Summary
Highlights
The video begins by introducing 'La coscienza di Zeno' by Italo Svevo, written between 1919 and 1922 and published in 1923. It highlights the 25-year gap between this novel and Svevo's previous work, 'Senilità', attributed to a literary silence caused by Trieste’s cultural context within the Austro-Hungarian Empire, an economic crisis, and Svevo's personal discouragement from the lack of success of his earlier novels. Despite his declaration to abandon literature, Svevo found writing an essential way to understand humanity's crisis. He wrote the novel in his spare time, immersing himself in the character of Zeno.
The title 'La coscienza di Zeno' carries double meaning: 'coscienza' as both awareness of one's actions, and 'malattia della coscienza' (bad conscience) as Zeno's tendency to justify his actions. The character Zeno (from 'xeno', meaning foreigner or stranger) is portrayed as an outsider, estranged from life. The novel functions as an autobiographical memoir, written by Zeno at the suggestion of his psychoanalyst, Doctor S. The structure is fragmented, focusing on key themes across its eight chapters.
The preface, written by Doctor S, reveals that Zeno abandoned his therapy. The doctor, in an ethically questionable move, publishes Zeno's memoirs. Zeno, however, critiques the doctor's competence, suggesting the therapy was ineffective. The identity of Doctor S remains a mystery, speculated to be Freud, Svevo himself, or Edoardo Weiss, though Svevo denied the latter. Doctor S diagnoses Zeno with an Oedipus complex and an inhibited libido, leading to Zeno's typical 'inetto' failures. In the preamble, Zeno struggles to recall his childhood memories, already showing his unreliable narration.
This chapter explores Zeno's deep-seated issues through his addiction to smoking, which he attributes to his inability to keep promises. The 'last cigarette' is a recurring theme, symbolizing his cycle of good intentions and failure. Zeno associates cigarettes with emotional value, linked to memories and people from his past, including his father and a childhood friend. His father's prohibition only intensified Zeno's desire for smoking. Zeno continually tries to quit, marking specific dates in his books and on his walls, but always falls back into the habit, finding an intense pleasure in the idea of the 'last' cigarette.
Zeno’s mother dies when he is an adolescent, leading him to commit to a life of work. However, his father's death on April 15, 1894, is a catastrophic event that leaves Zeno feeling lost and prematurely old. His father, a disciplinarian and traditional 'pater familias', had always seen Zeno as a 'ragazzino'. A year before his death, his father established a will placing Zeno under the administration of his business associates. During his father's final illness, a misunderstanding leads Zeno to believe he accidentally caused his father's death, an event that deeply affects him and contributes to his guilt.
Zeno, seeking a change from his monotonous life, decides to marry. He encounters Giovanni Malfenti, a wealthy merchant, and his daughters Ada, Alberta, and Anna. Zeno is immediately attracted to the beautiful Ada, but it is Augusta who is interested in him. Ada rejects Zeno's proposal, forcing him to consider Alberta, who also declines. Augusta, who has always been in love with Zeno, accepts his proposal, providing him with the stability he subconsciously seeks. Their courtship involves meetings where Ada is engaged to Guido, and Zeno to Augusta, leading to complex and often awkward social interactions.
Zeno's marriage to Augusta begins with a sense of happiness, as he describes her as the personification of health—secure and content. However, this perspective is filtered through Zeno's unreliable narration. Augusta becomes a motherly figure to Zeno, leading him to seek a mistress. He meets Carla Gerco, an aspiring actress, and becomes her benefactor. Despite guilt, Zeno continues the affair, believing Carla will remain with him due to his financial support. However, Carla eventually leaves him for her singing teacher, Vittorio Lali. In a moment of bizarre judgment, Zeno introduces Ada to Carla as his wife, leading to Carla's departure.
Zeno decides to assist his brother-in-law, Guido Speier, in his commercial ventures, hoping to prove his competence. Despite having no direct compensation, Zeno sacrifices his freedom for Guido's business. Guido, however, proves to be an erratic businessman, making poor investments and being strangely avaricious. Ada gives birth to twins, but falls ill with Basedow's disease, diminishing her beauty. Guido, increasingly reckless, attempts to fake his own suicide to manipulate Ada for money, but tragically dies in his second attempt. Zeno is wracked with guilt and attempts to care for Ada and her children.
On May 3, 1915, Zeno ends his psychoanalysis, feeling worse than before. In 1916, he details his experiences as Doctor S requests his writings. As Italy enters World War I, Zeno remains in Trieste while his family evacuates. He finds an opportunity to thrive through wartime speculation, buying and selling goods, showing moments of unexpected business acumen. Zeno’s life is depicted as a series of ups and downs, a 'mortal illness'. The chapter concludes with Zeno’s Darwinian reflections on humanity's self-inflicted 'sickness' due to technological advancement, predicting a catastrophic explosion to cleanse the earth of its 'parasites'.
The video summarizes the main themes: 'inettitudine' (inability), health versus illness, the subversion of hierarchies, and the pervasive nature of deception and truth, all filtered through psychoanalysis. Zeno, as an 'inetto', is a neurotic, constantly questioning and adaptable, unlike the 'healthy' characters (Augusta, his father, Guido) who are rigid and seemingly secure. Zeno's 'inettitudine' is characterized by a conscious struggle for health and social acceptance. His narrative, filled with self-justifications and lies, makes him an 'unreliable narrator', evident in his relationship with his father, his wife Augusta (whom he secretly despises), and Guido (whom he resents). The death of his father is a pivotal moment, symbolizing Zeno's failure to identify with his father's strength. His disdain for Guido is revealed through his 'lapsus' of missing Guido's funeral. Ultimately, Svevo challenges Freudian psychoanalysis, presenting it as ineffective but acknowledging its value through a different method of 'auto-suggestion' (Baudouin's method), rather than strict Freudian analysis.
Svevo's use of language reflects Trieste's borderland identity, employing a sober, precise Italian that at times feels translated, interspersed with dialect. Zeno speaks Italian but allows his dialect to emerge, particularly with his mistress, Carla. The video highlights how the use of Florentine Italian is seen by some characters as artificial, with dialect representing true spontaneity. The video concludes by mentioning 'Il vegliardo', an unfinished sequel to 'The Conscience of Zeno', which would have explored Zeno's reflections on old age.