4 research outputs found
Sandokan of Malludu. The Historical Background of a Novel Cycle set in Borneo by the Italian Author Emilio Salgari
No full textBianca Maria Gerlich
It was the object of this article to discover possible historical traces of the basic structure of the novel-cycle Ciclo dei Pirati della Malesia by Emilio Salgari, in particular the historical existence of its chief protagonist Sandokan. Since historical facts corresponding to the setting of the cycle can in fact be found, it is clear that Salgari's novel should not be read as mere fictional literature but rather as literature with an historical background. Besides some rather general historical facts and circumstances, even some of the details turn out to be historical. The names of persons, places and constellations that were well-known in Europe such as "James Brooke", "Sarawak" and "Labuan" figure, but so do "Sandokan" and the "flag of the tiger" which were known at the time to a rather small group of people in Sabah. Salgari's dates are correct, too : Le Tigri di Mompracem starts at the end of 1849, and the original version La Tigre della Malesia in 1847 ; the battle of Malludu in fact took place in 1845. In the Yanez-passage we are informed that Sandokan was resident on the north coast of Borneo for a few years before he settled down in Mompracem.
Perhaps the fundamental messages of the cycle correspond more to historical reality than some reports by European contemporaries or historians do. The Sandokan' s fight for freedom against the European colonizers reflects historical reality. Salgari portrayed history from the perspective of the "losers" and not from that of the "winners", unlike what one finds in most European literature of the last century. His protagonist, who belongs to the weaker party, is positively valued, whereas in official British historiography Malludu is obviously viewed negatively.
However, it should be realized that only the basic structure of the novel coincides in part with historical events and persons, whereas vast parts - especially the immanent actions - belong to fiction. The cycle shows a form of virtual historical reality : Salgari worked his story out upon a historical frame, the polarity between "Sandokan" and "the British". The tension between this poles is essentially determined through the efforts of the colonizers. A detailed examination of historical analogies in the immanent parts of the cycle, or concerning Salgari's descriptions on Bornean customs, social relations and other aspects could bring forth further interesting results. The introductory question concerning the place of historicity in Salgari's Ciclo dei Pirati della Malesia can however be answered positively even on the basis of our preliminary examination. The three symbols "Mompracem", and the "flag of the tiger" and "Sandokan" did exist and were handed down orally and in writing. But more relevant perhaps is the connection between "Sandokan" and the "flag of the tiger" through Sandokan's native country Malludu. He lived there and was indeed very probably in a position of authority. The emblem of Malludu was the flag of the tiger. Malludu was mentioned by Salgari in what may be seen as a basically correct historical context. His fundamental historical message privileges the "Malay" and not the "European" side. Salgari's anti-colonial interpretation thus finds interesting echoes in the modern discussion of nineteenth-century colonial expansion in Southeast Asia.Gerlich Bianca Maria. Sandokan of Malludu. The Historical Background of a Novel Cycle set in Borneo by the Italian Author Emilio Salgari. In: Archipel, volume 55, 1998. pp. 29-41
I miei volumi corrono trionfanti... Atti del 1. Convegno internazionale sulla fortuna di Salgari all’estero
No full textIl volume raccoglie gli Atti del Convegno tenutosi a Torino a Palazzo Barolo nel 2003 sulla fortuna delle opere di Emilio Salgari all'estero e comprende gli interventi di Claudia Borri, Mariella Colin, Bianca Maria Gerlich, Piero Gondolo della Riva, Matthieu Letourneux, Ann Lawson Lucas, Gian Paolo Marchi, Séverine Moret, Alessandro Niero, Felice Pozzo, Mario Tropea e Giovanna Viglongo
A Decapitation (Silesian) Wound. Between Jan Nikodem Jaroń's and Szczepan Twardoch's Diagnoses
No full textAutor, odwołując się do utrwalonego w literaturze europejskiej (Platon, Thomas Hobbes, Giorgio Agamben) wyobrażenia grupy społecznej jako organizmu, w którym głowa symbolizuje ośrodek przywódczy, poddajeantropologicznej analizie grupę „śląskiej ludności rodzimej” (Marian Gerlich). Mocno utrwalone w jej obrębie tendencje odrębnościowe, czy wręcz separatystyczne, dają się opisać poprzez metaforę ciała pozbawionego głowy. To wyobrażenie wyrasta z tragicznych doświadczeń historycznych: śmierci księcia Henryka Pobożnego w czasie bitwy pod Legnicą (1241), egzekucji dokonanej na przywódcy śląskiej szlachty protestanckiej – Andrzeju Kochcickim (1634) i tajemniczej śmierci dyktatora III powstania śląskiego Wojciech Korfantego(1939). Osią rozważań jest analiza fragmentów młodopolskiego dramatu Jana Nikodema Jaronia Wojsko św. Jadwigi (1920), którego bohaterami są najbliżsi krewni księcia Henryka oraz ich późniejsze wcielenia (najważniejsze z nich to ostatnie – członków rodziny biorącej udział w powstaniu śląskim). WyobrażenieGórnego Śląska jako Zdekapitowanego Ciała, które, mimo iż pozbawione przywódcy, chce żyć osobno lub wyobrażenie tej samej grupy jako monstrum (smok w powieści Szczepana Twardocha zatytułowanej Drach) można traktować jako odzwierciedlenie tendencji autonomicznych w tym regionie. Taka wizja Śląska – jeśli nie autonomicznego, to przynajmniej się od reszty Polski różniącego, chociażby pamięcią kulturową (Jan Assmannn) – wyłania się także z rezultatów badań współczesnych socjologów (Marian Gerlich, Maria Szmeja).The author refers to the image deeply rooted in the European literature (Platon, Thomas Hobbes, Giorgio Agamben) of a social group pictured as an organism, with the head representing its leadership centre, and applies an anthropologicalanalysis to the group of the “Silesian native population” (Marian Gerlich). A metaphor of a decapitated body seems to be a proper way to describe this group’s well consolidated pursuit of distinctiveness or even its separatist tendencies. The concept emerges from a number of tragic historical experiences, such as the death of Henry II the Pious in the Battle of Legnica (1241), the execution of Andrzej Kochcicki, the leader of the Silesian protestant nobility (1634) or a mysterious death of the leader of the 3rd Silesian Uprising, Wojciech Korfanty (1939). The research revolves around the analysis of Wojsko św. Jadwigi (St. Hedwig’s Army), a “Young Poland” drama of 1920 by Jan Nikodem Jaroń, whose main characters are Prince Henry’s closest relatives and their subsequent incarnations (the most important being the final ones – those of a Silesian insurgent family members). The concept of Upper Silesia as a Decapitated Body, which, although deprived of a leader, wants to live its separate life, or picturing this group as a monstrum (a dragon in Szczepan Twardoch’s novel Drach) can be treated as a reflection of the region’s autonomous tendencies. Such a vision of Silesia, autonomous or at least clearly distinctive from the rest of Poland – by cultural memory (Jan Assmann) if nothing else – emerges also from the results of the research conducted by modern sociologists (Marian Gerlich, Maria Szmeja)
The Transcriptomic and Genomic Analysis of Lamin A/C Expression in the Colon and in Colorectal Cancer
No full textLamins A and C, also known as A-type lamins, are type V nuclear intermediate filament proteins which form an interlacing meshwork of filaments subjacent to the inner nuclear membrane termed the nuclear lamina. A-type lamins have been implicated in DNA replication, gene transcription regulation, apoptosis, regulation of growth promoters and nuclear migration. Traditionally, expression of A-type lamins has been associated with differentiated cells. As such, mutations in A-type lamins have been associated with a diverse range of genetic diseases, including premature ageing syndromes and with increased proliferation, especially in tumours.
In colorectal cancer, expression of A-type lamins, have been shown to impart an adverse prognosis. In order to understand the underlying biological processes responsible for this adverse outcome in patients with colorectal cancer, I sought to clarify the expression profile of A-type lamins and their binding partners in normal colonic/rectal mucosa, prior to investigating the expression of A-type lamins in colorectal cancers. I used fresh tissue specimens obtained from patients with colorectal cancer for my experiments. A unique finding was the expression of lamin A in the putative stem cell niche of colonic / rectal mucosal crypts.
Further studies in the form of a microarray analysis, revealed a very complex picture of up regulation involving various signalling cascades in the cancer samples expressing A-type lamins. There was no evidence to suggest a direct involvement of A-type lamins influencing the Wnt signalling cascade, however, direct involvement of other signalling cascades, such as the IGF signalling cascade, Shh signalling cascade and TGF-β signalling cascades were noted. These signalling cascades were known to influence the Wnt signalling cascades and hence could play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of colorectal cancers expressing A-type lamins.
In addition to these important signalling cascades, other key genes involved in apoptosis, growth promoters, cell adhesion, stem cell regulation, oncogenes and tumour suppression, were noted to have a unique expression profile in the cancer sample expressing A-type lamins, not observed in the cancer sample lacking A-type lamin expression. These observations were suggestive of A-type lamins having a diverse range of actions via, as yet, undefined pathways. It would appear that A-type lamins were imparting a more motile, less adherent phenotype with stem cell like features in colorectal cancers expressing A-type lamins. This could explain the observed poor prognosis of patients with colorectal cancers expressing A-type lamins.
Creatine kinase brain (CKB), was also identified as an additional, potential, prognostic indicator in the Duke’s B group of patients with colorectal cancer expressing A-type lamins. This potential marker, in conjunction with A-type lamin expression could be used to identify a sub group of Duke’s B patients at high risk. Whether adjuvant therapy in this group would help improve their long term survival is unknown since no study has been done to assess this
