Reading Journal: Captain Corelli's Mandolin

“Love is a temporary madness, it erupts like volcanoes and then subsides."

Louis de Bernières

Title: Captain Corelli’s Mandolin
Author: Louis de Bernières

Publication Date: 1994
Genre: Historical/Romance

Contextual Information

Captain Corelli’s Mandolin is set on the Greek Island of Cephalonia during the Second World War and up to the 1990s. It covers many of the major historical movements and events from this period and considers how these may have effected and changed the way of life within the small Greek village which the novel focuses on.  Bernières explores the impact of Mussolini and Italian fascism both on Italy and on Greece and compares this to Hitler and the Nazis as both invaded and occupied Greece during WW2. They are portrayed very differently throughout the book, with the Italians being shown in a much better light than the German invaders even before they changed sides to fight with the Greeks and were slaughtered by the German army in September of 1943. Following the events of WW2, Bernières goes on to document the Greek civil war between the royalists (backed by Britain and America) and the communists who were eventually defeated in 1949 although the government remained unstable and unpopular for many years after.

Plot Summary

The novel begins prior to the Italian invasion of Greece and flits between the ranting of Mussolini, the Italian forces in Albania and life in a small Cephalonian village. Dr Iannis cures various ailments whilst attempting to write a History whilst his daughter Pelagia flirts with fisherman Mandras. Soon, however, their quiet village life is overshadowed by war as Mandras goes off to fight in Albania to return unrecognisable, Pelagia’s affection considerably dampened, and the Italian forces invade Cephalonia. Dr Iannis and his daughter are at first determined to hate the invaders, especially Captain Corelli who is billeted on them. But Pelagia soon grows to love the unconventional Captain and his mandolin despite her father’s warnings and the looming threat of German invasion. Now on the side of the Greeks, the Italians are forced to fight their previous allies but are all but slaughtered, Corelli only surviving due to the sacrifice of fellow soldier Carlo. Pelagia and her father treat the captain and manage to smuggle him off the island with the promise that he will return after the war. However it is many years and there are many more tragic developments, including an earthquake where Dr Iannis dies, before Pelagia and the captain are reunited in their old age.

Narrative

The main section of narrative in Bernières novel is written in the third person with an omniscient narrator. However, the chapters often focus on just one character and so are clearly concentrating on this particular person’s point of view and reaction to the events that take place. There are also several chapters written in first person which even more clearly offer the viewpoint of a single character, for example Carlo Guercio who details his experiences with the intention that they will be read after his death, presumably by Captain Corelli. This combination of narrative styles means that the reader gains a very wide perspective on the events as seen by various different characters and grows to better understand them because of how they respond differently to others in the novel.

Characters

There are five main characters in this novel, all of which present a different viewpoint on the events which take place. The central focus is on Pelagia and her father, Dr Iannis, who live through the war and subsequent events from the perspective of Greeks. They present, Pelagia in particular, the natural instinct to show hostility towards any invaders and the anger that arises once it is realised that this has reluctantly given way to love. Also, in following Pelagia’s life up to old age, Bernières uses her to illustrate how certain events can change you as a person. This links to the character of Mandras who is arguably the most changed throughout the book. He represents how experiences and expectations, particularly in war, can alter your behaviour and portrays the dangers of radical politics such as communism which he becomes indoctrinated by. In direct contrast, almost, to Mandras, Captain Corelli, the namesake of the book, doesn’t let the position he is in mar his personality. He is childlike in his sensitivity and love of children and animals despite his powerful position and this links to the ironic contrast between his joy in music, creation and life and the position he is in as an army Captain, trained in destruction.  Finally, the character of Carlo Guercio illustrates how love and bravery are inextricably interlinked and he is presented as a hero because of these character traits and not his great size or strength.

Themes

One of the key themes is heroism and the difference between it and barbarism. Corelli, Carlo and Dr Iannis are portrayed as heroes because their actions and bravery are motivated by love for others. Mandras, however, is undoubtedly brave but takes this to extremes, aiming to become a hero unlike those mentioned above who became them unwittingly. Throughout the novel he claims to be motivated by the thought of Pelagia and Greece but is actually fighting out of rage and misguided pride.

Love is clearly another major theme. Most obvious is the love between Pelagia and Captain Corelli, however the novel also explores many other forms of love such as Carlo’s hidden homosexuality, the parental love of Dr Iannis and later Pelagia, patriotic love, religious love and philia love (friendship) and how these impact the character’s lives.

Another theme is death and resurrection. Many things are seemingly lost throughout the novel including people (Mandras, Corelli), objects (the mandolin, Carlo’s papers) and ways of life (the earthquake destroys the village). Despite this, they all find ways to live on or return, for example Antonia and Iannis preserve the memory of those that previously owned their names. This constant cycle perfectly reflects how Cephalonia had to change and reinvent certain aspects of society throughout history, particularly in the period Bernières is exploring in this novel.

Finally, the theme of union and division is also very prominent.  For example WW2 is what both brings Pelagia and Corelli together and means that their union is so fraught with danger. Politics is also explored and Bernières uses Mandras to show just how destructive it can be in creating divisions as he loses both his mother Drousla, Pelagia and his home because of being indoctrinated into believing that a political union was more important.

Opinion and Connections

Overall, I really enjoyed this text. I liked how it incorporated a lot of historical context within the plot, giving many different viewpoints and emotions to events that are often just viewed factually. I also thought that the characters and settings were very colourful and liked the way that the balance of comedy and tragedy reflected real life and meant that the plot was not overly romanticised. However, because it contained so much historical content, it was hard to separate the facts from the fictional additions. Many of the characters mentioned were real figures, such as Mussolini, and the events true, such as the German slaughter of Italians on Cephalonia, and so it was sometimes difficult to distinguish between that and the things that were fictional.

I identified links between this book and Great Expectations by Charles Dickens as they both follow characters over quite an extended period of time and explore how age, events and the people you encounter can shape you as a person. Furthermore, the division of class for Pip is in some ways similar to the division between countries which Pelagia and Corelli have to overcome in order to be happy.