Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
War: Horror, Beauty, and Humanity
Power, Reality, and Absurdity
History and Storytelling
Politics and Friendship
Family, Opportunity, and Gender Dynamics
Summary
Analysis
Corelli and Pelagia spend their time kissing under the olive tree and going on walks. She knows that it'd be disastrous if she became pregnant and she's seen the horrific results of home abortions, so they don't have sex. They're able to spend more time together after Weber gets Corelli a motorcycle. He's a horrendous driver and they fall twice, but Pelagia loves it. One of their favorite places is an abandoned shepherd's hut they call Casa Nostra. They kiss and talk about what they're going to do after the war. They want to get married and raise bilingual children; he wants to write concertos and she wants to become a doctor. They promise to love each other forever after the war.
Weber's willingness to procure a motorcycle for Corelli suggests that despite Weber's Nazism, the two are actually friends who care deeply about each other. This suggests that it's possible for a young man like Weber to learn about the importance of friendship and offers hope that he'll go on to prioritize relationships over his political leanings in the future. Now that Corelli and Pelagia's relationship is in the open, the war no longer provides cover; it's entirely awful as it keeps them apart.
Themes
