“Milano” a fictional novella

Corbett, Nicholas

“Milano” a fictional novella

Master Thesis

2022

Abstract

“Milano” is a fictional novella set in Milan, Italy, in 1992. The story takes place against the backdrop of a country that is grappling with the ideas of nationalism, immigration and power. Italian prosecutors have begun the mani pulite, a countrywide judicial investigation that aims to bring to justice businessmen, politicians and others who have aided corruption in multiple industries. The story follows the protagonist Louis Richardson, a 24-year-old Englishman, who has received news that his mother is requested at the reading of the last will and testament of an Italian man he has never met. Margaret Thatcher's government has left Louis' family – who are working class British citizens – in a state of financial ruin with little prospects outside of crime to earn a living. In his mother's stead, he travels to Milan with the hope that a lucrative inheritance may provide fortune. “Milano” envisions Louis' awe and wonder as an outsider in the country over the course of several days. He meets Nigerian and Polish immigrants as well as a powerful and politically connected Italian family, the Garavaglias. Through the eyes of the protagonist the reader is exposed to fictional accounts of attitudes and beliefs in Italy at the time. Over the course of the novella, Louis' own ideas of a new life comes crashing down as he learns hidden truths behind the wealthy Garavaglia family, as well as his own.

Keywords

Creative Writing

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