The House on the Hill: Analysis of Major Characters
"The House on the Hill: Analysis of Major Characters" explores the complex relationships and inner struggles of its characters against the backdrop of World War II in Italy. The main character, Corrado, is a middle-aged, self-absorbed science teacher who grapples with his fear of commitment and societal collapse amid the civil war ignited by the fall of Mussolini. His journey takes him between urban Turin and the tranquil Piedmont hills, where he seeks solace yet remains plagued by alienation and shame.
Cate, a former love interest of Corrado, evolves from a timid girl to a courageous anti-Fascist activist, embodying resilience and understanding, even as she faces imprisonment. Their son, Dino, who represents hope and innocence, becomes embroiled in the conflict, ultimately choosing to join the resistance. Other characters, such as Anna Maria, who haunts Corrado's memories, and Elvira, his unrequited admirer, further illuminate his internal battles and societal detachment. The novel’s narrative culminates in themes of personal sacrifice and the quest for meaning in a tumultuous world, making it a poignant exploration of human relationships in times of crisis.
The House on the Hill: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Cesare Pavese
First published: La casa in collina, 1949 (English translation, 1956)
Genre: Novel
Locale: Northern Italy
Plot: Psychological realism
Time: 1943–1944
Corrado (kohr-RAH-doh), the narrator, a science teacher in a private school. He is a forty-year-old, self-absorbed bachelor. He is addicted to solitude and agrees with a friend who says that he is bad-tempered, proud, and afraid. He is afraid above all of commitment, either to the people who love him or to the political causes for which his friends and acquaintances are dying, such as Fascism, anti-Fascism, and Communism. The action of the novel is generated as Corrado moves between the city of Turin and the surrounding Piedmont hills, trying to escape the opposing armies and the civil war that begins after Benito Mussolini's fall. Corrado finally escapes to his peasant parents' home, where he ends his narration. Although he finds some feeling of peace in his understanding that he can honor the dead for their sacrifice for their beliefs, Corrado still lives in fear and shame, isolated and alienated.
Cate (KAH-tay), a nurse and anti-Fascist activist. About eight years before the period covered by the novel, Corrado had a love affair with Cate, then an awkward, thin working girl. Her dreams of the future encompassed little more than learning to type and getting a job in a big store. Corrado broke with her in a rather brutal fashion. Eight years later, she is an attractive, courageous, self-possessed woman. She is able to risk her life in anti-Fascist activities, yet is understanding and tolerant of Corrado's weakness. She carefully avoids frightening him by forcing him to commit himself to her or to her son, Dino. She is imprisoned by the Germans, and her fate is unknown as the book ends.
Dino (DEE-noh), Cate's son. He is a playful, imaginative boy who becomes hardened by growing up in the anarchistic turmoil of World War II Italy. Corrado befriends him and finds out that his real name also is Corrado; he realizes that Dino may be his son. Cate, understanding the panic that such a relationship would produce in Corrado, says that he is not the boy's father. Dino grows apart from Corrado and disappears to join the anti-Fascist resistance. His fate is unknown at the end of the book.
Anna Maria, an elegant, rich woman from Corrado's past who appears in the novel only in his memory. She was his lover after he split with Cate. Corrado wanted to marry her, but he came to feel that she was playing with him for her amusement. She took him to the point of suicide, caused him to abandon his planned career as an academic scientist, and embittered him toward women.
Elvira, a forty-year-old unmarried woman who, with her mother, is Corrado's landlady. She loves Corrado, who has contempt for her buttoned-down personality and bony body. She has little interest in public events, only a vague sense of loyalty toward the government in power, but she has the courage to protect Corrado and Dino from the Germans.
Gallo, an old friend of Cate and Corrado. He shared Corrado's youthful dreams of starting a rural school and reforming the countryside. He was killed early in the war.
Fonso, an eighteen-year-old factory worker. He is a cynical, irreverent anti-Fascist who disappears into the hills as a resistance fighter. Fonso, able to commit himself in ways beyond Corrado's ability, becomes Dino's model and hero. Dino leaves Corrado to join Fonso, whose fate is unknown at the end of the book.