Luigi Pirandello’s Wedding Night and Ciàula Discovers the Moon are short stories that show different aspects of human stories set up in varying settings. The first story, Wedding Night, focuses on the emotional complications in the relationship between parents and children, as well as the pressure of social stereotypes in a village in rural Sicily. In the second story, Ciàula Discovers the Moon; a character discovers the cruelty that is linked to the occupation of sulfur mining in nineteenth-century Sicily. However, the distinction lies in that all two novels capture an in-depth glimpse into the life of man, packed with the complexity of feelings and struggle. This essay focuses on the role of the moon as an element of symbolism in Wedding Night and Ciàula Discovers the Moon. Indeed, we will go into the themes, characters, symbols, figurative phrases, and cultural/ethical features to investigate how Pirandella uses this literary image to convey a more profound sense of things and generate emotions.
Common Themes and Motifs
Contraposingly, Wedding Night and Ciàula Discovers the Moon, the same themes repeat, which are crucial elements that make the stories. In Wedding Night, Pirandello’s story revolves around love and relationship conflicts under the context of marriage and family ties. The story has a good deal that uncovers the characters’ specificities, and besides, it ushers in the importance of the family to the point of their sacrifices. Mamm’Anto, visibly content, proudly shows her daughter’s wedding jewellery and thinks back at the difficulties she has gone through to get her daughter married and, with her eyes full of tears, stating, “I’ve worked so hard to have my way, and now I can die” (Pirandello)!” In a comparable fashion, Tommaso discovers that the theme of sacrifice and suffering also exist among the gruelling instances of sulfur mines in Discovering the Moon. Scarda’s tolerance for pain, both physically and emotionally, is evident as he finds calmness in his tears, which symbolizes his strength in spite of all hardships. He sinks in his soul and laments, gently whispering “Calicchio…”(Pirandello), revealing the eternal scar medicine of grief that I had borne.
Characters
In Wedding Night, Pirandello presents a cast of characters whose complexities drive the narrative forward. Mamm’Anto’ emerges as a resilient and self-sacrificing mother figure, epitomizing strength in the face of adversity. Her unwavering dedication to providing for her daughter is evident in her proud display of Marastella’s trousseau, showcasing her determination to secure a better future. Marastella, on the other hand, embodies vulnerability as she grapples with the conflicting demands of familial duty and personal desires. Torn between her mother’s wishes and her apprehensions about her impending marriage, Marastella navigates the complexities of love and obligation with a palpable sense of uncertainty. In Ciàula Discovers the Moon, Pirandello introduces characters whose experiences reflect the harsh realities of life in the sulfur mines. Uncle Scarda emerges as a poignant figure grappling with loss and resilience amidst the oppressive environment of the mines. His endurance of physical and emotional suffering is a testament to his strength of character, as he finds solace in his solitary moments (Pirandello). Ciàula, portrayed as an innocent and oppressed miner, seeks fleeting moments of solace amidst the harshness of his reality. His childlike wonder at discovering the moon reflects a yearning for escape from the confines of his existence, highlighting the innate desire for freedom and enlightenment even in the darkest of circumstances.
Figures of Speech
In The Wedding Night and Ciàula Discovers the Moon, the moon is a significant symbol. The symbol is used to add knowledge of characters and their souls, making their lives more profound and more meaningful. The moon is the symbol of tranquillity, equilibrium, and the cycle of time in the story Wedding Night, which shows how the evolution of the characters’ relationships cascades. The moon is shining and reflects on the whole sky as a sign of the new phase of life Marastella is seeking. Mamm’ Anto’ is about to describe the tremendous role that this instance played in her life, as she says, “The sun was setting, and the sky was all red, in flames, and the sea below looked molten” (Pirandello). Just like that, there is also the moon in Ciåla Discovers the Moon, which is a symbol of freedom, knowledge, and aspiration to have an opportunity to build a better life under the tyranny of the mines. Athanasius’s encounter with the moon gives him a feeling of wonder and homesickness, which can be regarded as a substitute for his push to be free from the bonds of his present life. As he looks at the moon and recalls the words of Pirandello, he writes, “The moon had risen and was hanging there in the sky, huge and round and white” (Pirandello); by this quote, he captures the contrast between the beauty beyond the earth like the moon and the darkness all around him. Pirandello expresses the via imagery and symbolic vibrations of the characters facing difficulties there is the hope and longing going on.
Cultural and Ethical Features
Pirandello’s short stories touch upon the cultural and ethical intricacies of their surroundings, revealing the standing of society and casting moral dilemmas. Through the play Wedding Night, Pirandello focuses on the traditional gender roles and societal pressure that is dominant in the rural community. Through the characters’ interactions, the tale emphasizes the role of women in family matters, particularly marriage arrangements. Mamm’Anto’s ostentatious display of her daughter’s wedding chest suggests the social predominance of matrimony and housekeeping, as she states, “Poor folks’ things, but clean” (Pirandello). In addition to this, the ethical question of individual autonomy against familial duty is also at stake, as Marastella struggles with her desires brought by societal pressure. Ciàula Discovers the Moon focuses on class differences and the evil use of labourers in a mining settlement, too. The playwright Pirandello reveals tragic conditions that Ciàula, an employee, has to bear, such as physical and emotional torments in the mines of sulfur. Scarda’s uncle’s resilience in the face of adversity raises issues underlying workers’ treatment and the importance of human life. When old Scarda ponders his dead son, Pirandello writes, “Calicchio…” (Pirandello), thus highlighting the awful dexterity and subsequent moral awareness of society that have blotched itself with the exploitation of workers. The antics that Pirandello portrays challenge readers to examine the social ethics and values deep within their societies.
Comparison of Moon Imagery
The moon appears in Wedding Night as a symbol of hope and romantic imagination in the midst of family disputes. For Pirandello, the celestial imagery of the moon is a symbol of optimism and a new start, and it tries to affirm Marastella’s truth while dealing with difficulties with love and duty. The moon, by its presence, brightens the dark sky, baptizing the characters’ lives with iridescent light and creating a feeling of love and chance. However, in Ciàua Finds the Moon, the moon embodies the clandestine dream of liberation and has a contrary meaning because of the dark abyss of the sulfur mine. Pirandello sets up a metaphor about the beauty of the moon over the hard life Ciàula has to deal with, thereby showing the distinction between light and darkness. Ciàula’s look up at the moon with the light from the mine as a sign of the hope that appears in the dead surroundings reminds him of his longing for freedom and enlightenment (Pirandello). Via the contrast of moon pictures in both stories by Pirandello, he brings forth the inspiring force of feeling assurance and longing in the hardships. The audience is, thus, encouraged to think deeply about how humans use those feelings to transform and be free.
Conclusion
Through the process of analyzing the moons as symbols and their thematic relation in Luigi Pirandello’s Wedding Night and Ciàula Discovers the Moon,” the essay has demonstrated the use of moon symbolism in both narratives. By using the moon as a means to symbolize hope, longing, and freedom in spite of pain, Pirandello manages to picture these concepts in a single image. On the other hand, regardless of whether the moon symbolizes romantic idealism and conflicted opinions on the evening night of the wedding night, the moon in Ciàula Discovers the moon stands for the longing for freedom and the excitement in the oppressive sulfur mine darkness. These two ways of portraying things have the joint effect of illustrating people can make positive changes in spite of the adversities they face in life. Pirandello’s works provide us with a deep-rooted understanding of our experience as humanity, making us think about the questions of love and sacrifice as well as social expectations. Transformed by symbols of the moon, as stated by the author, readers can think about how freedom and enlightenment can be obtained even under severe hardship in life.
Works Cited
Pirandello, Luigi. “Wedding Night” (“Prima notte”), tr. Steve Eaton. In Stories for a Year, eds. Lisa Sarti and Michael Subialka, Digital Edition, www.pirandellointranslation.org, 2021.
Pirandello, Luigi. “Ciàula Discovers the Moon” (“Ciàula scopre la luna”), tr. Howard Curtis Stories for a Year, eds. Lisa Sarti and Michael Subialka, Digital Edition, www.pirandellointranslation.org, 2023.
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