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B r i n g i n g C o n t e x t s C l o s e r : J a m e s W e l c h R e w r i t e s E l i o V i t t o r i n i ’ s In S ic il y R o b e r t a O r l a n d i n i H a v i n g o p e n ly d e c lar e d h is d e b t t o E lio V it t o r in i (se e C o lt e lli 193, Be v is 1 7 9 ), Ja m e s W e lc h t e m p t s h is r e ad e r s t o e x p lo r e t h e r e la t io n ­ sh ip b e t w e e n h is first n o v e l, W in t e r in th e B lo o d (1 9 7 4 ), a n d V it t o r in i’s C o n v e r saz io n e in S icilia (1 9 4 1 ), w h ic h W e lc h a lm o st c e r t a in ly r e ad in W ilfr id D a v id ’s E n glish t r a n sla t io n , I n Sicily (1 9 4 9 ). A c c o r d in g t o W e lch , V it t o r in i’s n o v e l h e lp e d h im d u r in g h is t r a n sit io n fr o m p o e t ry t o n ar r at iv e as h e w as se a r c h in g fo r a n e w e x p r e ssiv e m e d iu m . W e lc h fo u n d t h a t t h e p o e t ic a l p r o se ad o p t e d b y V it t o r in i fit h is o w n st y lis­ t ic n e e d s a t t h e t im e . H o w e v e r , W e lc h ’s in t e r e st in V it t o r in i’s n o v e l w as n o t c o n fin e d t o fo r m al m at t e r s. T h e I t a lia n m o d e l h e lp e d W e lc h a d v a n c e h is N a t iv e A m e r ic a n d isco u r se b e gu n in h is p o e t r y b y giv in g h im t h e o p p o r t u n it y o f p la c in g t h e su b je c t o f N a t iv e A m e r ic a n s in a w id er c o n t e x t t h a n A m e r ic a n st u d ie s a n d o f c o m p a r in g t h e c o lo n ia l p r o c e ss affe c t in g t h e in d ige n o u s p e o p le s o f N o r t h A m e r ic a t o sim ilar ly t r a gic c h ap t e...

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