Elites seek to retain their power: Lampedusa's The Leopard skewered super-rich
7 hours ago
- #Historical Fiction
- #Italian Literature
- #Class Critique
- Lampedusa's novel 'The Leopard' critiques societal flaws and hypocrisies, focusing on the aristocracy's efforts to retain power during the Risorgimento.
- The protagonist, Prince Fabrizio, symbolizes the existential decay beneath aristocratic beauty, orchestrating a strategic marriage to maintain family status.
- Initially rejected for being 'traditional,' the novel became a bestseller posthumously, resonating with its 'merciless' critique of the upper classes.
- The novel's enduring line, 'If we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change,' reflects the elites' adaptation strategies to preserve power.
- Luchino Visconti's 1963 film adaptation, starring Burt Lancaster, captured the novel's cynical yet elegiac tone, influencing directors like Scorsese and Coppola.
- Netflix's new series adapts 'The Leopard,' drawing parallels between the Risorgimento and modern political divisions like Brexit, highlighting timeless themes of change and continuity.