Zorba the Greek (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
At a glance:
- Author: Nikos Kazantzakis
- First Published: 1946
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Psychological realism
- Time of Work: Mid-twentieth century
- Setting: Crete
- Genres: Long fiction, Psychological fiction
- Subjects: Love or romance, Sex or sexuality, Twentieth century, Europe or Europeans, Marriage, Prostitution or prostitutes, Mines, miners, or mining, Widows or widowers, Life, philosophy of, Greece or Greek people, Peasantry or peasants, Aging
- Locales: Crete
Characters Discussed
Zorba, the central figure of the novel. He is about sixty years old but feels that, ironically, his desires becomes more pronounced as he grows older. When he goes to the city to buy tree-harvesting equipment, he easily becomes sidetracked and spends most of his boss’s money on women and wine. He has a huge appetite for earthly pleasures. He is loud, crude, and larger than life. He believes in the primacy of the senses over moral and intellectual faculties. His pagan theology is rooted in nature and his own senses. He carries his senturi—the...
[The entire page is 974 words long]
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