Pierre MARTELLI 09/04/2020

L2
The Passion : Chapter 2
Questions

1) In the first chapter, “The Emperor”, Henri narrates from a first-person point
of view his life until New Year’s Day, 1805. Reflective and observant, he brings
the reader from the quiet French farm of his youth into Napoleon's camps in
France through many descriptions. Indeed, he is one of the emperor’s cooks,
whose job consists in wringing the necks of chickens and serving them to
Napoleon. In this masculine world of military conquest, of empire-building, of
war, he appears to be shy, introvert, passive, smallish, especially at the
beginning when he admires Napoleon, and also sensitive and almost feminine
when he tells his memories about his home and family. All these aspects gives
first a candid tone to the narrative. But later, as Henri follows Napoleon from
war to war, his attitude toward him changes from love to disillusionment
because of the horrors of the wars and so the tone becomes satiric. For
example, the emperor is not only connected with chicken, but he is also shown
losing at games and portrayed as a comic figure in his most intimate actions
which are not the contexts that are normally associated with Napoleon
Bonaparte. The content of the narrative is here fiction mixed with historical
events because Henri, the protagonist, takes fully part in history but emphasis
is placed on his story instead of focusing on Napoleon’s campaign.
Then, by a similar narration in chapter two, “The Queen of Spades”, the author
denotes Villanelle until New Year’s Day, 1805. With respect to the reversal of
roles, she is the female counterpart to Henri, playing with her image, dressing
like a man, taking the initiative in love affairs, bisexual and far from honest. She
is a woman of action and a tough and bold philosopher who is interested in
different subjects like sex, religion, freedom and love. She works at a casino
and leads us through the moral and emotional maze of Venice. Thus, the tone
is light but also ambiguous. Unlike Henri she does not take part in historical
events but mentions the historical context.

2) In this chapter, Venice is seen through different aspects. First, at the very
beginning of the chapter, it is depicted as « the city of mazes  »where it is
difficult to find one’s way, even with a « compass  » or a «  bloodhound nose »
(P49). The author adds that it is impossible to take the same route everyday to
go from a place to another one, unless by mistake and it is useless to stop a
Venitian to ask for directions. Another detail explains that in Venice there are
not short cuts except for cats and rats. So the first image of Venice that is
conveyed is the one of a place where nothing is fixed or well-defined, as if it is
ruled by irrationality or fate.

Besides, Villanelle describes Venice as a space where «  time stops » and « the
laws of the real world are suspended » (P76).

Moreover, according to the heroine, the inner city consists of thieves, Jewish
people, orphans or exiles (P53) : it seems that Venice is like a shelter for
marginalized people. Indeed, its other image is the one of a city that fights
authority or order. This idea is present in Villanelle’s words about the French
occupation of the floating city (P52). She also explains that the resistance to the
French domination led to Venitians’excessive and subversive behaviours.
Hence, Venice is also «an enchanted island for the mad, the rich, the bored, the
perverted » (P52).
Then, Venice is a double city, both beautiful and ugly, offered and secret : « the
city within the city that is the knowledge of a few. » (P53). It is the city of all
splendors and of entertainment where pleasure is not condemned, with no
censorship but also a city where moral freedom becomes perversion. It is the
kingdom of corruption, gambling, robbery and of all disorders. The character of
Villanelle who works at night in a casino and pickpockets, is a good illustration
of it (P54). It is also a place of unrestrained pleasure, licentious sexuality,
perversion are natural. Villanelle’s multiple masculine or feminine, bestial or
sophisticated loves are not reprehensible. As a result, the novel gives an image
of a decadent city where vice reigns.

Next, Venice is « the city of disguises » (P56) where obscurity is valued, where
everything important takes place by night. Masks and travesty are usual : for
Bonaparte’s birthday, « the ball was to be fancy dress » (P54-55). In short, it is
an ideal place where ambiguous nature can develop and consequently is the
metaphor of sexual ambiguity. The moving geography of Venice reflects
Villanelle’s floating identity. The heroine is a woman but she has a got a
masculine attribute, her webbed feet. She is androgynous, bi-sexual and often
dresses as a man : « I wore my yellow Casino breeches with the stripe down
each side of the leg and a pirate’s shirt that concealed my breasts, This was
required, but the moustache I added was for my own amusement.  » (P55).

Venice, city of sin and ambiguity, has a final image : it is a city of passion.
Passion is this ambivalent feeling in which pleasure and ecstasy are mixed with
pain and violence. It is a consuming love, synonymous with destruction.
Vilanelle's feeling for the Queen of Spades is between happiness and
heartbreaking.
Venice is compared to Mercury because in Roman religion and mythology he
was not only the god of commerce, luck, but also and mostly the god of trickery
and thieves, who uses cunning tricks and audacious manners to get profits and
advantages. It is perfectly adapted to Villanelle’s attitude in the story and
apparently to Venetians when dealing with trades and business.