The Late Mattia Pascal (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
At a glance:
- Author: Luigi Pirandello
- First Published: 1904
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Psychological realism
- Time of Work: Early twentieth century
- Setting: Italy
- Genres: Long fiction, Psychological fiction
- Subjects: Love or romance, Suicide, Twentieth century, Marriage, Mistaken or secret identity, Jealousy, envy, or resentment, Pregnancy, Adultery, Illegitimacy, Theft, Italy or Italians
- Locales: Italy
Characters Discussed
Mattia Pascal (maht-TEE-ah PAHS-kahl), a young Italian who undergoes the experience of living two different lives. Forced into an unhappy marriage with Romilda Pescatore, he flees on impulse and in Monte Carlo makes a sizable coup at the gaming tables. On his way home, he hears that the body of a dead man has been identified by his wife as his own. Thus he is free to become another man, and he decides that this man will be called Adriano Meis (ahd- REE-ah-noh mayees). A large portion of the novel concerns the failure of “Adriano” to achieve a sense of...
[The entire page is 633 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
See Also
