36 pages • 1 hour read
The Piazza
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Themes
Sought Versus Involuntary Isolation
In Herman Melville’s “The Piazza,” the themes of isolation and alienation are intricately interwoven into the narrative, highlighting the nuanced complexities of solitude and its impact on human perception and experience through a parodic lens of American Romanticism. The journey of the narrator and the life of Marianna offer a profound exploration of both sought and involuntary isolation and the limitations of one’s own experiences.
The narrator’s decision to isolate himself is deeply influenced by his immersion in romantic literature. His creation of the piazza and his journey to discover the seemingly mystical spot on Mount Greylock are driven by a desire for the transcendental, a key element of Romantic ideology. This romanticized perspective leads him to view the mountain as an almost mythical entity, likening it to Charlemagne: “weather permitting, they crown him every sunrise and sunset” (Paragraph 5). In choosing the location of the piazza, the narrator surrounds himself with an ideal landscape that he then gives personality and depth. The narrator’s voluntary isolation, an isolation on his own terms and with his own comforts, is one that romanticizes solitude without the broader examination of what solitude might mean for others.
Living in involuntary isolation, Marianna’s life in a dilapidated cottage starkly opposes the narrator’s fanciful expectations, symbolizing the unvarnished reality of mountain life. Her description as “a lonely girl, sewing at a lonely window” (Paragraph 38) underscores her deep-seated alienation. Unlike the narrator’s self-imposed solitude, Marianna’s isolation is a direct result of her circumstances, reflecting the rugged, often harsh reality of existence far removed from romanticized ideals. Her world, devoid of the poetic charm and spiritual depth the narrator associates with solitude, is instead characterized by a sense of abandonment and struggle: “living so lonesome here, knowing nothing, hearing nothing—little, at least, but sound of thunder and the fall of trees—never reading, seldom speaking, yet ever wakeful” (Paragraph 79). Marianna is without the comforts the narrator is used to and has an entirely different relationship with solitude, thus seeing less of its good qualities.
This encounter forces the narrator to confront the reality that life in the mountains—and by extension, the broader human experience—can starkly contrast with the idealized landscapes portrayed in romantic literature and the version of life he has carefully curated for himself. The story ultimately serves as a reflection on the human condition, exploring the nuances of isolation and the impact of literary influences on one’s perception and understanding of the world.
Appearance Versus Reality
“The Piazza” takes its title from the place where the narrator sits and observes the world. As such, the story is deeply concerned with questions of perception and its reliability, and the narrative centers in large part on exposing the harsh realities that underlie the narrator’s idyllic visions of life.
This is evident not only in the narrator’s central misperception of the cottage as an enchanted realm, but also in various related symbolism. For example, the narrator’s discovery of worms in a cherished plant mars the superficial beauty of the blossoms. This image marks a departure from the idealized to the real, challenging the narrator’s romanticized perception of nature and existence. Melville uses imagery of light and darkness similarly. Initially, the narrator is captivated by the beauty and allure of the light he sees flashing in the mountains: “I saw the golden mountain-window, dazzling like a deep-sea dolphin” (Paragraph 26). By contrast, Marianna’s actual existence in a dimly lit cottage is marked by darkness. As she says, “The sun is a good sun, but it never gilds this house” (52).
However, the story’s message is not simply that with perseverance, one may uncover the ugliness that beauty masks. Rather, the story interrogates the basic nature of human perception via an extended allusion to Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. This allegory posits that what people perceive as reality is in fact a mere “shadow” of it, just as in “The Piazza,” literal shadows from the world outside the cottage fall across Marianna’s sewing. She is so familiar with their shapes that she can describe what the narrator sees from the window without looking up from her work, much to the narrator’s amazement: “Have you then, so long sat at this mountain-window, where but clouds and, vapors pass, that, to you, shadows are as things, […] that, […] you can, without looking for them, tell just where they are[?]” (73).
Of course, however accurately Marianna can describe the outside world based on the shadows she sees, the shadows and the world are not identical. This suggests that human perception is a fundamentally imperfect means of accessing reality, or at least that there is a highly subjective quality to reality (as Marianna and the narrator’s mirroring perceptions of one another’s homes suggest). It is unclear, however, whether the narrator himself fully recognizes this. His remark that “every night, when the curtain falls, truth comes in with darkness” implies that he has encountered unvarnished “truth” (Paragraph 95). Yet, as he observes a moment earlier, the “reality” of the cottage does not make its appearance from the piazza any less beautiful. Ultimately, the story cautions against mistaking ugliness for reality as much as it does beauty, reminding readers that the experience of “reality” is always situated and indirect.
The Quest for Self-Discovery
Herman Melville’s “The Piazza” is a profound exploration of the intricacies of human experience, reflecting a journey toward self-awareness that intertwines with Melville’s own life struggles. This theme goes beyond the bounds of a mere narrative, touching upon the deeper realms of human consciousness and existential contemplation.
The story starts with the narrator’s physical quest to discover a distant spot visible from his piazza, symbolizing an outward journey. However, as the story progresses, it becomes apparent that this expedition is as much about internal discovery as it is about physical exploration: “And this recalls my inland voyage to fairy-land. A true voyage; but, take it all in all, interesting as if invented” (Paragraph 17). This quest is a metaphor for the narrator’s search for deeper meaning and understanding, representing a shift from idealism toward a realistic perception of life. The encounter with Marianna catalyzes this transformation, challenging his preconceived notions and guiding him to a more profound understanding of life’s complexities.
Melville’s personal context during the time he wrote “The Piazza” adds a layer of complexity to the story. The narrative reflects Melville’s own experiences and struggles as an artist grappling with the vicissitudes of his career. This parallel between the narrator’s journey and Melville’s artistic endeavors adds depth, painting the narrative as a symbolic representation of Melville’s quest for creative fulfillment amidst the challenges of reception and commercial success in the literary world.
In the narrative, the narrator’s initial disillusionment, his descent from idealistic dreams, is not a descent into hopelessness but a significant step toward enlightenment. Melville uses this concept to illustrate that life’s trajectory is not linear but cyclical, with falls often leading to transformative insights. The narrator’s gradual shift toward a balanced understanding of life, away from naive dreams, signifies this redemptive aspect of falls. The story thus acknowledges the complex nature of human experiences where wisdom often stems from experiences of disillusionment and realization. Self-discovery is thus gained from both inner and outward exploration, and it is only with an open mind that an individual can achieve their full potential.
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