Summary
Luigi Pirandello's novel, The Late Mattia Pascal, delves into the complexities of identity and fate through the life of its titular character. Set in early twentieth-century Italy, it explores themes of deception, societal constructs, and the existential dilemmas of contemporary man. Through Mattia's journey, Pirandello crafts a narrative that challenges the boundaries of selfhood and the constructs that define our reality.
Background and Characters
Published in 1904, this novel is a quintessential example of psychological realism, set against the backdrop of Italy in the early 1900s. The story revolves around Mattia Pascal, a young Italian whose life is intertwined with his brother Roberto, his wife Romilda Pescatore, the deceitful estate manager Malagna, and Adriana, a girl infatuated with Mattia.
Plot Overview
Mattia Pascal and his brother were raised by their affluent widowed mother, who entrusted all financial matters to Malagna, a fraudulent manager. Over time, Malagna siphoned off the family's wealth, leaving only debts and foreclosed properties in his wake. Although it was glaringly obvious to everyone else, Mrs. Pascal remained oblivious to Malagna's deceit, enabling him to gradually strip them of their inheritance.
In his youth, Mattia fell for the beautiful Romilda Pescatore. However, their romance was complicated by Malagna's interest in Romilda, hoping she could provide him with an heir. Romilda's manipulative mother seized this opportunity to secure a better life for her daughter by encouraging her to pass off her pregnancy as Malagna's, banking on his desperation for an heir to secure their financial future.
Unraveling Truths and Relationships
Romilda, however, confided the truth to Malagna, which led to unintended consequences. Malagna's wife, upon learning about the affair through Mattia, sought revenge by becoming pregnant by Mattia herself. Subsequently, Malagna disowned Romilda's child, gloating that the stolen Pascal fortune would now inadvertently benefit Mattia's offspring through his own wife.
The marriage between Mattia and Romilda was fraught with misery. Devoid of other options, they moved into Romilda's mother's decrepit dwelling after Malagna foreclosed on their last remaining property. Mattia's mother was eventually taken in by his sympathetic aunt, leaving Mattia and Romilda to endure the hardships inflicted by their domineering mother-in-law.
Fortune and Misfortune
Mattia's fortunes briefly turned when he secured a job as the caretaker of a municipal library, a role that afforded him ample leisure to read. Misfortune struck again with the sudden deaths of his mother and child. A small financial windfall from his brother, who had married wealthy, allowed Mattia some respite and the impulsive decision to flee to Monte Carlo, where he miraculously won and then lost a small fortune.
On his return journey, he encountered a newspaper article reporting his own death, a mistaken identity incident that arose after a body was found and identified as his. This twist of fate freed Mattia from his crippling debts and unhappy marriage, giving him a chance to start anew.
A New Identity
Embracing this opportunity, Mattia adopted a new identity as Adriano Meis, altering his appearance but for his distinctive crossed eye, which he masked with dark glasses. He settled into a solitary life of reading and contemplation in Rome, yet soon discovered the limitations of living without a past. His new existence barred him from enjoying simple pleasures, such as owning a dog or marrying Adriana, his landlord's daughter, without risking exposure and punishment for desertion.
Identity Crisis and Resolution
The theft of twelve thousand lire by his landlord’s son-in-law was the catalyst that forced Mattia to confront the unsustainable nature of his double life. Unable to report the crime without revealing his identity, suspicion fell upon him, even from Adriana....
(This entire section contains 897 words.)
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Left with no viable path forward, he staged the suicide of Adriano Meis, allowing Mattia Pascal to resurface, ostensibly as a free man.
Returning to his brother's home, Mattia discovered that Romilda had remarried and was living contentedly. Although legally her second marriage was void with his return, all parties preferred the current arrangement. Mattia forfeited his marital rights, choosing instead a quiet life in the village where he devoted himself to chronicling his extraordinary adventures, intended for publication posthumously.
Critical Interpretation
While Luigi Pirandello is known globally for his dramatic works, his novels, including The Late Mattia Pascal, receive considerable acclaim in Italy. Critics initially questioned the novel's plausibility, but Pirandello defended his creative liberties by referencing a similar real-life event and emphasizing the broader human truths explored in fictional narratives. He argued that art reflects the myriad possibilities within human experience, suggesting that today's imagination could become tomorrow's reality.
Pirandello's themes of identity, self-construction, and existential uncertainty resonate throughout Mattia's story. The "hole in the sky" and "lantern" metaphors illustrate the existential crises of modern man. Just as Orestes becomes Hamlet upon glimpsing a hole in the paper sky, Mattia grapples with the uncertainty and limitations imposed by societal constructs.
Themes and Symbols
The lantern represents societal and personal constraints, restricting individuals to a narrow view of life. In extinguishing the lanterns—discarding these limitations—one might perceive the vastness of life beyond imposed boundaries. Mattia's attempt to escape these constraints ultimately fails, as his new life in Rome mirrors his past.
Upon returning home, Mattia encounters irrevocable changes; while he sought to escape time and change, others moved forward. His adaptation to his new reality as "the late Mattia Pascal" reflects Pirandello's vision of life's fluidity and the continuous shaping of identity by external forces.
