Boy

In addition to being the central subject and protagonist of “Casabianca,” the boy, Giocante, is also the central symbol of the poem representing the failures of the epic hero in the reality of war. While the boy possesses all the archetypal traits of an epic hero, for example being “As born to rule the storm” and “A creature of heroic blood” because he does not actually exist in the world of an epic poem but within a brutal, historical reality of completely destructive warfare, he does not emerge victorious from the battle into manhood (6-7). Instead, the boy meets his demise and the epic hero archetype that he represents also dies with him. Therefore, the boy is also a representation of lost innocence – though Giocante behaves with stoicism in the face of his “brave despair,” he is not rewarded for his valiance in battle and ultimately...