Italian writer Alberto Moravia became famous at the age of 22 with the continent's first existentialist novel, The Indifferent Man.
The novel was published at the author's own expense, sold out as soon as it was released, and was reprinted several times. While being enthusiastically pursued by the majority of readers, it has also been repeatedly listed as a banned book by the authorities, which can be described as several ups and downs.
The novel depicts a family of three: the mother Razia, the daughter Carla, the son Michelet, and the mother's lover Leo, the mother's girlfriend and love rival Lisa, the five people are both dark and chaotic.
Mother Razia was both incompetent and stupid. This fallen aristocratic woman, who gave the money and the villa to her lover Leo, knew nothing about the economic situation. Trapped in their own feelings all day long, they can't extricate themselves. In a mood of jealousy and resentment, she is silent about the fact that her lover has usurped her property and abandoned her.
Daughter Carla, a beautiful 24-year-old girl, is so tired of this terrible life that she can't escape. The only way she could start a new life was to dedicate herself to her mother's lover, Leo.
Son Michelet was the only one awake. He understood Leo's attempt to deceive his mother and to usurp the property and force them into a desperate situation. His heart was indignant, and he repeatedly took action. But the cowardly nature eventually triumphed over the inner sense of resistance and shook hands with his mother's lover.
Leo, the despicable character who plays the role of a mother and daughter as a double lover, has devised one conspiracy after another, but on the surface he pretends to be a polite gentleman, a kind and kind "loving father", intending to make both money and wealth.
There is also a character, Lisa, who is also a ridiculous character, who is both Leo's former lover and the girlfriend of her mother Razia, and is still single-mindedly pursuing Razia's son Michela, wanting the young lad to become her lover.
Everyone lives a life they don't want, but they can't help themselves. Disgusted with the facts seen, but indifferent on the surface.
1. The inner monologue of the protagonist, which is often the complete opposite of the real actual action, is classic existentialism.
The existentialist novel is a type of Western modernist novel that originated in Denmark and flourished in France. Most novels depict an obnoxious and absurd world in which melancholy, helpless and superfluous characters live.
In "The Indifferent Man", there are large sections of inner monologues of characters and extremely detailed character psychological descriptions. These depictions, even make people feel that they are scenes that take place in the real world, the process that the characters have gone through.
However, the real situation is that the words spoken and done by the character are often completely opposite to what he thinks in his head, or even contrary to what he thinks.
For example, Michelet learned from Leo's property manager that their villa was about to be handed over to Leo to pay off the pawn's arrears, and the family had to leave the residence to live elsewhere, and they were furious.
"He tried to pretend to be cold and angry, but he only felt cold."
He thought about talking to Leo right away, or arguing, or scolding. But when Leo interrupted him and asked for something more to come, all he said was "Do as you please." ”
The daughter was disgusted and helpless at what her mother had done, and his heart was filled with anger when he saw her mother begging Leo to delay the deadline for repaying the money in the name of her marriage. I want to shout to my mother: "With this guy always staying in our house, and you are such a virtuous person, who else can I marry?" But what she said was, "Don't get me involved, Mom, it's all about me, I don't want to get involved."
The indifference of human nature is vividly expressed in the novel.
2. Absurd life originates from indifferent human nature, superficial peace, can not hide the inner dirty.
Her mother, Razia, snatched her lover Leo from her girlfriend Lisa when she was young. And he gave all his money and property to Leo to deal with.
Leo, who has been her lover for more than ten years, calculates everything about her. The purpose of paying the villa pawn for her is to get this valuable villa into her own hands.
When Razia is overwhelmed by emotion and announces that she wants to auction the villa to raise money, Leo is afraid that the Razia family knows the true value of the villa, so he tries to obstruct it.
Her mother, Razia, was accustomed to aristocratic life and was terrified of the poverty she was about to face. She envied the rich in luxury cars and despised ordinary people who earned their lives with their hands.
She would rather believe all the lies of her lover Leo than take care of her own property herself. He even obstructed his son who told the truth, forcing him to apologize to his lover. This is a stupid woman who is carried away by so-called love.
And everything that the mother and lover do, the son and daughter see in their eyes, but never say. They resent this dirty feeling, but they can't do anything about their mother's behavior. Their dark, decaying lives drift with the flow, thinking of escaping while settling for the status quo.
The son's greatest resistance was to throw an ashtray at Leo, but hit his mother; Learning that her sister was insulted by Leo, Lisa, spurred on, was bent on shooting Leo. The gun was also bought, but it was not loaded. It's like the curtain opens, the gongs and drums ring, the actors who appear are late, and finally bow a hasty thing.
While trying to kill Leo, he fantasized that if his sister became Leo's mistress, he might be able to get Leo's help, find a good job after graduation, or achieve a career.
Young and beautiful Karra, while fantasizing about having a man who is excellent in all aspects and loves him deeply can marry; While thinking about becoming Leo's mistress, he may be able to start a new life, which can change the current embarrassing economic situation.
Everyone plays their own wishful thinking, and everyone is indifferent to the suffering of others. Even if it is like mother and daughter, sister and brother.
This is the sadness of human nature!
3. The superficial prosperity of bourgeois aristocratic life is in stark contrast to the darkness and chaos inside.
This and other works of Moravia ruthlessly tear off the beautiful veil that has placed them on the face of the modern bourgeoisie, revealing their ugly essence: they are not noble, vigorous, patriotic, but spiritually empty, indifferent, selfish, hypocritical, vulgar.
All this runs counter to fascist propaganda and is regarded by the fascist authorities as a beast of the flood. It was boycotted by the authorities for some time and was listed by the Holy See as a banned book.
As described in the book, they sat at the table carefully prepared for them by their servants, elegantly tasting food and sipping red wine, while their hearts were filled with incomparably ugly thoughts. Everyone can set aside shame for their own benefit and turn a blind eye to ugly behavior. They are getting deeper and deeper into this repulsive life, unable to extricate themselves.
This book reads people's mood for a long time can not be calm. It was as if in a person's body lived two diametrically opposed people. One to the left and one to the right.
In fact, if you think about it carefully, in ordinary life, do we sometimes split into two people. For a nasty behavior, I think I want to be resentful and stop it. In the end, only a faint and innocuous word will pass quietly.
Isn't this the indifference of human nature?
Reading is for the sake of reason and wisdom, and it is not false at all.