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Memory and Identity
Themes and Colors
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Piranesi, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
In Piranesi, Piranesi’s relationship with the Other evolves from one of reliance and friendship to suspicion and betrayal. At the start of the novel, the Other is Piranesi’s only companion in the House, and initially Piranesi views him as a mentor figure, relying on him for guidance and knowledge about the house's secrets. The Other also provides Piranesi with supplies like notebooks, shoes, and even food, proof to Piranesi of their mutual affection for one another. Though they at times disagree about things—the Other finds the House boring and is primarily interested in searching out the Great and Secret Knowledge—Piranesi sees the Other as a friend and a partner in their shared quest to understand their world.
However, Piranesi begins to uncover inconsistencies in The Other’s narrative, sewing seeds of doubt in their friendship. The arrival of 16, for instance, reveals to Piranesi that the Other has not been entirely honest with him; Piranesi always thought there was no one else, and yet the Other clearly has known for a while about the existence of this new person. As a result, Piranesi begins to lose his trust in the Other. He begins to keep secrets from him—such as his communications with 16—and to investigate the mysteries of his past. This culminates in his discovery of the Other’s identity and his entrapment of Piranesi; his best friend has suddenly become his worst enemy. Angered by the betrayal, Piranesi fantasizes ways of getting revenge on the Other, such as drowning him in the coming flood. But despite the Other’s betrayal, Piranesi does not follow through on his plans for revenge. Instead, Piranesi remains a loyal friend until the very end. Even as the Other shoots at him and Raphael (16), Piranesi attempts to save him from the coming flood, and later, after the Other’s death, takes the time to locate and clean the Other’s body. This reveals Piranesi’s prior desire for revenge to be little more than an emotional gut reaction: in reality, Piranesi sense of friendship easily trumps his feelings of betrayal—a testament not only to his good nature, but also his commitment to a worldview which prioritizes forgiveness and compassion.
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Friendship, Betrayal, and Loyalty ThemeTracker
The ThemeTracker below shows where, and to what degree, the theme of Friendship, Betrayal, and Loyalty appears in each part of Piranesi. Click or tap on any chapter to read its Summary & Analysis.
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Friendship, Betrayal, and Loyalty Quotes in Piranesi
Below you will find the important quotes in Piranesi related to the theme of Friendship, Betrayal, and Loyalty.
Part 1 Quotes
The Beauty of the House is immeasurable; its Kindness infinite.
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Prayer-like, this saying reappears often throughout the novel and symbolizes Piranesi’s love and idolization of the House, as well as his personification of it. While the House is essentially Piranesi’s word for the world, it is not—as shown here—a passive, abstract idea to Piranesi. He has just escaped death by flood, and the discovery of a marble finger in his hand is, to him, proof enough that the House had a hand in his good fortune. Just as with the statues and the birds, Piranesi sees the House as endowed with agency, and he has no trouble believing that the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debiti
In all of these places I have stood in Doorways and looked ahead. I have never seen any indication that the World was coming to an End, but only a regular progression of Halls and Passageways into the Far Distance.
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Seemingly endless, Piranesi’s world, or “House” as he calls it, is filled with repeating elements, like Doorways, Halls, Passageways, etc. While this might sound to the reader like a drawn-out metaphor for own world, for Piranesi, this is his entire reality, and he does not question it. Piranesi may be a scientist and careful about making hasty conclusions—notably, he does not outright conclude that the World is endless, but that there is no “indication” of an “End”—but he does not think anything is unusual with his world, nor his place within it. This establishes Piranesi’s starting point as a character: Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferen
The Other organizes his time meticulously and never permits our meeting to last longer than one hour. If he requires my presence at other times, he calls out ‘Piranesi!’ until I come. Piranesi. It is what he calls me. Which is strange because as far as I remember it is not my name.
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This quote underscores the peculiar relationship between Piranesi and the Other. Though they are supposedly best friends and colleagues—in fact, each other’s only friend and colleague—their partnership appears to be an unequal one, with the Other solely setting the terms of their relationship. Despite Piranesi’s clear desire to spend time with him, for instance, he limits their meetings to only one hour a week, only breaking the rule when it suits him (notably, when Piranesi waves to him in an earlier chapter, the Other completely ignores him). When he does break the rule, he does so by calling Piranesi until Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime. Adipisci voluptate et. Voluptas suscipit alias. In et eveniet. Eaque et repellendus. Dolores aut voluptatibus. Voluptatem qui voluptatum. Vo
And You. Who are You? Who is it that I am writing for? Are you a traveler who has cheated Tides and cross Broken Floors and Derelict Stairs to reach these Halls. Or are You perhaps someone who inhabits my own Halls after I am dead?
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Here, Piranesi addresses the reader, the supposed “sixteenth” person of the world. Unlike the other people in his “list of all the people who have ever lived,” however, Piranesi does not know who the reader is, nor if they even exist. His knowledge of the word is limited to his observations, and though he can imagine there might be someone to read his journals, he is uncertain: as far as he knows, there have only ever been 15 people to inhabit the House, and only two are still living. His curiosity about the existence of another human being is thus Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae
Part 2 Quotes
I saw a black scribble against a grey Sky and a flicker of bright red; words drifted towards me – white words on a black background. At the same time, there was a sudden blare of noise and a metallic taste on my tongue. And all of the images – no more than fragments or ghosts of images really — seemed to coalesce around the strange world, ‘Batter-Sea.’ I tried to get a hold of them, to bring them into sharper focus, but like a dream they faded and were gone.
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In the aftermath of the Other’s so-called experiment, Piranesi’s experiences a series of strange sensations. Though none of the sensations solidify into anything intelligible—he describes them as “no more than fragments or ghosts of image”—it is clear to Piranesi that they are revolve around the word “Batter-Sea.” Though the Other claims the word to be meaningless, Piranesi’s reaction suggests otherwise. It is not only strong, but specific, like a flashback or a suppressed memory attempting to resurface; he sees colored writing, tastes something “metallic,” and hears a sudden “blare of noise.” Clearly, the word has triggered something in Piranesi, even Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro per
I lined a fishing net with heavy-gauge plastic. Inside I placed what I thought was the right amount of nesting material for two such enormous birds. It approximates three days’ fuel. This was no insignificant amount and I knew that I might be colder because I had given it away. But what is a few days of feeling cold compared to a new albatross in the World?
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Here, Piranesi gifts the two Albatross material to build their new nest. Though this comes at a significant personal cost to Piranesi—the material he gives them is what he uses to keep himself warm—he does not think twice about the sacrifice. This speaks not only to Piranesi’s selflessness and generosity, but also his reverence for the natural world and its inhabitants, human or otherwise. Piranesi perceives an interconnectedness between the different inhabitants of the House and sees it as his duty to care for others as they do him; he doesn’t see himself as superior simply because he’s a human Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit
So this, as far as I can tell, is what the birds told me. A message from Afar. Obscure Writing. Innocence eroded. Interesting. I will allow some time to elapse—say a few months—and then I will examine this communication again to see if the intervening events can shed any light upon it (and vice versa).
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Here, Piranesi attempts to interpret a message from the birds. This is a testament to the strength of Piranesi’s bond with the animals of the House, not just in that he is able to understand them, but that also that they would choose to communicate with him in the first place. Clearly, they share the same feelings of interconnectedness that Piranesi does and see it as their duty to help him. Their shared lexicon of the House’s various statues proves essential in this venture, for it is through them the birds attempt to warn Piranesi of coming events, flying to Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime. Adipisci voluptate et. Voluptas suscipit al
That being said, it occurs to me to wonder why it is that the House gives a greater variety of objects to the Other than to me, providing him with sleeping bags, shoes, plastic bowls, cheese sandwiches, notebooks, slices of Christmas cake, etc. , etc., whereas me it mostly gives fish. I think perhaps it is because the Other is not as skilled in taking care of himself as I am. He does not know how to fish.
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This passage underscores one of the central ironies of Piranesi’s character. Though a rigorous scientist when it comes to exploring and cataloguing the House and its many wonders, he rarely inspects his relationship with the Other with the same level of scrutiny. He assumes on very little evidence that the Other is his friend, and as is the case here, and he is quick to dismiss any evidence to the contrary. The Other’s seemingly miraculous ability to procure supplies otherwise unavailable in the House, such as sleeping bags and shoes and batteries, for instance, should send off alarm signals for Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accu
I realized that the search for the Knowledge has encouraged us to think of the House as if it were a sort of riddle to be unraveled, a text to be interpreted, and that if we ever discover the Knowledge, then it will be as if the Value has been wrested from the House and all that remains will be mere scenery. The sight of the One-Hundred-and-Ninety-Second Western Hall in the moonlight made me see how ridiculous that is. The House is valuable because it is the House. It is enough in and of Itself. It is not the means to an end.
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Piranesi expresses his growing disillusionment with the Other’s search for the “Great and Secret Knowledge.” Though he has long followed the Other’s direction, his trip to the One-Hundred-and-Ninety-Second Western Hall has made him realize here that their goals are fundamentally misaligned. Unlike the Other, who sees the House as some “riddle to be unraveled” or “text to be interpreted,” Piranesi realizes that he values the House as an end “in and of Itself.” His vision of scientific endeavor, in other words, is one of appreciation, not exploitation; the point of learning about something is not to gain something from it, Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum vol
Two memories. Two bright minds which remember past events differently. It is an awkward situation. There exists no third person to say which of us is correct. (If only the Sixteenth Person were here).
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Piranesi contemplates the difficulty of confirming the Other’s claim concerning his memory loss. Without a third, independent party to verify one of their versions of the events, the question of what really happened becomes a matter of debate. Though Piranesi does not believe the Other would lie to him, neither does he necessarily trust another person’s version of events over his own. This problem gets at the very heart of the question of what is “truth,” and whether memory is a reliable source of knowledge. As a narrative device, this epistemological problem puts the reader in a unique position: readers Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit be
“You said you met 16. But you also said 16 does not know the way here. Meaning that you must have met him in his own Hall or, at any rate, in some Remote Region. This surprises me because I do not believe you have undertaken any long journeys since I have known you.” I smiled at the Other, awaiting his answer, which I fully expected would be very interesting.
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Here, Piranesi exposes the logical holes in the Other’s narrative about his meeting with 16. In typical Piranesi fashion, however, he does not assume deception or ill-will on the part of the Other, but rather “smile[s],” patiently awaiting what he expects will be an “interesting” answer. It does not occur to him that to consider the possibility that the Other might be lying. As such, this moment highlights one of the core ironies of Piranesi’s character. While he is incredibly perceptive as a scientist, easily spotting the logical gaps in the Other’s story, he is radically unperceptive when it comes Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui
Part 3 Quotes
I stopped reading and stood up, breathing hard. I had a strong urge to fling the Journal away from me. The words on the page—(in my own writing!)—looked like words, but at the same time I knew they were meaningless. It was nonsense, gibberish! What meaning could words such as ‘Birmingham’ and ‘Perugia’ possibly have? None. There is nothing in the World that corresponds to them. The Other was right after all. I had forgotten many things!
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Reading his own journal entry for Stanley Ovenden, Piranesi realizes that he has indeed forgotten much from his own past. Though the writing is clearly his, he has no recollection of writing it, and many of the words used appear as “gibberish” to him, like Birmingham. This is a pivotal moment in the story, for while such words do not “correspond” to anything in his world, they do correspond to things in the reader’s world, namely cities. For the first time, then, the reader and Piranesi’s understanding and interpretation of events begin to dramatically diverge. The reader, recognizing the scenes Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tem
Part 4 Quotes
I forget. I forget. Yesterday I could not think of the word for lamp-post. This morning I thought that one of the statues spoke to me. I passed some time (about half an hour I think) talking to it. I am LOSING MY MIND. How horrible, how terrible to be in this dreadful place and MAD. I am DETERMINED TO KILL him before this happens. Before I forget why I HATE HIM.
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This note, assembled by Piranesi from the scraps found in the gull nests, depicts Piranesi—or rather, Matthew Rose Sorensen—during his descent into madness after he first came to the House. Though Piranesi is personally unsure of the writer’s identity, several clues indicate it is him. Not only does the person describe themselves as losing their memory, a fate which has clearly befallen Piranesi, but it also describes their habit of speaking to statues. Though obvious to the reader, Piranesi’s failure to recognize himself as the writer is not entirely surprising. Despite the parallels between their situations, Piranesi and the author Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Reru
Are you Matthew Rose Sorensen?
I am… I stuttered. I am…
At first I could get no further than this.
I am… I am the Beloved Child of the House.
Yes.
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Emerging from the flashback induced by 16’s message, Piranesi attempts to answer her question: “Are you Matthew Rose Sorensen?” Though he does not explicitly say so, it is clear from the strength of his reaction, and the nature of the flashback, that he recognizes this name as his own—or at least, the name he used to go by. Despite this, Piranesi does not immediately embrace it as his own. Instead, the revelation sparks an identity crisis, exemplified by Piranesi’s inability to finish the sentence, “I am…” His past and present selves have collided, and while he has long known that Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi qui
Part 6 Quotes
My last thought before I fell asleep was: He is dead. My only friend. My only enemy.
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This quote encapsulates the complexity of Piranesi’s feelings towards the Other after his death. Despite the Other’s betrayal and imprisonment of him, Piranesi clearly still harbors some feelings of affection for him, counting him as both his “only friend” and “only enemy.” This duality speaks to Piranesi’s unique predicament, having only known—or remembered knowing—one other person in the world. The Other is thus the exemplar for all the different kinds of people that theoretically exist in the world, both friend and enemy. This fact makes it far harder for Piranesi to simply forget his friendship with the Other, fabricated and Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas.
This annoyed me. ‘I do not see why you say I can only see a representation in this World,’ I said with some sharpness. ‘The word “only” suggests a relationship of inferiority. You make it sounds as if the Statue was somehow inferior to the thing itself. I do not see that that is the case at all. I would argue that the Statue is superior to the thing itself, the statue being perfect, eternal, and not subject to decay.’
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Here, Piranesi’s challenges Raphael’s implied hierarchy between their two worlds, questioning her assumption that a representation is inherently inferior to the thing it represents. In fact, from his perspective, the statues (which represent various ideas and concepts), “being perfect, eternal and not subject to decay,” are superior to the things represent. This belief borrows heavily from the Greek philosopher Plato’s theory of forms, the idea that the physical, or real, world is less “true” than the eternal forms from which it is derived. Piranesi clearly agrees with this position, a product not only of his bias towards the House, but Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaqu
