Captain Corelli’s Mandolin

Written by Louis de Bernières (1995)

Read in English

This book is special to me as it is probably the one I have reread the most over the years, discovering something new every time. This was also due to the fact that I learnt more about activism and feminism, and started reading the novel in that light. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin is set in the mid-20^th century, during the 2^nd World War, and is a historical romance with strong social commentary on the patriarchal society, the injustices and pointlessness of war, and our supposedly ‘modern’ world.

Spoilers ahead so go and read the novel if you haven’t done so already

Potential Trigger Warnings: mentions of sexual assault, violence, slurs against sex workers, mentions of homophobia (not in explicit detail), police brutality

The patriarchal society, which clearly still exists today in most places, is portrayed several times in this novel. Pelagia, however, openly defies this structure and its rules. She enters the ‘male space’ of the village, the καφενείο (kafeneion, cafeteria), carries a gun for self-defence, is ‘headstrong’, ‘intelligent’, doesn’t have a dowry and even wants to become a doctor, thus making her barely a woman in that society’s eyes – an ‘honorary man’. Years later, this still rings true for people all around the world. On the other hand, the novel does form part of the problematic romance genre (nothing has changed) since she is presented as a ‘spinster’ and unhappy for most of her life until Corelli returns to Cephallonia. How romantic. One of the most interesting parts of the novel is when Pelagia and Drosoula form a matriarchal household in which they bring up Antonia. Antonia’s marriage, though, to a much older man is just brushed off as an act of rebellion without a concern for the problematic power dynamics that often occur in real life.

*CW/TW for the next paragraph*

Mandras’s attempted r*pe of Pelagia is deeply disturbing and the description can be potentially triggering for some, so I won’t go into too much detail. One thing that must be noted is the fact that, in most texts, violence towards women is a recurring theme, which reflects the state of our society. Yes, we do see several men dying too due to the injustices of war, but it is men who start and prolong those wars, mainly due to aspects of toxic masculinity. ‘R*pes’ are causally mentioned throughout the text as a product of war with a coldness that is horrifying as, once again, it reflects our world. There is also a recurring theme of purity and innocence through the male gaze; we see this in Pelagia staying ‘pure’ until the end, the frequent use of the word ‘wh*re(s)’ and Carlos’ internalised homophobia of not being good enough for the world. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin could also be seen as a text about giving a voice to society’s ‘outcasts’ if it did not also partake in these prejudices: Antonio is exonerated for feeling disgusted by Carlos’s confession of homosexuality; Pelagia is not seen as a strong woman, but as an ‘honorary man’, whilst Drosoula (the other strong female character) is described is shunned for being ‘ugly’ and a foreigner; female characters are described physically to the point where it becomes uncomfortable to read; finally, we seem to be expected to feel some sympathy for Mandras when he dies, instead of hatred.

*end of CW/TW*

The narrator comments on the pointlessness of war several times throughout the novel. In this male-dominated world, we see how the Italians and Germans go from being allies to enemies, with a focus on the high number of deaths and violence amongst both the soldiers and the civilians. This is something we still see today with wars waged for no reason, promoting distrust and hatred of the unknown, raising racism in places where it is already rife. The topic of war refugees is only touched on in the text, but is also extremely relevant to the current political situation where governments, rather than being open and helpfully lending a hand to those in need, prefer to be isolationist, causing a rise of hate crimes, discrimination and racism. The text does portray the political leaders as incompetent, pompous and self-absorbed, so I would definitely feel comfortable arguing that a novel written around 25 years ago is still extremely relevant today.

*CW/TW for the next paragraph*

The concept of soldiers ‘just following orders’ is also mentioned in the text. This is a common (unjustifiable) argument that is often used to defend soldiers working in concentration and extermination camps during Nazi Germany, and is still shockingly said today. Police brutality, forces protecting alt-right white supremacists, and ICE officers separating children from parents* and keeping them in enclosed in cages, in concentration camps, have all been excused because of the fact that they are ‘just following orders’ and ‘it is their job’. This is ridiculous. History is repeating itself and many people are just casually watching it pass by, defending the oppressors.

*end of CW/TW*

Overall, this is a gripping novel that does seem to cover many issues that are still relevant today. However, we must remember the constant male gaze throughout the novel, despite the seemingly unopinionated narrator and the characters’ criticism of the patriarchy, and the references to violence against women throughout. The fact that Corelli reappears at the end can seem contrived and unnecessary; as Pelagia herself points out, he could have just approached her and asked about the baby instead of hiding away for years, massaging his wounded fragile male ego. Despite this, I do recommend reading Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. This use of literature to reflect society shows why reading is so essential for humanity and is one of the reasons why I decided to look at the world through books.

As I mentioned before, I love this text, even if it doesn’t seem like it. However, any book written up until now is going to portray, at the very least, the effects of the patriarchal, sexist society and all its injustices, even if it condemns them. Rather than being a criticism of the novel itself, this is an analysis of our society, both in the past and present, in the form of literary commentary. I am still learning, and my posts will most likely change with time. This is the first and last time I’ll include this disclaimer (of sorts).

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