The Foundation and Manifesto of Futurism

“The Foundation and Manifesto of Futurism” written by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti highlights the main ideas behind the futurist movement that he introduced himself. In the beginning of the manifesto, Marinetti and his friends are awake at a late hour of the night and they hear the sound of automobiles pass by. Marinetti encourages everyone to test this new magnificent machine even though there was a sense of mystery and risk about it. Marinetti explains how they were so overcome by the madness and the amazement that they were incoherent to the dangers around them and only focused on breaking free. Marinetti describes how his car crashes into a ditch, but he brings it back to life and it is soon roaring again. He then presents his manifesto for all living men. He challenges the people of Italy to continue to strive for the future and to not look back on the past. Marinetti’s call to action is best exemplified when he exclaims, “Let’s break away from rationality as out of a horrible husk and throw ourselves like pride-spiced fruit into the immense distorted mouth of the wind! Let’s give ourselves up to the unknown, not out of desperation but to plumb the deep pits of the absurd!” (23). In this passage, Marinetti is trying to convince the people of Italy that it is important to not accept physical and mental limitations as a stopping point for growth. Even though futuristic ideas may seem twisted from many current views, it is important not to look back or be afraid to take chances. He urges the people to give the unknown future a chance, but not just a slight chance. He wants the people to accept danger and possible defeat in order to truly discover what the future holds for the people of Italy. He doesn’t want change and new ideas to be something that is necessary, but rather something that is extraordinary and beyond what our mental capacity can imagine. This call to action is very similar to the ideas that have been discussed in class about striving to