4 ideas
Early in his imprisonment Gramsci writes that he wants to work on something 'für ewig', meaning for all time, following a set plan so that his inner life does not waste away. He picks a few long-horizon subjects, including Italian intellectuals, comparative linguistics, Pirandello's theatre and serial novels. A disinterested, cumulative program gives structure to open-ended time that would otherwise wear down the mind.
Gramsci uses the image of shipwrecked men who would never have imagined eating each other, yet end up doing so. Their change happens through many tiny, unnoticed shifts, so the person who arrives is no longer the person who would have refused. He applies this to himself in prison, warning that gradual degradation escapes the judgment of the self it is replacing.
Gramsci describes his stance as pessimistic in intellect and optimistic in will. He means expecting the worst from a clear-eyed reading of circumstances while still committing fully to action. Separating accurate assessment from the resolve to act keeps hope from distorting perception and keeps realism from paralysing effort.
In 1928 Gramsci received a letter from the exiled communist Ruggero Grieco that openly discussed political matters. The examining magistrate remarked that Gramsci's friends apparently wanted him to stay in prison. Gramsci came to believe the letter had compromised his legal position, and possibly his chances of release. The episode fed his lasting sense of isolation and distrust toward those outside who claimed to act on his behalf.