I'm doing a PhD in English literature, specializing in eighteenth-century British drama and prose; I double-majored in English and Italian Studies while atWellesley. Being an Italian Studies major has opened up my understanding of literature of the period. Dividing literature by language and by nation is a modern convention, a distinction which was not made at the time. Many Brits read and spoke Italian, young men in the period often went on the "Grand Tour" through Italy as a way to finish their education, and many Gothic novels have Italian settings where Italy serves as an imaginative space of possibility and transgression. I often come across Italian documents in the archive, and since my dissertation is on literary adaptations I hope to expand my use of Italian source material. I approach my work in English with more nuance having studied Italian literature at Wellesley. Scholars in English often have narratives about literary history that we take for granted, but that do not exist in the same way in other national literatures.
On a personal note, I decided to take Italian at Wellesley because my grandmother's first language is Italian, and it's something I've always wanted to learn. I now write letters and postcards to my grandparents in Italian, and the language is something I can now share with her that I I wasn't able to share growing up. Studying Italian has given me a stronger connection to my heritage, beyond just the great food and wine. Literature is my passion as well as my profession, and I now have access to the literature of my culture in the original language.