War - Pirandello
War - Pirandello
War - Pirandello
By Luigi Pirandello
QUIZ
1. At which station did the night express stop?
2. How old is the son of the couple? 3. Paternal love is not like _____________.
ANSWERS
1. Fabriano
6. Sulmona
2. 20 years old
3. Bread 4. Two missing front teeth
7. Fat
8. Red-faced 9. With bloodshot eyes
5. 7
Luigi Pirandello spent his early education at home, where he grew a fascination for fables and fairytales and by the age of 12, wrote his very first play. In 1887, he moved to Rome after being accepted by the Department of Letters but later moved to the University of Bonn after having an argument with one of his Professors In March 1891 he received his Doctorate in Romance Philology
He married Antonietta Portulano in 1894 and later had two sons (Stefano and Fausto) and a daughter (Lietta)
Stefano volunteered for service during World War I only to be taken captive by the Austrians, but he was able to return after the war ended. For many works such as Henry IV and War, his "bold and brilliant renovation of the drama and the stage" awarded him the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1934 Pirandello was also nominated Academic of Italy in 1929 Pirandello died on 10 December 1936 at his home in Rome.
The couple (a tiny man and bulky woman) grieving as their only son has been sent to war
Five other passengers, including: a person whose son was sent on the first day of war
a person whose two sons and three nephews were sent to the front
a fat red-faced man who at first, denied sadness from his son being sent to the war a woman who helps to pull down the collar from the womans coat and asks: Are you alright, dear?
Tone: Ironic
The passengers despite mourning for each of their children or loved ones sent to war, tried to prove that their losses are greater than the others. After the fat man gives his speech, the ones mourning for their childrens death congratulate him for his sons sacrifice. The fat man who at first seemed to be the most steadfast character and claims that he is not grieved by his son being sent to war, in the end, is the one who breaks out in tears.
Mood: Sombre
*dismal; melancholy; dim, gloomy, or shadowy
The setting of the Night Express
Style:
The words used were simple and the story itself is very short- but nonetheless achieved to tackle many issues that come with war, such as death, social responsibility and grief of those orphaned by loved ones
Alliteration
in a stuffy and smoky second-class carriage
Irony
And our sons go (die), when they are twenty, and they dont want tears if they die, they die inflamed and happy.
Metonymy
Now at our age, the love of our Country is still great, of course, but stronger than it is the love of our children.
Metaphor
his face death-white
Analogy
puffing and moaning
Train Carriage -a symbol of power and status Smoke -confusion and anxiety Passengers -having little control over ones life to please others Missing Teeth -represents emotional struggle and lack of support -denial of a certain problems depth and its implications Coat -protectiveness of ones self, defense or isolation
Crying - To see someone else crying in your dream, may be a projection of your own feelings onto someone else. If you do not cry in your waking life, then seeing someone else cry may be a little easier to deal with then seeing yourself cry. Handkerchief -symbolizes tears and sadness -To see or use a handkerchief in your dream indicates that you will be disgraced or embarrassed in some way while a used or soiled handkerchief symbolizes severed relationships. Pocket -symbolizes secrets
Five -represents persuasiveness, spontaneity, boldness, daring nature, action, and humanity -represents the five human senses and thus may be telling you to be more "sensitive" to reflect a change in a path or to alter a course Small Man
-symbolizes powerlessness
Large Woman -motherly feelings, child-like needs Fat Person - extra weight may signify defense against the feelings of anxiety and inadequacy
- the color red in your dream indicates a lack of energy. You are feeling tired or lethargic.
Humans believe what they want to believe, and will often resort to silencing others to strengthen their own beliefs.
Defense Mechanism
These are psychological strategies brought into play by the unconscious mind to manipulate, deny, or distort reality in order to defend against feelings of anxiety
Humans are driven towards tension reduction, in order to reduce feelings of anxiety.
Healthy persons normally use different defences throughout life.
The purpose of these mechanisms is to protect the mind/self/ego from anxiety and/or to provide a refuge from a situation with which one cannot currently cope.
Anxiety
An aversive inner state that people seek to avoid or escape. Acts as a signal to the ego that things are not going right.
Neurotic anxiety - results from the ego feeling overwhelmed by the id, which threatens to express its irrationality in thoughts and behavior
Moral Anxiety - results from fear of violating moral or societal codes Responses to anxiety Problem solving efforts are increased Defense mechanisms are triggered
Defense Mechanisms
Repression
Most basic and common defense mechanism Subconsciously hiding thoughts and forgetting traumatic events have happened Can prevent unpleasant thoughts from becoming conscious Sometimes, only a small piece of information or memory is forgotten
Reaction Formation
Rationalization
A defense mechanism that involves explaining an unacceptable behavior or feeling in a rational or logical manner Explanation is made consciously tolerable or even admirable and superior by plausible means If Country exists, if Country is a natural necessity, like bread, of which each of us must eat in order not to die of hunger, somebody must go to defend it.
Denial
People seem unable to face reality or admit an obvious truth Functions to protect the ego from things that the individual cannot cope with Requires a substantial investment of energy Because of this, other defenses are also used to keep these unacceptable feelings from consciousness
Denial
In many cases, there might be overwhelming evidence that something is true Yet the person will continue to deny its existence or truth because it is too uncomfortable to face
END