Captain Corelli’s Mandolin

Captain Corelli’s Mandolin

by

Louis De Bernières

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Mandras is a young fisherman who falls in love with Pelagia after hurting himself and requiring medical attention from Dr. Iannis. He does whatever he can to impress her, which often makes him behave ridiculously. He often tries to impress her by bringing her fish that he catches with the help of his dolphin friends, Kosmas, Nionios, and Krystal. Because of this, Pelagia begins to doubt that they're truly right for each other, as she wants someone who will be able to talk to her about politics. However, Pelagia isn't aware that Mandras is serious and interested in politics; he just thinks it's inappropriate to speak to women about politics. Mandras proposes on St. Gerasimo's feast day and within a week of becoming engaged, he leaves the village to join the Greek army. When he leaves, he's thrilled to be able to do something meaningful that will make him an impressive man to Pelagia and the rest of the village. He returns months later a broken, emaciated, and parasite-infested man. Pelagia cares for him and because Mandras can tell she's disgusted with him, he desperately wants to leave and prove himself again. He admits to Pelagia that he never returned any of her letters because he's illiterate, so he forces her to read them to him and intimidates her into only telling him nice things. After the Italians invade, Mandras runs off again and joins the partisan group ELAS. The leader of ELAS, Hector, recognizes that Mandras is friendless, angry, and therefore vulnerable to manipulation. During Mandras's time in ELAS, he becomes well versed in communist theory, learns to hate the British and most other Greek people, and learns that he, as a member of ELAS, owns everything. He returns to claim Pelagia after the war, intimidates her, and attempts to rape her. When his mother Drosoula learns what he did, she disowns him. Realizing that he has no way forward, Mandras goes to the sea and commits suicide. Kosmas, Nionios, and Krystal push his body back towards shore.

Mandras Quotes in Captain Corelli’s Mandolin

The Captain Corelli’s Mandolin quotes below are all either spoken by Mandras or refer to Mandras. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
War: Horror, Beauty, and Humanity Theme Icon
).
Chapter 13 Quotes

It occurred to Pelagia that perhaps the same scene had been enacted generation after generation since Mycenean times; perhaps in the time of Odysseus there had been young girls like herself who had gone to the sea in order to spy on the nakedness of those they loved. She shivered at the thought of such a melting into history.

Related Characters: Pelagia (speaker), Mandras
Page Number: 89
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 21 Quotes

As she reached for it she realized for the first time, and with a small shock, that she had learned enough from her father over the years to become a doctor herself. If there was such a thing as a doctor who was also a woman. She toyed with the idea, and then went to look for a paintbrush, as though this action could cancel the uncomfortable sensation of having been born into the wrong world.

Related Characters: Pelagia, Dr. Iannis, Mandras, Drosoula
Page Number: 134
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 28 Quotes

"You have to be firm with these people, or they start doing what they like...You won't believe this, but half of these peasants are Royalists. Just imagine! Identifying yourself with the oppressors!"

It had never occurred to Mandras to be anything other than a Royalist, but he nodded in agreement.

Related Characters: Hector (speaker), Mandras
Page Number: 194
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 36 Quotes

But on that evening, one of the Venizelists who was about to risk his life by defecting to EDES came up to him later in the darkness, sympathetically offering him a cigarette, and explaining, "Look, you don't have to understand all that jargon from our sesquipedalian friend, because all it boils down to is that you've got to do just as he says, or he'll cut your throat."

Related Characters: Mandras, Hector
Page Number: 232
Explanation and Analysis:
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Mandras Quotes in Captain Corelli’s Mandolin

The Captain Corelli’s Mandolin quotes below are all either spoken by Mandras or refer to Mandras. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
War: Horror, Beauty, and Humanity Theme Icon
).
Chapter 13 Quotes

It occurred to Pelagia that perhaps the same scene had been enacted generation after generation since Mycenean times; perhaps in the time of Odysseus there had been young girls like herself who had gone to the sea in order to spy on the nakedness of those they loved. She shivered at the thought of such a melting into history.

Related Characters: Pelagia (speaker), Mandras
Page Number: 89
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 21 Quotes

As she reached for it she realized for the first time, and with a small shock, that she had learned enough from her father over the years to become a doctor herself. If there was such a thing as a doctor who was also a woman. She toyed with the idea, and then went to look for a paintbrush, as though this action could cancel the uncomfortable sensation of having been born into the wrong world.

Related Characters: Pelagia, Dr. Iannis, Mandras, Drosoula
Page Number: 134
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 28 Quotes

"You have to be firm with these people, or they start doing what they like...You won't believe this, but half of these peasants are Royalists. Just imagine! Identifying yourself with the oppressors!"

It had never occurred to Mandras to be anything other than a Royalist, but he nodded in agreement.

Related Characters: Hector (speaker), Mandras
Page Number: 194
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 36 Quotes

But on that evening, one of the Venizelists who was about to risk his life by defecting to EDES came up to him later in the darkness, sympathetically offering him a cigarette, and explaining, "Look, you don't have to understand all that jargon from our sesquipedalian friend, because all it boils down to is that you've got to do just as he says, or he'll cut your throat."

Related Characters: Mandras, Hector
Page Number: 232
Explanation and Analysis: