In the late 1800s the unification occurred at the same time that Germany was united. This unification shocked all the other states on the continent and brought Sardinia, Piedmont and the Italians together, forever changing their lives. The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa describes Italian unification in the same way that Germany did. The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa was first published in 1958. It is a novel that follows the journey of an Italian prince through the unification of Italy. The leopard represents one of nine states in old Italy. The text provides a brilliant depiction of the warlike revolution that shook the ancient ways of Italy. It shows how the nobles did their best to resist and were unaware of its consequences. The Leopard makes use of brilliant history in order to reveal three crucial moments in the unification process of this historical state. The reader will be able to identify the absence of any indication that unification might occur, as well as the movement and revolution which spread throughout the state.
The Leopard reflects the suffering of nobles except those who led the unification in Piedmont through Don Fabrizio and his family. However, Lampedusa reveals a generalization about the unification, which is that Italy wasn’t destined to go through this process. While the nobles were a major factor in preventing the unification of Italy from happening, other factors included the desire of Austria-Hungary to maintain the separation of power and the regional cultural differences. Don Colagero’s statement in Donnafugata reveals the unpredictability of Italy in terms of its unification. “(Till ) I came, we’d all been unlucky, buried down in the provinces – and without distinction. But I have my documents in order. One day, your nephew will be married to the Baronessina. Although he doesn’t agree with the system, he believes that it will be difficult to overcome. It is one of the reasons why there was no unification predicted in Italy during late 1800s. Don Fabrizio reflects, earlier, on the class systems that are unpredictably being destroyed. Don Fabrizio doesn’t even accept his Italian heritage, and despite the transition he acknowledges, the nobles of the provinces are still stuck. In the last scene, the prince’s introduction to revolutionary ways is met with shock. When the author speaks of the prince, we can see that the prince feels humiliated. “The only thing he saw as his merit was being the uncle of Tancredi, who was protected by Russo and his friends” (Lampedusa). Lampedusa does not only reflect the unification that occurred, but also the fact that it was unexpected. Unification of Italy did not happen because there was no atmosphere that predicted it. Several other characteristics of revolution were present.
In the next characteristic, we see that Italy’s unification was achieved through a single force. It spread across the country like a plague, and Don Fabrizio, as described in the text, is part of this movement. Around the same time, this continued result was seen in the unification of Germany. This spread is seen by the nobles in particular the nephew Fabrizio and also the general public in the text. When the author describes Fabrizio’s thoughts, we first notice the spread of this war-like unification and revolution process. The reader can compare the spread of the “dirty” wind and revolution from Sardinia to the other nine Italian states and the “new born” baby as the “victim” is the noble historical culture and province. The author uses an artistic metaphor to reflect the unification of the nation and the revolution that it spawned. It also reflects the spread of ideas and its influence among the public. Second, this theme is repeated throughout the Italian unification text, as Don Fabrizio recognizes the influence of Sardinia on the revolution that has reached his province. “Don Fabrizio shuddered.” When would she choose to give a more permanent appointment, away from blood and carcasses, in the region of her perennial certainty, where there is no danger? This moment in the text shows him the impact of the main unifying region within his kingdom, even though he wants to shield his province from it. Final moment of classification for the Italian unification era is the following: “(The blow to his dignity dealt by the dad’s tailcoat) was now repeated in the daughter’s eyes” (Lampedusa). In this moment in Donnafugata, the guests and the new governmental figures arrive as guest to Fabrizio’s abode and it is clear, in his reaction, the wave of revolution and the new culture of the unifying power has expanded, reflecting this overall characteristic of the era of Italian unification; however, despite becoming a characteristic of the revolution like the prior unpredictable-of-the-revolution statutes of the states and this single unifying and highly influential status of the power of the primary force, Sardinia, one more common characteristic during this period was the fact that unification occurred through the force of warfare, not mutual agreement.
The Leopard portrays Don Fabrizio as the sole force behind the unification, and this was supported by the entire kingdom of Sardinia. Sardinia’s primary unifier chose warfare over diplomatic methods, which had been used before in other states. Don Fabrizio reflects on the war process when he says, “Sleep is what Sicilians are looking for, my dear Chevalley. They will always be hostile to anyone who wakes them up, even if it’s to give them the best of gifts.” (Lampedusa 177-88). Like the metaphor for the newborn, this metaphor reflects the Sicilians’ awakening by the military forces and warfare which is driving the revolution. Don Fabrizio uses the violent, war-like force to argue against the unification of Italy and the revolutionary movement. However, he still reflects the war-like states. Fabrizio then reflects more directly on this war-like state, saying, “Our sensuality, our spiced sherbets and our knifing is a desire for death, and our laziness is a desire for voluptuous inactivity, which is again death” (Lampedusa). We can see this military-like state through verbs such as “shooting and knifeing.” The war-like nature reflected in his thinking on human nature and natural conduct. Last but not least, another reference within the text reflects a warlike unification, as it states: “The prince’s soul reached for (the stars), to the intangible which was unattainable and gave joy with no claim on anything” (Lampedusa). In the text, language is used to portray a scene and narrate Don, Prince Fabrizio’s life. This shows that the unification was a war-like process. In all parts of the text we can see that the historical movement was characterized by a warlike process.
The Leopard’s writing by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa appears to be a historically correct novel about the Italian unification, but it is more when viewed critically. As we have discussed, this text depicts several characteristics that were present during the time of unification in Italy. They are very similar to what was happening with the German unification. The Leopard’s text may not have intended to be used for educational purposes, but through its reflection on Don Fabrizio’s family and the events of the past, it provides a unique insight into this historical era.
