Interesting to see the Unnamed and the servant women peeled open by the narrator, on the downside of their arcs of violence? “Still tormented by the need to boss someone around, and finding it intolerable to wait idly for the coach that was making its way to him too slowly, treacherously, almost punitively, he sent for an old servant woman.” Impatient, nasty, remorseful, worried, and bossy. (Bossy! The injection of a lighthearted word by Michael!) And the “old lady” after we are given her backstory with clear-eyed economy. “Prodded from her laziness and provoked into anger—her two dueling passions—she would sometimes return the compliment with words that Satan himself would have liked.” She is a piece of work.
I'm shocked at Gertrude's betrayal. Yet this chapter seems to be about the complexity and contradictions within human character and motives, invevitably defying the binary categorization of good or bad. Gertrude, the Nameless one and the "the old servant woman" in the Nameless One's castle all seem inwardly resisting against external forces that impel them to bad deeds. A part of each of them them has wanted and wants to be good.
"The castle of the Nameless One..." -- it almost has to go no farther, so ominous -- and then to read him called "the savage lord" -- and yet, by chapter's end, even he is struggling with a conscience, or struggling to evade it. (Manzoni has more faith in his villains than I can find for the villains of our centuries.)
I'm also struck in this chapter by the finely drawn portrayal of how crime leads to crime -- this is the working of karma, not as we usually misunderstand it, but in its most direct expression.
And I loved the arrival of this old servant, and another reversal of my expectations, turning on her view of her boss's violence as executing a "fatal justice" --- as suddenly she becomes another accomplice, willing to serve him completely, to Lucia's harm.
Gothic drama indeed--the Nameless One, the savage lord, in his horrid castle, his ghastly domicile. “He never saw anyone above him, or even higher up.” Lucia kidnapped and brought to his lair--I wonder if she’ll be rescued in a damsel-in-distress style, or if she’ll manage on her own aided by faith and prayer.
I am somewhat confused by Gertrude and the next door bad guy Egidio - exactly what has she done in complicity with him before this turn of events? The author implies that Gertrude has committed a crime, and that she gives up an opportunity to atone for that crime by acceeding to Egidio's demand for Lucia to be sacrificed. I feel I would understand Gertrude better if the relationship with Egidio was more clear to me.
Interesting that the Nameless One is having a late career crisis - as he is not yet on his deathbed and about to be delivered to his fate (whatever that will be), but is having recriminations now. Why would he now have a different perspective on death?
Just as the Unnamed is having second thoughts about his career trajectory, I’m thinking that maybe the heretofore loyal and obedient “old woman“ (“a certain trusted old serving woman”), who is disgusted with having to do odd jobs for one or the other of a “host of cutthroats”, may also have a change of heart and follow a road other than the one she is expected to travel.
My favourite bit in this chapter is the contrast between how the Nameless One is perceived by others and how he reflects upon himself. A reminder that scary people are usually themselves scared!
The scene in the bedroom with the old servant woman has echoes of Pamela and Mrs. Jewkes. Would Manzoni have read Samuel Richardson’s eponymous novel written 100 years earlier????
Ann Radcliffe! I have not thought about her in a long time. Pulled down from my shelves my copy of THE ROMANCE OF THE FOREST and it begins like this: "'Once when sordid interest seizes the heart, it freezes up the source of every warm and liberal feeling..." Interesting that she never made her way to Italy but was fascinated by the country (like many English).
Interesting to see the Unnamed and the servant women peeled open by the narrator, on the downside of their arcs of violence? “Still tormented by the need to boss someone around, and finding it intolerable to wait idly for the coach that was making its way to him too slowly, treacherously, almost punitively, he sent for an old servant woman.” Impatient, nasty, remorseful, worried, and bossy. (Bossy! The injection of a lighthearted word by Michael!) And the “old lady” after we are given her backstory with clear-eyed economy. “Prodded from her laziness and provoked into anger—her two dueling passions—she would sometimes return the compliment with words that Satan himself would have liked.” She is a piece of work.
I'm shocked at Gertrude's betrayal. Yet this chapter seems to be about the complexity and contradictions within human character and motives, invevitably defying the binary categorization of good or bad. Gertrude, the Nameless one and the "the old servant woman" in the Nameless One's castle all seem inwardly resisting against external forces that impel them to bad deeds. A part of each of them them has wanted and wants to be good.
"The castle of the Nameless One..." -- it almost has to go no farther, so ominous -- and then to read him called "the savage lord" -- and yet, by chapter's end, even he is struggling with a conscience, or struggling to evade it. (Manzoni has more faith in his villains than I can find for the villains of our centuries.)
I'm also struck in this chapter by the finely drawn portrayal of how crime leads to crime -- this is the working of karma, not as we usually misunderstand it, but in its most direct expression.
And I loved the arrival of this old servant, and another reversal of my expectations, turning on her view of her boss's violence as executing a "fatal justice" --- as suddenly she becomes another accomplice, willing to serve him completely, to Lucia's harm.
How can I not go on?
Gothic drama indeed--the Nameless One, the savage lord, in his horrid castle, his ghastly domicile. “He never saw anyone above him, or even higher up.” Lucia kidnapped and brought to his lair--I wonder if she’ll be rescued in a damsel-in-distress style, or if she’ll manage on her own aided by faith and prayer.
I am somewhat confused by Gertrude and the next door bad guy Egidio - exactly what has she done in complicity with him before this turn of events? The author implies that Gertrude has committed a crime, and that she gives up an opportunity to atone for that crime by acceeding to Egidio's demand for Lucia to be sacrificed. I feel I would understand Gertrude better if the relationship with Egidio was more clear to me.
Interesting that the Nameless One is having a late career crisis - as he is not yet on his deathbed and about to be delivered to his fate (whatever that will be), but is having recriminations now. Why would he now have a different perspective on death?
Just as the Unnamed is having second thoughts about his career trajectory, I’m thinking that maybe the heretofore loyal and obedient “old woman“ (“a certain trusted old serving woman”), who is disgusted with having to do odd jobs for one or the other of a “host of cutthroats”, may also have a change of heart and follow a road other than the one she is expected to travel.
My favourite bit in this chapter is the contrast between how the Nameless One is perceived by others and how he reflects upon himself. A reminder that scary people are usually themselves scared!
Helpful …I was wondering if I had been reading too fast and missed the specifics! Thanks
The scene in the bedroom with the old servant woman has echoes of Pamela and Mrs. Jewkes. Would Manzoni have read Samuel Richardson’s eponymous novel written 100 years earlier????
Ann Radcliffe! I have not thought about her in a long time. Pulled down from my shelves my copy of THE ROMANCE OF THE FOREST and it begins like this: "'Once when sordid interest seizes the heart, it freezes up the source of every warm and liberal feeling..." Interesting that she never made her way to Italy but was fascinated by the country (like many English).