Parts of this chapter are quite comic operatic in some ways, with the two women and Don A. preparing to evacuate the house, reinforced by Manzoni's use of 'quickly quickly' and 'slowly slowly'. I liked Don A complaining that the Duke of Nevers could have stayed in France and amused himself by playing the Prince, but no, he wanted to be Duke of Mantua. Francesco Gorin's original illustration captures the lazy Don A and the two busy women.
The contrast between Don A and the Nameless One is striking. The former is still his complaining fearful self, even after his apparent reformation during his encounter with the Cardinal. The Nameless One's genuine transformation after his encounter with the Cardinal is confirmed by his even greater presence and bearing, the primary sign being "the absence of all fear in him" (la noncuranza d’ogni pericolo). The priest is still self-focused and is unable to really care about others, while the Nameless one is able to forget about himself in his service to those in need.
“In those days, there was a peculiar relationship between Church and State”, is a concise description of Manzoni's satire on both of those institutions.
I love the details of this little "potluck" -- the roasted chestnuts, the peaches, the figs, eaten with linen, majolica, and silver! It is exactly the respite we all need at this moment in the story. I took a virtual visit to the Museo Internazionale Delle Ceramiche in Faenza to get a look at some 17th century dishes. Here is one: https://www.micfaenza.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Piatto-Deruta-XVII-sec.-maiolica-1024x919.jpg
the ease of gathering all that food when all we've heard about is famine was surprising too and after so many images of starvation ... also for some reason this luxuirous meal felt dangerous, even threatening, like a last supper before disaster (but they do arrive safely, so my dread was needless -- I don't think even Don A. was afraid!)
Definite reminders of our reads of War and Peace, of the absence of carts and the urgency to flee! I loved Perpetua's plan: "to take him by the arm like a child, and drag him up a mountain." Abbondio is like Chicken Little while the women plan and do the work. It's interesting to contrast the Nameless One with Don Abbondio. The former has achieved a state of grace in his reformation and the latter remains a timid frightened man. Also interesting to contrast the NO's preparation of his castle for guests with the botched idea and execution the Lazaretto of the last chapter.
I also thought of the departure from Moscow in War and Peace, the details of packing up and fleeing etc., but also the difference in mood -- the comic mood here, the tragic mood in W&P. It made me curious whether Tolstoy had read Manzoni (as earlier I wondered about Dickens) but I couldn't find any evidence that he did.
On another note, I was especially struck by the commentary that follows the mention of the "peculiar relationship between Church and State" because it sounded so familiar in the contemporary American context, even in yesterday's news, not between Church and State but between [fill in your favorite candidates] -- "The two were often in conflict, though they never tried to destroy each other, and often lessened their hostilities toward one another through acts of appreciation and deference, sometimes working together to puruse a common goal without ever making peace."
As Michael said, “the Nameless One is indeed a changed man”. However, it’s hard to believe that those who have been subject to violence at the hands of the N.O. restrain and hold in check their hatred (despite Manzoni’s suggestion: “Even the most raw and passionate hatred seemed to be restrained and held in check by the public veneration of this penitent and charitable man”.) I also expect that it is only with his ill gained wealth that the N.O. is able to be charitable. A changed man but the public veneration must have some limits.
There was a mention of the N.O.'s reparations, financial I assume. I wondered how he could afford to keep his castle while making reparations for his very numerous crimes.
When I first read about The Nameless One's conversion, I thought he was getting off more easily than he would nowadays, when he would be sent to jail for his numerous crimes. But the more I think about it, the better his penitence and acts of restitution seemed to me to be, and worth more to those who had been terrorized by him, than going to jail would have been.
He was more changed than Don Abbondio ever could be, though maybe it was easier for the Nameless One to be generous. One, he still had the means, and two, he had the motive to repay others. He was under no illusions that his sins were little or not worth much, unlike don A.
I assume that in due course the German army will wreak more destruction than through looting--they will bring the plague. This gallows humor from Chapter 28 made me laugh out loud, especially considering our society's recent experience and similar reactions: "But it was impossible to make the president of the [health] tribunal understand the need for such an order. 'He was a good-hearted man,' wrote Tadino, 'who could not believe that so many thousands of people would meet their deaths through commerce with these people and their goods.' I cite this as one of the most remarkable passages of that time. As long as there have been commissions of health, there has never been a president who has made a similar argument, if indeed we can call it an argument."
Parts of this chapter are quite comic operatic in some ways, with the two women and Don A. preparing to evacuate the house, reinforced by Manzoni's use of 'quickly quickly' and 'slowly slowly'. I liked Don A complaining that the Duke of Nevers could have stayed in France and amused himself by playing the Prince, but no, he wanted to be Duke of Mantua. Francesco Gorin's original illustration captures the lazy Don A and the two busy women.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/I_promessi_sposi_356.jpg
The contrast between Don A and the Nameless One is striking. The former is still his complaining fearful self, even after his apparent reformation during his encounter with the Cardinal. The Nameless One's genuine transformation after his encounter with the Cardinal is confirmed by his even greater presence and bearing, the primary sign being "the absence of all fear in him" (la noncuranza d’ogni pericolo). The priest is still self-focused and is unable to really care about others, while the Nameless one is able to forget about himself in his service to those in need.
“In those days, there was a peculiar relationship between Church and State”, is a concise description of Manzoni's satire on both of those institutions.
I love the details of this little "potluck" -- the roasted chestnuts, the peaches, the figs, eaten with linen, majolica, and silver! It is exactly the respite we all need at this moment in the story. I took a virtual visit to the Museo Internazionale Delle Ceramiche in Faenza to get a look at some 17th century dishes. Here is one: https://www.micfaenza.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Piatto-Deruta-XVII-sec.-maiolica-1024x919.jpg
the ease of gathering all that food when all we've heard about is famine was surprising too and after so many images of starvation ... also for some reason this luxuirous meal felt dangerous, even threatening, like a last supper before disaster (but they do arrive safely, so my dread was needless -- I don't think even Don A. was afraid!)
Definite reminders of our reads of War and Peace, of the absence of carts and the urgency to flee! I loved Perpetua's plan: "to take him by the arm like a child, and drag him up a mountain." Abbondio is like Chicken Little while the women plan and do the work. It's interesting to contrast the Nameless One with Don Abbondio. The former has achieved a state of grace in his reformation and the latter remains a timid frightened man. Also interesting to contrast the NO's preparation of his castle for guests with the botched idea and execution the Lazaretto of the last chapter.
I also thought of the departure from Moscow in War and Peace, the details of packing up and fleeing etc., but also the difference in mood -- the comic mood here, the tragic mood in W&P. It made me curious whether Tolstoy had read Manzoni (as earlier I wondered about Dickens) but I couldn't find any evidence that he did.
On another note, I was especially struck by the commentary that follows the mention of the "peculiar relationship between Church and State" because it sounded so familiar in the contemporary American context, even in yesterday's news, not between Church and State but between [fill in your favorite candidates] -- "The two were often in conflict, though they never tried to destroy each other, and often lessened their hostilities toward one another through acts of appreciation and deference, sometimes working together to puruse a common goal without ever making peace."
As Michael said, “the Nameless One is indeed a changed man”. However, it’s hard to believe that those who have been subject to violence at the hands of the N.O. restrain and hold in check their hatred (despite Manzoni’s suggestion: “Even the most raw and passionate hatred seemed to be restrained and held in check by the public veneration of this penitent and charitable man”.) I also expect that it is only with his ill gained wealth that the N.O. is able to be charitable. A changed man but the public veneration must have some limits.
There was a mention of the N.O.'s reparations, financial I assume. I wondered how he could afford to keep his castle while making reparations for his very numerous crimes.
he probably owned land and received a steady income from it
When I first read about The Nameless One's conversion, I thought he was getting off more easily than he would nowadays, when he would be sent to jail for his numerous crimes. But the more I think about it, the better his penitence and acts of restitution seemed to me to be, and worth more to those who had been terrorized by him, than going to jail would have been.
He was more changed than Don Abbondio ever could be, though maybe it was easier for the Nameless One to be generous. One, he still had the means, and two, he had the motive to repay others. He was under no illusions that his sins were little or not worth much, unlike don A.
I assume that in due course the German army will wreak more destruction than through looting--they will bring the plague. This gallows humor from Chapter 28 made me laugh out loud, especially considering our society's recent experience and similar reactions: "But it was impossible to make the president of the [health] tribunal understand the need for such an order. 'He was a good-hearted man,' wrote Tadino, 'who could not believe that so many thousands of people would meet their deaths through commerce with these people and their goods.' I cite this as one of the most remarkable passages of that time. As long as there have been commissions of health, there has never been a president who has made a similar argument, if indeed we can call it an argument."