Summary
Highlights
The train whistle is a mundane event that triggers Belluca's rebellion, much like other characters in Pirandello's works. It represents an escape from his suffocating life. Belluca's neighbor, an internal narrator, provides a crucial perspective, revealing that Belluca is not insane but merely reacting naturally to his dire circumstances. This neighbor, aware of Belluca's true suffering, explains that the train whistle reminded Belluca that 'the world existed,' allowing him to find solace in imaginary journeys and a new mental escape.
After his spiritual awakening, Belluca finds a measure of peace. While he will return to his work, he will no longer tolerate complete subjugation. He will require moments of mental escape, envisioning himself traveling to distant lands whenever he needs to. The novella highlights Pirandello's themes of relativism, the conflict between 'life' and 'form,' and the profound role of humor. Each character perceives Belluca differently, embodying the relativistic view of reality. The external narrator (colleagues) sees only his 'mask,' while the internal narrator (neighbor) understands his internal 'drama.' The humor, characteristic of Pirandello, transitions from an initial 'advertisement of the contrary' to a deeper 'feeling of the contrary,' inviting empathy for Belluca's existential plight.
The narration is complex, starting 'in medias res' with Belluca's colleagues' comments, then using analepsis (flashbacks) to reveal past events. The story's 'fabula' (chronological order of events) and 'intreccio' (narrative order) do not coincide, adding to its complexity. Two moments of tension, the conflict with his supervisor and the train whistle, serve as climaxes. The variable focalization, with different points of view, further emphasizes the relativistic themes.
The video introduces Luigi Pirandello's novella 'Il treno ha fischiato,' published in 1914 and later included in the collection 'Novelle per un anno.' The story centers on Belluca, an overly diligent employee who unexpectedly 'goes out of tune,' ending up in a psychiatric hospital. The train's whistle acts as a catalyst, urging him to rebel against his monotonous existence.
The novella begins with Belluca's colleagues commenting on his altered state, attributing it to a 'cerebral fever.' They seem to take pleasure in diagnosing him with scientific terms like 'frenzy' and 'encephalitis.' Pirandello highlights their superficiality, as they are relieved to have done their duty by visiting him, without truly understanding his suffering. The narrator suggests that Belluca's condition is a 'naturalissima' consequence of his unhappy life.
The narrative then flashes back to the previous evening when Belluca fiercely rebelled against his supervisor, an inexplicable act for a man known for his extreme docility and meticulousness. He was described as 'the most meek and submissive, most methodical and patient man imagineable,' a 'walking filing cabinet' devoted solely to calculations, leading a confined and repetitive life.
Belluca's personal life was equally dismal, living in a cramped home with his blind wife, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law, along with seven children from his widowed daughters. Despite constant mistreatment, he never rebelled until now. His rebellion, sparked by being late to work, seemed to signify 'the eyeglasses had fallen off him' allowing him to see 'the spectacle of life' for the first time. When confronted by his boss, Belluca cryptically explains his change by referencing 'the train that whistled,' citing imaginary journeys to Siberia or the Congo.