Contesto generale La novella di Cisti il fornaio è la seconda della sesta giornata del Decameron di Boccaccio. In questa giornata, tutte le novelle hanno un tema comune: il modo elegante e intelligente (con arte e garbo) con cui i personaggi riescono a rispondere a situazioni difficili, spesso grazie all’arguzia, alla prontezza di spirito o all’uso sapiente delle parole (i cosiddetti “motti”). La narratrice è Pampinea, una delle sette giovani protagoniste del Decameron, che introduce la novella con una riflessione: a volte la natura e la fortuna premiano persone di umili origini, dotandole di un'anima nobile e virtuosa, proprio come accade a Cisti. Trama in breve Cisti è un fornaio fiorentino, quindi un uomo del popolo, ma di grande eleganza, educazione e intelligenza. Egli possiede un ottimo vino bianco, che desidera offrire a Geri Spina, un nobile fiorentino che ogni giorno passa davanti alla sua bottega insieme agli ambasciatori di papa Bonifacio VIII. Cisti però sa che, ...
This genre has as main characteristics the need for realism, abundance of realistic details, chronological sequence of events, the novelty of the stories in order to answer the demand by the middle class, relating ordinary experiences.
In some novels, the characters were recognizable as people belonging to the middle class.
For example, Robinson, the main character of Robinson Crusoe written by Daniel Defoe, is a middle class hero full of enterprise and commercial wisdom.
Moreover, we can see in novels a lot of ideals of bourgeoisie such as the faith in God’s favour, temperance, economy, sobriety and modesty.
The novel’s realism is shown in two elements: time and place.
For example, in Robinson Crusoe Daniel Defoe records his hero’s experiences from year to year, day to day, and the author concerns space as a geographical entity with the names of real seas, ships and harbours.
In 18th century utopian fiction (went back to classical literature by Thomas Moore’s novel, Utopia) was influenced by the need for realism.
A masterpiece like Gulliver’s Travels written by Jonathan Swift continues the utopian tradition of showing imaginary worlds, which are presented as a counterpart to actual imperfect societies.
Next, epistolary novels included, in their first phase, letters written by one person, often a traveller in a real or imaginary country.
In the second phase inaugurated by Samuel Richardson, epistolary novels presented an exchange of letters between several correspondents.
We can understand through these letters the interior psychology and behaviours of characters.
In this period, Picaresque novels rose: it took its name from a Spanish word, “Picaro”, which is referred to as an outsider who manages to survive thanks to his courage and cunning, meets people from all ranks of society during his adventures on the road.
The best writer in this tradition was Henry Fielding.
The Sentimental novel was characterized by sentimental themes and a style of writing that prompted intense emotional reactions.
The masterpiece of this genre is A sentimental Journey by Laurence Sterne.
Another important Sterne’s masterpiece is Tristram Shandy. This novel is narrated by Tristram Shandy himself, who describes through flashbacks and asides, his family’s everyday life.
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