Chapter 13: Delirium

1
Chapter 13 Delirium

• Summary
• Pelagia and her father, Dr. Iannis, return from
  the All Saints feast. Both are drunk. The Doctor
  falls fast asleep, while Pelagia remains awake,
  thinking over and over the fact that Mandras has
  proposed to him. She has sweet dreams about his
  dearly beloved, however, a looming doubt appears
  Was she really in love? If she was to be married,
  would Mandras make a good husband? She analyses
  marriage in her village, and decides that it is
  one of the most important steps in life, apart
  from having children.
• The next morning she gives herself chores nearby
  the road that takes to her house as to see
  Mandras as soon as he approached. However, he
  does not appear at all, to the unrest of the
  young ladys soul. She finds Lemoni, a small girl
  of six, who plays in the forest. She has a brief
  conversation with her, and, later returns to her
  home. She finds her father and talk about her
  possible marriage. He tells her that Mandras is
  still too young and is not as skilled as she is.
  They talk about possibly moving to another
  country, but soon drop this issue to talk about
  the breaking war. Dr. Iannis gives her daughter
  as gun to defend herself whenever she is
  threatened. She keeps it under her pillow.
• The next day Mandras is still not seen, and
  Pelagias despair grows, as she tells herself
  that Mandras is cruel. On the third day after the
  feast, Pelagia goes down to the sea. She thinks
  Mandras deserves to be put in the same sentence
  as dictators, because of his indifference. She
  finds a naked fisherman in the sea. She is
  hypnotised by this figure. She then finds out is
  Mandras. She is perplexed by his beauty, and
  feels fortunate to see what is hers before the
  marriage. She compares her fiancé with a sea
  nymph, and remembers a myth that tells that
  watching sea nymphs drove women to delirium.
  Mandras is feeding three dolphins. Pelagia
  returns home, waiting for Mandras, who finally
  appears. He brings fish to her. He excuses
  himself for not coming before because in the
  first day he was sick, and the next day he had to
  go to Argostoli. He confesses to his love that
  he is going out to war, and she cries and tells
  him to decline. They embrace, as Pelagia thinks
  that watching sea nymphs not only bring delirium,
  but, at times, death.

2
Chapter 14 Grazzi

• Summary
• This chapter offers the view of the Italian
  ambassador to Greece on the events leading to the
  war. He begins his story by saying that he
  regrets the fact that people often lead
  themselves towards the disapproval of history,
  against his own will and nature. He tells us that
  he and general Mondini were uninformed by
  Mussolini, Ciano and Badoglio. The ambassador is
  much disconcerted with the position of his
  country, he feels embarrassed. He tells us that
  he kept attending parties and cocktails despite
  the fact that his country would be declaring war
  to Greece. In one occasion, He and Mondini were
  surprised by telegrams when they were in the
  middle of an opera. He feels cheated by his
  government and is concerned by what will happen
  to Greeks and fellow Italians in the country. The
  surprising thing in this chapter is that the
  ambassador, whose name is not revealed, is like
  confessing to the reader what his feelings were
  at the moment. This occurs especially during his
  interview with Prime Minister Metaxas.
• Metaxas receives the ambassador. The Greek
  minister is worn out and is described as a little
  man, who was feeble and exhausted. The ambassador
  almost felt sorry for him. Their dialogue is in
  French. The ambassador gives the ultimatum to let
  Italian troops into strategic points in Greece,
  or else be invaded. They both know the last
  command will be done. The ambassador is almost
  moved by the courage displayed by the minister.
  He refers this to be Greeces finest hour, and
  the most dishonourable one of Italy. He finishes
  by saying There it is. I hope you are
  satisfied.

3
Chapter 15 LOmmosessuale (4)

• Summary
• Carlo Guercio talks about the terrible hardships
  Italian soldiers had to endure during their
  initial campaign in Greece. He and Francesco felt
  mutual isolation and everyone felt sad at the
  front because they had just started a war. They
  received medals for their actions, but Carlo
  still felt betrayed by the Italian army. The only
  reason he remained a soldier was because of his
  love to Francesco. Carlo and Francesco were given
  a week to train a hundred Albanians, to their
  consternation and disbelief. Carlo mocks about
  the simplicity and dumbness of his subordinates.
  The war finally broke out as Italians dressed as
  Greeks, as to have an excuse for Italian
  aggression destroyed more Italian posts.
• Then Carlo starts his journal about what happened
  during the first days of the invasion. The
  Italians are hopeful, sing hymns, and say they
  will be in Athens in two weeks. However, the
  weather gets cold and it rains. They are soaked
  and their advance is slower. There is still no
  attack from the Greeks and Carlo wonders if they
  had chickened out. He complains about puttees.
  The landscape becomes mountainous and the
  conditions worsen. Francesco says Athens in two
  months. On November 1st, the Greeks kill their
  corporal and bomb their position. It was a trap.
  Desperation spreads. Francesco now says Athens
  in two years. Italian troops now eat their dead
  horses. Their supply lines have been cut off.
  Their situation is unbearable and start the
  retreat to Konitsa. Carlo curses Mussolini and
  calls him an incandescent fart. They return to
  their starting point having lost a fifth of their
  10,000 squad. Although they are praised for their
  bravery as being from marble, Francesco asks if
  marble in the Golgotha (the hill where Christ was
  crucified) bleeds, with the sorrow and
  near-madness of the defeated army.

4
Chapter 16 Letters to Mandras at the front

• Summary
• In this chapter, Pelagia writes three letters to
  Mandras at the front.
• In the first one, the girl is deeply concerned
  about Mandras not answering back her letters. She
  feels hopeless with each passing day and no
  answer. She asks if he is not nostalgic about her
  and the sea and the dolphins. She tells him that
  they are running short of some things like
  kerosene or flour because of the war. She
  comments on how desolated is the village without
  the young men and is terrified at the thought of
  losing him. She tells him about the gun her
  father gave her. She has been going to Church
  quite a lot. She talks about how the British are
  the greatest empire the world has seen and how
  they will help Greece win the war. She even
  despises the US, France and Russia. She feels
  Greece will win the war because of the good news
  coming from the front. She tells everyone praises
  Metaxas great leadership and valour. Her father
  offered to be a doctor at the front, but was
  turned down because he was an illegal doctor with
  no papers. She comments about the fortune
  telling going on since the outbreak of war and
  what has happened to Italians in Greece. She says
  that Psipsina and the goat are well, and she has
  started her dowry. She has begun to crochet the
  cover for their bed and a waistcoat for him. She
  is concerned about the Italian bombing of Corfu
  and that he has not written to his mother, as
  well. She tells him to write to her because his
  mother is suffering from his absence. Their
  Christmas was sad and poor. She finishes the
  letter by expressing her love. She says that
  Mandras absence is as though she has lost a limb.
• The second letter is shorter. Mandras has yet to
  write. It is St. Basils Day. She received a book
  of poetry from her father. She gave him a clasp
  knife. She has restarted the bedcover because she
  has done it wrong. She does not know what has
  happened to her recently. She talks about
  Greeces success at the front and the concern
  over the bad health of Metaxas. She comments on
  the new war poster of the Virgin helping a Greek
  soldier. Dr. Iannis has made his moustache larger
  to feel more patriotic. She finishes by
  suggesting Mandras to write to his mother.
• The third letter is even shorter. She expresses
  her uncertainty over the lack of answer from her
  love. She tells Mandras that her neighbour
  Kokolios has lost two sons and her father has
  shaved off his moustache because he thinks it is
  similar to Hitlers. Everyone is saddened by
  Metaxas death, but are sure Papagos will lead
  them to victory. Easter will be meagre as they do
  not have any of the usual ingredients of this
  feast. She says that the bedcover was dirtied by
  Psipsina and half-eaten by the goat, so it had to
  be unpicked again. She hopes him the best of luck
  and to remain cheerful.