Thesis title: Il riso di Pinocchio. Parodia, caricatura e avventura in Toscana (1825-1885)
The thesis investigates Tuscan comic-humorous literature between 1825 and 1885, focusing on the relationship between practices of laughter and literary issues. The study is divided into four main areas: the reconstruction of modern laughter culture in Tuscany in the 19th century; the representation of poverty as a tool for parodying political power; the caricature of women, gender relations and the evolution of women’s socio-political status; the affirmation of the “monello” or “ragazzo di strada”, an adventurous and derisive figure who moves from humorous literature to children's literature in Carlo Collodi’s Le avventure di Pinocchio. Storia di un burattino (1883).