The siblings of Naples
The siblings of Naples is a novel by Franz Werfel , written in 1931 and published in the same year, which tells the story of an extremely strict father and his six children (three sisters and three brothers) set in 1924.
people
- Don Domenico Pascarella, widower, 66
- Annunziata (Zia), daughter, 27
- Placido, son, 21st
- Grazia (Graja), daughter, 20
- Lauro (Orso), son, 19
- Ruggiero, son, 17
- Iride, daughter, 13
- Giuseppe, servant
- Priscilla, cook
- Signor Renato Battefiori, Domenico's business partner
- Mr. Arthur Campbell, 45, Grazia's lover
- Commendatore Eccheverria, Consul General in Rio de Janeiro
- Maestro Cavaliere Tullio Capironi, Grazia's singing teacher
- Duca Dallorso (Gia-Gia), Committee-President of the Carnival
- Gennaro Gnolli, liquidation attorney
- Priest Ildefonso
- Fazendeiro Attilio Salvafede, plantation owner and millionaire
- Dr. Platania, family doctor
- Aldo Bugetti, publicist
The siblings Annunziata - Lauro, Placido - Grazia and Ruggiero - Iride each have a particularly close relationship.
action
Domenico Pascarella's Sunday singing
While the siblings are waiting for their father, Grazia reports on the upcoming costume ball and the children decide that she should take part. After dinner, the father announces the visit to the opera. The family ends the day playing music together.
The world outside
The Englishman Arthur Campbell appears in Don Domenico's shop and changes money. At noon Domenico makes his way home, but rain forces him to look for shelter. At a café he is approached by a childhood friend about his children. It is the Italian consul general in Rio de Janeiro who is currently on vacation. Shortly afterwards he meets Maestro Cavaliere Tullio Capironi, Grazia's singing teacher, who would like to bring her to the theater.
A day of anger
At the same time, the siblings are planning the carnival ball. When his father returns home, he judges his children, cuts Grazia's singing lessons, gives Lauro house arrest for truancy and slaps Ruggiero because Giuseppe caught him playing football. The patriarch eats lunch alone.
An evening of grace
It's raining. During the performance of "Gioconda" Campbell tries to come into contact with Grazia.
Chance encounters
Annunziata meets Battefiori in the church of Santa Maria la Stella. In order to be able to buy ball tickets, Lauro relocates his amulet, a ring belonging to his deceased mother. Grazia meets Arthur Campbell again, who makes her promise to come to the ball at the Hotel Bertolini. As a result, Grazia appears late for dinner. Domenico discovers a philosophical work in Placido and there is a dispute between father and son.
The fall of man
Lauro and Grazia secretly attend the ball and earn admiration.
Ash Wednesday
The siblings come home early in the morning in fearful anticipation, but it is not their father who receives them, but Placido. The father did not come home, the siblings fear the worst.
You find the missing person desperate in his shop. Battefiori has completely gutted him and is on the run. The father sends his children home, where Placido takes the lead.
The Camposanto
In order not to be a burden on the family, the brothers suggested that they go to Brazil. After the initial refusal, the father agrees less than three weeks later. Lauro receives the entry fee for the ball back from Duca Dallorso and can redeem the ring with it. The father writes to the consul general.
The next day, on March 29, the anniversary of their mother's death, the siblings visit their grave in pairs. The evening of parting follows. Contrary to the siblings' plan, it is not Giuseppe who has to leave the household, but Priscilla. After the pranzo, the father gives the sons advice and they smoke cigars together.
The next day the brothers board the ship.
The sisters without brothers
The sisters take over Priscilla's duties and save wherever they can, while Giuseppe becomes more and more useless. On her days off, Annunziata now visits Santa Maria la Stella instead of Santa Maria la Stella, where she meets the fanatical priest Ildefonso, who expresses the assumption that she will remain in a single position and gives the reason for arrogance:
“Everyone is replaceable, ridiculously replaceable. Don't imagine that yours really need you. That is a foolish arrogance that you must overcome. As for the family, we are all redundant. One dies, the bereaved whine, and over the year they no longer remember his face. I am telling you this, my child, because I know exactly how you are. Listen to me! You are not superfluous to Heaven. "
Grazia visits Tullio Capironi and asks him for a recommendation for the brothers. He gives them to an English pupil with whom Grazia can learn English. Iride often suffers from dizziness. Before leaving, Placido gave Grazia the key to his notes. Grazia begins to read in it.
The first letter from the brothers from Brazil arrives at Pentecost. They are still in the emigration center and are looking for a job.
The holy nun (Lauro and Annunziata)
On her search for meaning, Annunziata encounters a crowd that gathers around the sister Concetta, who has laid down to die in front of the church she built. Lauro tells Annunziata how Ruggiero was hired as administrator by the Fazendeiro Attilio Salvafede, who owns one of the largest coffee plantations in São Paulo. He himself found work in an institute for snake serum.
White blood (Ruggiero and Iride)
Iride is ailing, so that the family doctor Dr. Platania is ordered, who prescribes a more abundant diet. To make this possible for her, Annunziata and Grazia starve even more from then on. Iride receives a $ 200 letter from Ruggiero. Enclosed is a letter from Fazendiero inviting Iride to the plantation.
Message in a bottle in the ocean (Placido and Grazia)
In November, Iride is transferred to the polyclinic. Malnutrition leads to wild dreams at Grazia. Placido writes to her that Lauro has lost his amulet. He asks for a replacement piece from Mama's legacy. Grazia writes Arthur a postcard to England with only the address on it.
A thirteenth of November
On this day, Domenico breaks up with his lawyer Gennaro Gnolli - hours later, the loans that Gnolli has given him are canceled. Annunziata thinks she is meeting her mother and goes back to Santa Maria Avvocata. A telegram comes in that evening: Lauro is seriously ill.
The savior at the end of the road
Another telegram reports Lauro's death days later. He succumbed to a snake venom. Grazia then leaves the house with the intention of killing herself. Until she sees Arthur again.
The blood sacrifice
Annunziata spent the night in the monastery, Grazia in Arthur's hotel room. When she and Arthur visit Iride at the hospital, the doctors recommend a blood transfusion, which Grazia immediately agrees to. When Annunziata arrives and wants to make the sacrifice herself, there is an argument between the sisters. Finally Giuseppe shows up and reports that Domenico had been arrested.
The new covenant
Before the arrest, Domenico cabled his sons that they had to return home immediately. While writing an obituary notice, two men of the fascist party enter. Since Domenico refuses to hand over his cash books, the situation escalates and Domenico is arrested by the superior force after a fight in which Domenico fights vigorously.
Campbell does everything to save Domenico, for which he gives away all his fortune. Thanks to a confusion of names, he soon succeeds in doing this and after six days Domenico is released. Arthur paid off all the loans. In the hospital, Domenico is reconciled with his daughters and cries for the first time in fifty years.
Erecting and giving up
The brothers return on January 5th. Ruggiero has a letter from Attilio Salvafede in which he offers him a seven-year contract. He is scheduled to return to Brazil at the end of March. It is decided that Iride will accompany him and stay in Brazil for three months. Arthur enforces his idea of converting the business into a travel agency and renaming the azienda "Pascarella & Campell". Arthur takes Annunziata with him to Vesuvius. She no longer wants to go to the monastery, but to stay at home. Arthur advises against it. The well-known editor Aldo Bugetti wants to publish Placido's writings, but Placido refuses and instead asks Arthur for a job in the travel agency, which keeps him free for writing in the afternoon.
And another Sunday
Once again the family gathers on Sunday evening according to the old order, Arthur takes Lauro's place. Ruggiero asks his father to sing, who then gives the order to close the windows. After the first phrase, Lauro's double bass suddenly makes a sound - one string has relaxed due to the vibrations of the piano. The family understands Lauro's voice from beyond as a proclamation:
“The age of song and law is now over!
But which age has started? "
style
Werfel composed his fairytale family story strictly, which makes the figures look a bit stenciled in places.
expenditure
- Franz Werfel: The siblings of Naples. First edition, Paul Zsolnay Verlag, Berlin - Vienna - Leipzig 1931
- Franz Werfel: The siblings of Naples. S. Fischer Verlag, Frankfurt am Main 1991, ISBN 3-10-091035-4