Garibaldi and the British Cult of ‘Muscular Christianity’

The essay looks at A.G. Henty’s use of the myth of Garibaldi in his 1901 adventure novel Out With Garibaldi. The Italian hero is recast by Henty in the English tradition of “muscular Christianity” of a loyal citizen fighting for fatherland, who is at the same time anti-spiritual and anti-intellectual. His physical features too – strong, blond, blue-eyed – make him the typical Hentian hero opposing all kinds of tyranny. The essay shows how “muscular Christianity assimilate the figure of Garibaldi and analyses the way other Italian characters are still portrayed ultimately needing the guidance of a true-bred British boy. Henty’s unconditional insistence on British superiority in Out With Garibaldi, reflects an imperial theme, and the culture out of which it grew