangled issues that have produced the
South's image as impoverished and backwards, such as organized crime,
illiteracy, and mass emigration. Documenting the state's largely failed
efforts to bring the South into its socio-economic fold, DiMaria also
points to the future, arguing that the European Union and globalization
are transformative forces that may finally produce a unified Italy.