"Captain Corelli's Mandolin"How do the language and classical allusions in this chapter present Dr. Iannis and his way of thinking? In your answer you should: Look closely at the use of language and narrative method

Ioulia Samouilovskaia.

22.09.05. „Captain Corelli’s Mandolin“

How do the language and classical allusions in this chapter present Dr. Iannis and his way of thinking? In your answer you should:

→ Look closely at the use of language and narrative method

→ Comment on the place of issues such as Dr. Iannis’s level of education and the importance of the past as part of the island’s identity.

Already from the first chapter the author introduces us to one of the most important characters of the book, Dr. Iannis. There are several factors that help the writer to present him to the readers. The most important ones are language (including the narrative style) and classical allusions.

The diction in this chapter is very difficult and contains a lot of medical terminology. This shows us that Dr. Iannis is a very educated man and that probably most of the people on the island respect him due to this superiority. From the phrases that he uses we find out that he likes to impress people, especially if they are his patients. For example in the first chapter instead of telling his patient that the cause of his earache is a pea, he describes it as “an exorbitant auditory impediment”-this helps the doctor to create some mystery around his work and knowledge and therefore makes him a more interesting person in the eyes of Stamatis and his wife. Dr. Iannis is “conscious of the necessity for maintaining a certain mystique, and fully aware that “a pea in the ear” was unlikely to get him any kudos”, from such thoughts we realize that the doctor knows very well the mentality of humans and therefore knows what they expect him to say.

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The other factor that plays an important role in introducing this character is the narrative style. The language that Dr. Iannis uses is very formal and detached. He is not trying to get closer to his patients; because he realizes that there is a difference between them, especially due to the education level. At the same time the style of language that Stamatis and his wife use is very different from the doctor’s. For example after the “operation”, when Stamatis can hear for the first time, he starts to say silly things: “my head feels empty […] it feels as though my whole head has filled up with spring water, all cold and clear”- due to the lack of proper education, Stamatis cant find the correct way to express himself, and his wife is ashamed of it. This tells the readers that probably the people in the village don’t always feel comfortable being around Dr. Iannis. Altogether the style of narration is very interesting, it’s an interlace between the thoughts of the omniscient narrator and the thoughts of Dr. Iannis.

The images and the classical allusions that the author uses in this chapter are also very important in presenting the new character to the readers. We soon find out that being a doctor (probably the only one on the island) is not the only thing that Dr. Iannis does. In his free time he is writing a book about the island, where he lives. And the reader already feels an intimate connection growing between him, Cephallonia, and its people. We know that he is much attached to Cephallonia, because he cannot write a book about it, without expressing any feelings towards the island. Thus he changes the name of the book from “The New History of Cephallonia” to “A Personal History of Cephallonia”. “Now he could forget about leaving out the loaded adjectives and the ancient historical grudges, now he could be vitriolic about the Romans, the Normans […] even the islanders themselves.”- As soon as he changes the title, Dr. Iannis feels free to express all of his feelings. At the beginning he criticizes the island and its people. He describes it as a place where “men go abroad and return to die”, tells us that the beautiful women are forced to live with the most loathsome men, and the women who are not that beautiful are left to die widows. However when he changes the title of the book, all his true feelings come out, and we realize that he is very proud and fond of Cephallonia. Dr. Iannis talks about Greek mythology, and the metaphors and alliterations that he uses create an image of a magical and mysterious place. “…an island filled with Gods […] the light is completely virgin, it produces overwhelming clarity of focus, it has heroic strength and brilliance”- as we can see, as soon as the doctor is able to express his true feelings, a very different picture of Cephallonia is painted. And each image of the island is more overwhelmingly beautiful than the previous. The detailed description of the history of the gods of Cephallonia serves to help us to understand the mythological side of the island. It creates the island that holds firm belief in gods, myths and legends, and that is deeply rooted in religious faith and tradition.

And the last but not least factor that helps the author to present Dr. Iannis to us is the way he emphasizes all the different sides of his character. At the beginning when the doctor is with his patients he seems more or less cold and detached, however when he comes back home we are also shown a different side of him. He is shown as a loving father, who, even if he is not happy with the actions of his daughter, still cannot be irritated by her for too long. “…the goat is fond of you.”- Dr. Iannis turned away, disarmed and defeated.” – He loves his daughter, and he knows that she is fond of him as well.

As we can see the author uses a lot of different factors, which allow him to present the character to us the best way possible. He shines the light on every aspect of Dr. Iannis’s personality, helping us to make up our mind about him. By the end we are aware that he is not only specialized in medicine, but also in writing and in history of his island. His activities and his personality attract the readers as they learn more about his character, which makes them fond of him.