Cooper in Venice: Or the "Telling" Italian Subtext of The Bravo

Following French historiography, The Bravo singles out early 18th century Venice to warn American readers against the dangers of oligarchy. This essay argues that the flesh and color of the political message are supplied not only by descriptions of Venice but also by the representation of an exotic language environment. The essay presents a full-fledged description of Italian words (their form and function) found in the text. From this analysis it becomes clear that literary precedents are interwoven in The Bravo with Cooper’s observations of everyday Italian speech as he came to know it. This play of personal memories and the literary creates distance but also calls for embracing the discourse, feelings and ordeals of the book’s positive characters, especially the most humble ones.