The Leopard Themes

The Leopard follows the decline of the Salinas, a Sicilian noble family, following Italian nationalist General Garibaldi’s revolution in 1861—also called the Risorgimento, or “resurgence.” This movement succeeded in incorporating the historical monarchy of Sicily into a unified Italian state, and it resulted in a decline of the historic nobility and its associated culture. Lampedusa considers this decline both directly, through the reflections of Dom Fabrizio, Prince of Salina, and indirectly, through…

Change is a constant undercurrent in The Leopard. When the novel opens, a revolutionary vanguard is preparing to sweep through Sicily. However, the Prince repeatedly convinces himself that change won’t happen—or that, if it can’t be completely ignored, it can be manipulated to his own ends. The Prince assumes that by marrying his nephew Tancredi to a member of the rising class, and by displaying superficially democratic attitudes in order to placate the lower…

The Leopard’s characters often display frank sexual passion that competes with stable, monogamous love. In fact, it’s not clear that such enduring love exists in the world of the novel. That’s because love is presented as being dependent on selflessness—something that’s rare in characters’ romantic relationships. The Prince is known for his interest in women besides his wife and even for resorting to prostitutes. His self-serving excuses for this behavior set the tone for…