Stendhal is one of the pseudonyms of the famous French writer Marie-Henri Beil. He is considered one of the founders of a realistic psychological novel. The short story “Vanina Vanini” was written by the author in 1829. This is Stendhal's next appeal to his favorite Italian theme.
If we consider the summary of “Vanina Vanini”, then the novel was based on the love story of an Italian girl belonging to high society, and a young revolutionary who had fled from prison and was fighting for the freedom of his native country. Life circumstances pose a young man with a choice: love for a woman or a duty to his homeland. What will be his choice, you can find out by reading the summary of the book “Vanini Vanini”.
Action set
The action begins with a ball, which was organized by one duke on a beautiful spring evening. Considering the summary of Vanilla Vanini by chapters, it is obvious that the author from the very beginning draws the reader's attention to the main character. This is the daughter of Prince Azdrubale Vanini, a beautiful Italian girl. Her father has long been angry with her for rejecting the courtship of the most promising and successful suitors. At this ball, she was called the most beautiful. Throughout the evening, a young prince named Livio Savelli took care of the girl. However, she ignored his attention.
The news was announced at the ball: a young carbonarius escaped from the fortress where the prisoners were held.
Meet the main characters
The summary of Vanini Vanini continues with a narrative of the events of the following morning. The girl drew attention to the fact that her father locked the door leading to the rooms of the fourth floor with windows onto the terrace. Vanina secretly makes his way there and finds a wounded woman in one of the rooms. In an effort to help a stranger, the girl forces her to reveal her deception. It turned out that under the name of Clementine, a fugitive carbonary Pietro Missirili is hiding. Despite the danger of the situation, Vanina calls a family doctor who helps to heal the wounded.
The development of relations of heroes
The girl realizes that she fell in love. Experiencing that her feelings would not be shared by the young man, Vanina once confessed his love to him. However, Pietro also fell in love with the girl. Mutual passion embraces them.
After a few months, the young man is fully recovering. The girl offers him to get married, but the carbonary refuses, obsessed with revenge for himself and the struggle for his homeland. The young man explains to his beloved that he does not belong to himself, and his life is subordinated to the struggle for freedom and happiness of his native country. Without losing hope that they will be able to reunite, Vanina goes after her lover to Romagna.
Conspiracy story
Summary of “Vanini Vanini” takes the reader to Romagna.
Here, at a meeting of Venti, Pietro is chosen as the head of the carbonarius society. The girl helps her groom by giving money to buy weapons. Having become a revolutionary leader, Pietro enthusiastically prepares a plot, gradually moving away from Vanina. All his thoughts and aspirations are focused on the successful implementation of the rebel plans.
The girl begins to understand with bitterness that for her lover his struggle is much more important than their feelings. Her desire to keep her fiance near her is so strong that she decides to betray the conspirators, having previously asked Pietro to leave the city for this time. Upon his return, the young man learns about the disclosure of the conspiracy. He wholeheartedly seeks to share the fate of his comrades-in-arms in the struggle, therefore he surrenders voluntarily to the authorities.
Marriage of Vanina
The summary of “Vanini Vanini” continues with a story about the girl’s father, who, meanwhile, is negotiating with Prince Livio Savelli about a marriage with his daughter. The girl suddenly agrees. No one realizes that the reason for her consent to this marriage is the family ties of her future husband with the Minister of Police Katanzar. With his help, the girl hopes to achieve the release of her lover Pietro.
The abolition of the death penalty
Soon she learns that the imprisonment of the carbonary has been replaced by the death penalty. At night, Vanina enters the house of Katanzar. In all possible ways, the girl persuades him to cancel the death sentence.
Pietro should be transferred from one fortress to another. Vanina, using all her abilities, organizes a date with her beloved.
Retribution for betrayal
A young man at a meeting immediately makes it clear to the girl that she is free from all her obligations, since he devotes his life only to his native Italy. The girl is in despair. She tells him of her efforts in his release. As evidence of her love, she tells him how she betrayed a plot that he was preparing. An enraged Pietro rushes at her to avenge her betrayal. However, the convoy prevented this. Vanina, desperate and humiliated, returns home to Rome.
Afterword
According to reviews, “Vanina Vanini”, a brief summary of which is presented in the article, bears a tragic denouement. The conflict of two strong characters, two passions of a different orientation lies at the heart of the work. The heroes of the novel find themselves in difficult life circumstances, showing two opposite sides of the Italian character: the all-consuming love passion and infinite love of the motherland.
Screen adaptation of the novel
A summary of Stendhal’s Vanina Vanini was used by director Roberto Rossellini in the film of the same name, released in 1961. This film participated in the competition of the Venice Film Festival.