The Tartar Steppe: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Tartar Steppe" is a novel that explores the lives and complexities of its major characters, particularly focusing on their experiences at the isolated Fort Bastiani. Giovanni Drogo, the protagonist, is a young officer who grapples with feelings of melancholy and introspection as he transitions from the vibrant life of the town to the desolate fort. His hope for a glorious war mirrors that of Captain Ortiz, a soldier who spends his entire career at the fort, yearning for conflict but ultimately facing retirement without action. In contrast, Drogo's childhood friend Francesco Vescovi chooses a life of comfort and ease in town, leading to a growing distance between him and Drogo as the years pass. Lieutenant Angustina, another key figure, embodies a sense of pride and detachment, ultimately facing a heroic death that inspires Drogo. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Simeoni presents a more self-serving side of military life, as he sacrifices Drogo's aspirations for his own career security. The interplay between these characters highlights themes of hope, despair, and the passage of time within the confines of military duty and personal choices.
The Tartar Steppe: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Dino Buzzati
First published: Il deserto dei Tartari, 1940 (English translation, 1952)
Genre: Novel
Locale: A military fort in the mountains and a city
Plot: Metaphysical
Time: The late nineteenth or early twentieth century
Giovanni Drogo (jee-oh-VAHN-nee DROH-goh), a newly commissioned officer posted to Fort Bastiani. Very young when he is first sent to Fort Bastiani, Drogo is sad at leaving the exciting life of the town for the isolated and gloomy fort. Perhaps because of his melancholy and introspective nature, Drogo is self-conscious about every gesture that he makes. As his time at the fort stretches on and on, Drogo loses all contact with the world outside. Like Captain Ortiz, Drogo allows his life to be spent in hope, waiting in vain for the glorious war that seems never to arrive. When it finally does, Drogo is sent away from the fort before the action starts because he is ill. Even though Drogo (now a major) is second in command, he is powerless to prevent his commanding officer, Simeoni, from ignoring his pleas.
Francesco Vescovi (frahn-CHEHS-koh vehs-KOH-vee), a childhood friend of Drogo. Vescovi has chosen the opposite path to Drogo. Drogo has become an officer; Vescovi has stayed in the “easy elegant life” in town, getting fatter as the years go by, in marked contrast to Drogo and the boniness of his frame by the end of the novel. It is Francesco's sister Maria to whom Drogo is unofficially engaged. As the years pass, Drogo drifts apart from both Francesco and Maria.
Captain Ortiz (OHR-teez), a soldier (later a lieutenant colonel) whom Drogo meets on his first trip to the fort. A man of about forty when he first appears in the novel, Ortiz has a “thin, aristocratic face.” He stays at Fort Bastiani his entire career, waiting for war and leaving only when he is forced to retire because of his age.
Angustina (AHN-gews-TEE-nah), a lieutenant who is Drogo's friend. Angustina is a pale, sickly man whose pride and arrogance are seen as positive reflections of his strength of character. Although he is described as having a “usual expression of detachment and boredom,” Angustina differs from Drogo in that he stays at Fort Bastiani out of pride, rather than because staying is a habit that has become impossible to break. Angustina dies a heroic death, which inspires Drogo when it is his turn to die.
Simeoni (see-meh-OH-nee), another lieutenant at Fort Bastiani. It is Simeoni who first spots the approaching invaders building their road. He relinquishes his telescope and theories easily, however, when they threaten his career. Although he professes to be Drogo's friend, Simeoni sends Drogo away just when it looks as if the long-awaited war will become a reality and justify Drogo's thirty-year wait.