Time of Class:
Marinetti F. T., Reading Response
The futurist manifesto highlights the key ideas behind the futurist movement which Filippo Marinetti the writer is the initiator. In his manifesto he describes old versus new and personifies various places and machines. He portrays his disgust for old places and methods of doing things by leading a revolution to be guided by the futurist manifesto. He inspires the young to quit old methods and employ a futuristic approach as described in the manifesto.
Thesis statement: “For the dying, for invalids and for prisoners it may be all right. It is, perhaps, some sort of balm for their wounds, the admirable past, at a moment when the future is denied them. But we will have none of it, we, the young, strong and living Futurists!”(Marinetti, 2)
Marinetti shows his disgust for old places explaining them as “moribund palaces with their green growth of beard”. He also criticizes the myths and old ways of thinking by saying “At last Mythology and the mystic cult of the ideal have been left behind,” (Marinetti, 3). Marinetti personifies the engines in ships and locomotives portraying them as demonic by calling them, “the black spirits which rage in the belly of rogue locomotives” (Marinetti, 3). However his description does not demonize technology but stands at awe of its industrial might. He states that his motivation is not inspired by a lady but by his own sheer courage.
Marinetti fearlessly rides his car happily tempting death but as he drove around a corner he had to swerve to avoid two motorists causing his car to flip over fall into a muddy ditch. He explains how he felt joyous after awaking from the muddy water filled with factory gutter when a group of fishermen and gouty naturalists crowded to watch him. They help him remove his car from the ditch and while he thought it was destroyed he found it was in good condition. It was at this point covered with metal scratches, sweat and celestial grime, in the midst of fishermen and angry naturalists that he dictated his first will and testament to all the living men on earth “The manifesto of futurism”(Marinetti, 4).
His manifesto was inspired by the industrial energy and speed of the automobile. In his manifesto he encourages dangerous thrill seeking in the great struggle to achieve beauty saying that there is no beauty without struggle. Marinetti further condemns all academies and museums
That studied old works comparing them to cemeteries not worth focusing on. He explains how worthless a picture is as it only tries to depict barriers that hinder his dream. He further compares visits to museums, libraries and academies to a child that is intelligent and “drunk” with talent but is kept under strict supervision of the parents. He says that these old ways will be acceptable to the invalids, the dying and prisoners but not to the young who will be strong futurists.
In conclusion, Marinetti highlights in the futuristic manifesto about the need of humans to struggle. It is evident in literature that all stories that require struggle will result in some kind of conflict. Revolutions are known to bring change but are also violent in nature, on this respect he is right though is view is on the extremist side. In this manifesto he does not state violence as the necessary evil but purely view it as the greater good. His view of the greater good is too simple as ignoring history and the possibility of a war isn’t futuristic. He should have considered that without the past we have no foundation to build the future and without understanding of the achievements of past revolutionaries people would not appreciate what they boast of. Without the steam engine, Marinetti would not have the combustion engine expressed as the heart of his beloved automobile.
Works Cited
Apollonio, U. (2001). Futurist manifestos. Boston, MA: MFA Publications Tomecek, Steve. Art and Architecture. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 2010. Print.
Marinetti, F T, and C R. W. Nevinson. Vital English Art: Futurist Manifesto. Milan: Italian Futurist Movement, 1914. Print
Marinetti, F T, and R W. Flint. Marinetti: Selected Writings. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1972. Print.
