How Does Lamepedusa Represent Astronomy

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Lampedusa first introduces Venus’s effects in the novel through the Prince’s love for astronomy and the incorporation of stars. Astronomy is first brought up within pages of the novel, where Don Fabrizio is being characterized. As the quote is set up with the Prince participating in the Rosary, it is stated that, “…up in his private observatory… the gleaming screws, caps, and studs of the telescopes, lenses, and ‘comet-finders’ would answer to his lightest touch” (Lampedusa 8). The excerpt creates a large sense of imagery for the reader as Lampedusa uses the word ‘gleaming’ to demonstrate how beautiful these instruments are seen in the eyes of Don Fabrizio. Furthermore, the image the word ‘gleaming’ creates is the glistening of light off of …show more content…

It also must be noted that the devices in the observatory are said to ‘answer to [Don Fabrizio’s] lightest touch’, which can symbolize how astronomy is a passion of his, so much so that he knows it inside and out, which makes it easy for him to maneuver around the craft. This could have been included in order to get the point across that Don Fabrizio is passionate about astronomy through the choice of words. Lampedusa also cements this idea with the characterization of the sky on page 110, where the voting had been closed and the town of Sicily has declared that they want to join Italy against the opinion of Don Fabrizio: ““…a tricolor rocket or two climbed up…into the blackness toward the starless sky. By eight … nothing remained except the darkness as on any other night” (110). The phrase ‘blackness toward the starless sky’ can be symbolic of how the Prince’s love in the city has disappeared as now the public has turned against him, demonstrated by the symbolism of the missing stars in the sky. The phrase ‘nothing remained except the darkness’ can symbolize how Don Fabrizio believes that now that the stars are gone and the love of the Prince is gone that the city is now going to go into dark times as the hope and love has left the

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