Essay on Lucia Mondella, the female character of Alessandro Manzoni’s The Betrothed
The name of Lucia Mondella , together with that of Renzo , is pronounced for the first time in the novel I promessi sposi by Don Rodrigo ‘s bravos , when they give Don Abbondio the order not to celebrate his wedding with Renzo, and it is found once again united with that of her betrothed, in the subsequent soliloquy of the terrified curate ( Chapter 1 ). But the moment in which this name truly begins to connect with the character it designates is when it appears, suddenly, in the thoughts of Renzo who, furious with Don Rodrigo, plots sinister plans in his mind to kill him (Chapter 2).
Lucia’s name drives away, like a sudden light, the storm of hatred that has gathered in the young man’s heart and brings back thoughts of peace. And this is precisely Lucia’s function in the novel: a testimony to the strength of faith and an invitation to trust in God . It will be Lucia who will bring the light of hope to those who believed they no longer had the right to hope: from the words of this humble creature, the unnamed , the powerful tyrant revered by all, will regain the strength to live.
LUCIA MONDELLA: PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Lucia, apparently fragile and fearful, is in reality the most steadfast character in the novel: her soul possesses an absolute certainty of faith, capable of sustaining her in every situation of life. In the presentation that is made of her by the narrator, few physical traits are given among which: long and black eyebrows , black and young hair , summarized in the expression modest beauty . In the very shy representation of the protagonist of the novel, Manzoni contravenes the customs of the novelistic tradition that imposed a detailed physical description of the heroine, whose exceptional beauty was always highlighted. The beauty of Lucia, of which the narrator speaks, is instead entirely internal, an expression of the serenity of her soul.
LUCIA MONDELLA: CHARACTER
Lucia’s rule of life is stated by the words she pronounces with simplicity, but with inflexible firmness, in front of Renzo and her mother who invite her to lend herself to the deception of the surprise marriage. But another force, in addition to faith, animates Lucia: her love for Renzo, which constitutes for her what is dearest in life, as she herself recognizes when she pronounces the vow to the Virgin with which she commits to renounce it. From this moment the character of Lucia assumes a particular position, in the story of the novel, with respect to those who have been at her side until now, Renzo and her mother: in fact, she can no longer collaborate with them in the common plan of salvation, but finds herself isolated, with only the support of her faith .
But even in this period of solitude and internal conflict, her love for Renzo does not diminish, although always accompanied by the docile acceptance of his sacrifice, so much so that, as the narrator observes, despite the girl’s protests not to think about Renzo anymore, perhaps Donna Prassede was right in believing “that her heart was still lost in him” ( Chapter 27 ).
It will be a man of God, Father Cristoforo, who will offer Lucia the opportunity to make her love legitimate and holy and she will immediately welcome it with trembling joy ( Chapter 36 ).
The richness of this character does not only derive from her intense interior life , but also from the lucid intelligence with which she analyses reality; it is she, in fact, who will denounce the presumption of Renzo who believed he had learned from his adventures the precise rules to avoid trouble.
