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Chapter 53
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
War: Horror, Beauty, and Humanity
Power, Reality, and Absurdity
History and Storytelling
Politics and Friendship
Family, Opportunity, and Gender Dynamics
Summary
Analysis
Carlo leaves a letter with his story for Corelli. He says he knows he's going to die and hopes that Corelli doesn't think less of him for being gay. Carlo says that when Francisco died his life was meaningless, and he came to Cephalonia filled with grief. He tells Corelli that he loves him dearly for banishing his sorrow with laughter. In closing, Carlo tells Corelli that he wishes for Corelli to find his future happiness with Pelagia, and he hopes that Corelli will tell his children about their Uncle Carlo.
In particular, Carlo's request that Corelli talk to his children about him and call him an uncle shows that Carlo has learned that family isn't something that's bound only by blood; it's something that individuals can create through friendship and understanding, even from beyond the grave.
Themes
