Politics and Friendship Theme Analysis

Cephalonia is home to people of all manner of political affiliations, in particular alignment with the monarchist Stamatis or the communist Kokolios. Yet despite spending years arguing with each other over the proper way to govern a nation, these two political theorists remain close friends and even die in each other's arms. The relationship between Stamatis and Kokolios is just one of a number of friendships in Captain Corelli's Mandolin that transcend political beliefs. Through Stamatis and Kokolios, as well as the friendships of young men like Günter Weber and Mandras, the novel makes the case that genuine friendship has the power to triumph over all manner of differences. Sacrificing one's personal relationships for the sake of party loyalty, on the other hand, is a ticket to a lifetime of regret at best.

Prior to the war’s arrival on the shores of Greece, politics and political theories fuel lively, good-hearted debate. Stamatis and Kokolios delight in arguing with each other, and Dr. Iannis, a Venizelist, is absolutely thrilled when he comes up with a scathing critique of communist economic practices with which to scorch Kokolios later at the kapheneia--and yet, all three men notably remain friends. Dr. Iannis also cultivates this kind of argumentative relationship with Pelagia, teaching her how to formulate a solid argument and successfully support her own political beliefs as she grows into adulthood. She clearly takes the necessity and the joy of argument to heart, as long after the war is over, Pelagia doesn't find her adult daughter Antonia's profession of being a radical communist surprising or a bad thing--and she recognizes that Antonia's views will likely change over time anyway. This assessment in particular suggests that in the Greek tradition, the political theories themselves don't matter as much as the respectful relationships people form with each other by talking about--and in turn, honing--their beliefs. It also implies that one's political views are, to a degree, fluid--they change over time with age and circumstances.

When the war arrives in Greece after the Italians torpedo a Greek ship and harbor, Stamatis, Kokolios, and Dr. Iannis put their political differences aside and come together to support their country, rather than argue about their individual beliefs regarding how Greece should be governed. This camaraderie in the face of political disagreement continues throughout the war and the Italian occupation. Carlo even joins in--he's a communist like Kokolios, and the two conspire to print and distribute an "Italian" pamphlet making fun of Mussolini and all of Italy's goals in the war, including the occupation of Greece. While a shared political bent is what presumably initiates this partnership, it's the friendly and caring relationships that the Greek residents form with their Italian invaders that allow this kind of friendship and conspiracy to take place at all. Further, the Italians in Cephalonia are vocal about the fact that they believe the Greek occupation is a fool's errand, which helps facilitate the friendships between the Greeks and the Italians. In other words, because of a shared political belief, the Italians and the Greeks are able to recognize each other as human beings and act on the realization that they actually have much more in common than it appeared at first.

While Carlo, Stamatis, Kokolios, and Dr. Iannis manage to form deep and lasting relationships despite their differing nationalities and political leanings, the German soldier Günter Weber provides counterpoints to the others' genuine friendships. Weber meets Corelli and Carlo when the Italians make an excursion to the shore with prostitutes, and Corelli immediately "drafts" Weber into his singing group La Scala. This becomes the basis for their friendship, and Weber soon becomes friends with Dr. Iannis, Pelagia, and a number of other Greek people. Despite their friendship--which is described as genuine--Weber is different from his Italian and Greek friends in one important regard: he believes fully in the superiority of the Aryan race and the Nazi vision of the future, and he prioritizes these political beliefs over the humanity of his friends. This ultimately leads Weber to follow an order to head the firing squad that murders Corelli's division, something that Weber regrets for the rest of his life--but something that he felt he had to do in order to uphold his political beliefs.

Mandras suffers a similar fate: though he did love Pelagia when he left to fight for Greece, his involvement in the Greek rebel group ELAS and his introduction to radical, violent communism changed him into someone incapable of recognizing Pelagia's humanity or even his own. He commits suicide after his mother Drosoula disowns him for attempting to rape Pelagia, suggesting that while political theory kept him going in the field, it's impossible for that theory to be the guiding force in his civilian life. With this, the novel makes it abundantly clear that it's exceptionally dangerous to divorce political ideology from humanity. Rather, it proposes that it's impossible to form meaningful, supportive friendships with individuals whom one doesn't consider human first and foremost--and that the alternative to recognizing others' humanity is death or a lifetime of regret.