Reception of American Literature in Fascist Italy on the Example of John Steinbeck’s Novels
Reception of American Literature in Fascist Italy on the Example of John Steinbeck’s Novels

Summary/Abstract: This paper explores the reception of American literature in Fascist Italy, focusing on the interaction between censorship, translation, and the mito americano – the cultural myth of the United States as an object of desire and a symbol of anti-fascism. While the regime exercised strict control over mass media, literature remained comparatively less regulated, enabling a flourishing of Anglo-American works. Among these, John Steinbeck’s novels occupied a unique position: despite censorship and selective omissions, Tortilla Flat, In Dubious Battle, and The Grapes of Wrath resonated strongly with Italian readers, who interpreted his depictions of poverty, struggle, and dignity as indirect critiques of their own society. In contrast, Jack London, already established as a literary classic, inspired Italians through adventure and survival narratives less threatening to the regime. At the same time, Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse offered escapist entertainment and was even tolerated by Mussolini until wartime hostilities demanded its Italianization. Steinbeck, unlike London and Disney, evoked complex emotions – admiration for his moral vision and empathy for the oppressed, combined with unease from authorities wary of his social critique. His popularity illustrates how American culture, mediated through translation, became a subtle but powerful form of literary resistance under Fascism.This article, by analyzing correspondence, regime directives, and translation techniques, demonstrates that the reception of Steinbeck was shaped not only by ideological pressure but also by translators and publishers operating within Fascist policy. The Italian editions reveal an interesting negotiation between compliance and subversion, where omissions and lexical adjustments served as protective strategies that made publication possible. Ultimately, the case of Steinbeck confirms that translated literature could open a limited yet meaningful sphere of intellectual exchange allowing alternative visions to circulate within an authoritarian system.

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