Antonia Character Analysis in Captain Corelli’s Mandolin

Pelagia's adopted daughter; she's named after Corelli's mandolin. Pelagia and Drosoula find the infant Antonia on their doorstep near the end of the war and though they initially consider turning her over to the Red Cross, they raise her themselves. Antonia is a happy and quiet baby and when Dr. Iannis returns when she's a toddler, she's instrumental in helping him recover from the trauma of the concentration camp. She has little time for being ladylike or proper and often gets into trouble. When she's around eight, the family adopts a cat they call Psipsina. This causes a number of problems, as Antonia's nickname is also Psipsina. Pelagia teaches Antonia to think and the two debate politics and philosophy once Antonia is a teenager. Because of this, Pelagia isn't surprised when Antonia declares herself a radical communist and decides to marry a radical lawyer when she's seventeen. Antonia and her husband, Alexi, have a baby boy, Iannis, after more than fifteen years of marriage--though prior to becoming pregnant, Antonia was very annoyed with Pelagia's insistence that Antonia provide her a grandchild, while Pelagia respected her autonomy in nearly every other way. After Iannis's birth, Antonia opens a string of souvenir shops and becomes forgetful and distant from her son. She and Alexi do very well financially and remain close with their family, but they both break promises to Iannis and make him feel alone and unmoored.

Antonia Character Timeline in Captain Corelli’s Mandolin

The timeline below shows where the character Antonia appears in Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Family, Opportunity, and Gender Dynamics Theme Icon

...girl on their doorstep. She's calm and smiles all the time, and Pelagia names her Antonia after Corelli's mandolin. Drosoula and Pelagia find purpose in caring for Antonia, who never asks... (full context)

...ending his life and saving Corelli's, and Pelagia understands that she'd do the same for Antonia. Antonia grows up tall, slender, and indifferent to acting ladylike. Pelagia understands that in their... (full context)

War: Horror, Beauty, and Humanity Theme Icon

...hadn't realized that the sunshine was hurting his depressing poetry. During his stay, Pelagia, Drosoula, Antonia, and Dr. Iannis do well for themselves. Their only issue is that they adopt a... (full context)

...she sees Corelli at the far end of her courtyard. She quickly puts the infant Antonia down and runs to meet him, but he disappears. Pelagia calls for him but can't... (full context)

...scorned as a witch for trying to heal. She pretends that she's Italian and raises Antonia to speak Italian. Right after the civil war, Pelagia buys a radio that only picks... (full context)

...the well, though it quickly disappears. Dr. Iannis discovers his screwdriver is suddenly magnetic, and Antonia finds hedgehogs, owls, and other animals in plain sight outside. Dogs bay, things inexplicably fall... (full context)

Power, Reality, and Absurdity Theme Icon

...priest runs through the streets cursing God, but another aftershock strikes. Finally, Drosoula, Pelagia, and Antonia stand outside and look at what's left of the house. Dr. Iannis is crushed inside. (full context)

Drosoula, Pelagia, and Antonia become even closer, but Pelagia wallows in guilt and remorse. She fixates on the fact... (full context)

At breakfast the next morning, Drosoula and Antonia brightly discuss that they had dreams about Dr. Iannis the night before. They tell a... (full context)

...appropriate for dealing with problems. Drosoula won't listen, so Pelagia sits up late with teenage Antonia and they discuss politics and philosophy. (full context)

Pelagia torments Antonia and repeatedly tells her that when Antonia is old, she'll see that her mother is... (full context)

...traveling or if they're from Corelli, but reasons they're both dead. She keeps them anyway. Antonia teases Pelagia about a secret boyfriend to distract from her own romance. While working at... (full context)

Eventually, Pelagia forgives Antonia for smoking and wearing pants. In 1967 and 1973, Pelagia lives briefly with Antonia when... (full context)

...him into the type of bourgeois person he publically professes to hate. At age 34, Antonia finally gives in and allows herself to become pregnant. She gives birth to a little... (full context)

...six languages because he spends so much time with Pelagia at the taverna. Alexi and Antonia, meanwhile, invest in building more apartments and opening souvenir shops in a number of towns.... (full context)

...that Iannis learn the mandolin, as Iannis isn't big enough to play the bouzouki. Both Antonia and Alexi agree to buy Iannis a mandolin in Athens or Naples when they're there... (full context)

...got married and Pelagia laments that she's old and ugly now. She reminds Corelli that Antonia could've been the product of rape and tells him about shooting Mandras. Corelli shows Pelagia... (full context)