Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa Essays

Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa Essays Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa Essay Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa Essay Essay Topic: Literature In Chapter VII pages 167-169 of Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusas The Leopard is the actual ruin of the novels protagonist, Prince Don Fabrizio, and thus the near-ending of the story and Donnafugata. The chapter, titled Death of a Prince, consists of exactly this; the slow, alone death of Don Fabrizio in a hotel room a few hours after arriving Palermo. The passage being analysed, however, more specifically summarizes his thoughts and feelings about himself and his life while dying. The extract, while and after reading it, is effectively rather haunting for the reader. One of the most obvious features of the overall mood and atmosphere of the passage is its evident morbidity. Throughout, the Prince tends to ask himself rhetorical questions and make cynical statements that give him a sense of helplessness, lost in bitter melancholy. Why, he wondered, did God not want anyone to die with their own face on? (5-6) is an example of this. The morbid sense of the passage is also depicted by the Princes reference to death as a game Its a rule of the game; hateful but formal (17). This proves to be paradoxical, as death, which is normally perceived negatively, would not usually be associated with a word that is conventionally positive (game). Other features that facilitate the clear morbidity of this passage is Tomasi di Lampedusas subtle use of adjectives such as funeral black (24), metallic sea (29) and dark water towards the abyss (53) to describe the Princes depressing perception of his surroundings, which also illustrate his current state of mind. Funeral Black not only serves as a simple description, but is also an example of the way the extract foreshows the ending of everything the Prince, Donnafugata, the novel. The use of the reference to the imminent end (48) also very apparently indicates conclusion. : An impression is also made that everything around him is fading, through descriptions such as tenacious memories (27), which doubly emphasizes the waning nature of the environment, the ghosts of the cockroaches (25), which triggers emptiness, and faint [ odour (26). This sombre, inevitable doom in the atmosphere is also portrayed through the claustrophobic account of the room. The suffocating (24) disposition, the heat, the prison stink (29); though these descriptions contrast with the initial empty feeling of the room, Tomasi di Lampedusas depiction of the stale and musty atmosphere overpower the emptiness. Having three days growth of beard (3), the Prince himself illustrates staleness. Images, olfactory and otherwise, of the mustiness of ill-dusted plush (25), the faint medicinal odour (26), and the stale and varied urine (27) add to this depressing and nauseating tone of the mood and atmosphere. Throughout, the Prince gives a strong impression of his isolation. Although it is not clearly stated, this feature is shown through the inseparability of ideas between the atmosphere of the passage and Prince Don Fabrizios state of mind. Tomasi di Lampedusa seems to have written the Chapter in such a way that the atmosphere and surroundings described are almost by the character of the Prince himself. This is briefly mentioned previously where the Princes perception is directly linked to his current situation. The morbid atmosphere adds to his morbid reminiscent state, where he thinks about death and decay through various ways. His self-decay, or weakness, is depicted through his helplessness as he feels he is unable to contravene (14) and that he is a prey of untameable currents (54) a victim of his circumstances. This is even despite his attempt to maintain composure immersed in that great outer silence, in that terrifying inner rumble (37). One interesting feature of this passage is the way the Prince bitterly makes ironic comparisons and contrasts of his current dying state to his previous healthy state. For example, to hold up a razor would have been like holding up his own desk, before (14-15), or he found that to give way to drowsiness now would be as absurd as eating a slice of cake immediately before a longed-for banquet (34-35), which indirectly contributes to the extracts resentful tone. When the Prince contemplates the downfall of everything around him, it is as if his life is flashing before his eyes, as he is remembering everything of significance to him. Another stereotype of death occurs when there is a blinding light (28) amongst the darkness of the atmosphere; this follows the stereotypical idea of walking into the light pre or post-death. Overall, the Princes state of mind seems to be depressed, bitter, weak, and reminiscent, which is easier to observe due to the state of the atmosphere and mood. As this passage is fairly significant, there are many themes and patterns evident. Towards the beginning, when the Prince is describing his physical self as one of those maniac Englishmen who amble around the vignettes in books by Jules Verne (3-4), he also adds that he is A Leopard in a very bad trim (5). This hints a pattern of animal imagery, which is used fairly often in the novel. This may also be thought as slightly paradoxical, as leopards, animals that are noble, gallant and dignified are rarely in bad trims. Though there is not a great deal, olfactory images definitely occur a few times as well when Tomasi di Lampedusa describes the mustiness of the room, which was mentioned earlier. As obvious however, the main theme of this passage that appears in the novel is the idea of death and decay. Because the whole gist of the extract is based on this theme, the idea is self-explanatory; the death of the Prince, the decay of his life and surroundings (Donnafugata). This is related to another theme that is found in the passage: the inevitability of change. This is depicted by his helplessness as he gives in to enforced camouflage (13) and relinquishes with the idea that Theyll shave [him] [ ] afterwards (17). Another unavoidable theme throughout the passage is the idea of the passing of time through death and aging. Similar to the theme of death and decay, this is also quite apparent as the aging of the Prince, Donnafugata, and his belongings is clear through his words; for example, old man (10), telescopes now destined to years of dust (41), exhausted body (51). A last but important theme that this extract illustrates is the concept of isolation and solitude. The Prince makes it very clear here that he is alone as he is not interrupted by personally close characters during the excerpt. He seems as if he is in his own little world of thoughts, which already makes him emotionally isolated. The reader can only know he is alone for certain though by the last line, He was alone, a shipwrecked man adrift on a raft (54). This passage of Chapter VII from The Leopard is very significant in depicting the various themes and writing styles of Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa throughout the novel. The strong atmosphere and mood of the extract strongly facilitates the depiction of Prince Don Fabrizios state of mind. The contrast of his behaviour and thinking in this passage and chapter to his behaviour and thinking throughout the rest of the novel makes this extract very interesting to analyse. However what inclines to be the most evocative feature in the overall passage is Tomasi di Lampedusas ability to express the protagonists subjective, bitter views through his own objective narration. The effect of Chapter VII is thus a lasting one.