Stendahl Syndrome

There are several interesting literary references in The Garden of the Finzi-Continis that enrich the story. Certainly, it begins with a quote from the seminal 19th century Italian novel I Promessi Sposi:

“The heart, to be sure, always has something to say about what is to come, to him who heeds it. But what does the heart know? Only a little of what has already happened.”

This quote is given prominence in its position at the very beginning so it must be pretty relevant, right? What’s going on here?

The heart—one’s emotions—knows only a little of what has occurred. This suggests an unreliable narrator, I think. The unnamed narrator of the story is looking back at events that have “already happened” That which is to come in the quote also, I believe, refers to the past, the past that unfolds in the story. The heart/narrator formed many theories about what was to occur in his relationship with Micol but is mistaken. He was forever trying to establish an intimate relationship with her (perhaps ambivalently), assuming he just needed to do more to unlock her heart. But, looking back, he realizes his efforts were in vain.

The second reference begins on page 135 when the narrator, deep in his torment over Micol, picks up a book “at random” to distract himself, but cannot “concentrate.” The book is The Red and the Black by Stendahl, a story of an idealistic young man, whose ambition for success is finally derailed by his passion for a woman. It does not present a completely positive view of the effects of love on a young man, and so, we can grasp why the narrator might have trouble concentrating on it. Then on page 154, the narrator, visiting Grenoble in France—Stendahl’s birthplace, is heartened by reading a phrase in Stendahl’s notebooks, “all lost, nothing lost.” He writes, “Suddenly, as if by miracle, I felt myself free, healed.” (from his pain over Micol). My reading here is that Stendahl comforts the narrator by communicating that “all” may be lost, in the sense of his relationship with Micol, but that this is not the end of the world. It is “nothing” in a bigger picture.

A third writer referenced (of course, we must remember Micol’s dissertation on Emily Dickinson and the prescient quote cited last time), occurs on page 143. At the onset of the scene where the narrator visits Micol’s bedroom and attempts to seduce her, she offers him something to drink, and he replies, “I would prefer not to.” (drink something). Micol, a pretty savvy lady, bursts out laughing and says that the narrator has just quoted Herman Melville’s story, Bartleby the Scrivener. She explains the story to the narrator, how the character Bartleby sticks to doing his assigned job as copyist of legal documents but whenever asked to do something in addition, like running an errand, says, “I would prefer not to,” much to the consternation of his employer.

The narrator argues that Bartleby is wrong for being so obstinate, and Micol “reproached me, saying I didn’t understand, that I was banal, the same inveterate conformist.” She exalts Bartleby’s “unalienable right, which is every human being’s, to noncollaboration, that is to freedom.”

‘Kay.

With this reference, the story “fleshes out” the conflict between the narrator and Micol, just as the Stendahl references develop the narrator’s predicament. Micol is, indeed, the one who is saying “I would prefer not to” become more intimate with the narrator. She keeps to the limits of their relationship as defined—a close friendship, not expanding into physical intimacy. And so, she defends Bartleby.

A cynic might say (perhaps to get a laugh), why is Bassani including these literary references in his novel? Manzoni, Stendahl, Melville, and Dickinson? He’s just showing off, trying to show how cool he is for knowing this stuff (Bassani also references Morandi and Montale, which is pretty cool too. And I know who all these people are, so I’m pretty cool, right?).

(Silence)

Right?

My point, of course, is that all these references deepen the story. They also, speak to characterization, in that, we get a sense that the characters are educated and literate. Literary allusion is a useful tool, no?

Till next time.

#TheGardenoftheFinzi-Continis #Bassani #AlanBray