Pirandello Luigi is a famous Italian playwright, novelist and short-story writer. In 1934, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature. However, this is only one of the reasons to get acquainted with his work. Pirandello Luigi has created many interesting works that are still very popular.
Origin, childhood and university studies
The future writer was born in Jirgenia (Sicily) in a large family. Luigi was the second of six children. His father was a successful businessman - he owned a sulfur mine. Luigi's literary talent manifested itself very early in his school years. While still a teenager, he wrote poetry, and also composed the tragedy "Barbarian", unfortunately, not preserved.
Pirandello tried to continue the family business for some time, but he was not very successful in this occupation. Luigi in 1887 entered the University of Rome. But a year later he transferred to Bonn University, because the level of teaching did not satisfy him. Here Luigi studied philosophy and literature. In 1891, the writer graduated. His thesis was dedicated to Sicilian dialects.
Return to Rome
The first poetry collection of Pirandello appeared in 1889 ("Joyful Pain"). In this book, the influence of Josue Carducci is noticeable. After completing his studies, Pirandello decided to stay in Bonn. During the year he lectured at this institution.
The writer returned to Rome in 1893. With the financial support of his father, he began to seriously engage in literature. Pirandello's first novel, Rejected, appeared in 1901. In 1894, the first collection of short stories entitled “Love Without Love” was published, created in the traditions of Verisma. The marriage of Pirandello belongs to the same year. His chosen one was the daughter of his father's companion, Antoinette Portulato. From marriage to this woman, Luigi had two sons and a daughter.
Teaching, first play
Pirandello in 1898 began working at a teacher training college in Rome, where he was appointed professor of Italian literature. Luigi taught at this school until 1922. In 1898, his first play appeared, the small one-act drama Epilogue. This work was staged in the theater only 12 years later, in 1910, under a different name ("Bite").
Two important personal events
As a result of the flood in 1903, the mine of Father Luigi was destroyed. Teaching and literature from now on became Pirandello's only means of earning. The writer’s wife suffered a severe nervous breakdown in 1904. For the next 15 years, she was tormented by a persecution mania. The woman threw Pirandello hysteria out of jealousy. In 1919, the writer had to put his spouse in a psychiatric clinic.
Works of the 1900s
Luigi continued to write and publish his works, despite financial and family turmoil. Pirandello's third novel, “The Late Mattia Pascal,” was praised very highly. This work, created in 1904, presents the theme of face and mask. Pirandello presented aesthetic and theoretical views on art in two works created in 1908: in Science and Art (collection of articles) and in the article Humor, which reveals a difficult tragicomic view of the world of this author.
Plays 1915-21
Until 1915, Pirandello wrote mostly novels and short stories, and after 1915 he devoted his life entirely to dramaturgy. This year belongs to the production of the first three-act play by Pirandello "If it is not so ...". The dramaturgy made it possible for the writer to live comfortably, and also to leave teaching activities after some time. Between 1915 and 1921, Luigi created 16 plays, each of which was staged. The play entitled "It Is (If It Seems To You)" was particularly successful with viewers and critics. It was staged in 1917.
However, the international recognition of the playwright brought another work, which was written in 1921. We are talking about the play Pirandello "Six characters in search of the author." Since 1922, she walked on the stages of New York and London (translated from Italian) with great success. Nevertheless, its Roman premiere ended in scandal, since the audience was offended by the opinion of the characters that the good and the truth are relative. According to most critics, the play Henry IV is the pinnacle of Pirandello's work. Its premiere also dates back to 1922. The plays listed above are still very popular. They are staged in many theaters in the world. Translation from Italian of these plays was carried out in many languages.
Features of the work of Pirandello
Luigi, in his mature works, focuses on the subject of personality inconsistency and the illusory nature of human experience. His characters are deprived of any permanent values, their characters and features are blurred. The personality in the world of Pirandello is relative. The writer believed that the truth is what is happening now, at the moment. Luigi tore off the masks from his heroes, freed them from illusions, and very meticulously studied their personality and intellect. Pirandello's creativity is marked by the great influence of the theory of the subconscious created by Alfred Binet. Luigi got acquainted with the works of German idealist philosophers during his teaching career in Bonn. In addition, the writer was convinced in his own experience of how unstable the human psyche is. Indeed, for 15 years, Pirandello took care of his mentally ill wife.
Pirandello - Director, Theater Creation
Luigi eventually became known not only as a playwright, but also as a director. He staged his own plays. The writer in 1923 joined the ranks of the fascist party. Mussolini supported his idea of creating the National Art Theater in Rome. His troupe in 1925-26 made a tour of European countries, as well as South America (in 1927). Marta Abba, the leading actress of this theater, for a long time became a source of inspiration for Luigi. However, after some time, despite state subsidies, the theater began to experience significant financial difficulties. His troupe was dissolved in 1928.
Attitude to Fascism
Some researchers believe that Pirandello Luigi behaved with the Nazis as an opportunist, a compromiser. However, it must be said in defense of Luigi that more than once he publicly declared his own apoliticality. Several times Pirandello even criticized the ruling party. Because of this, after the theater closed, he had difficulty staging his plays in Italy.
last years of life
Pirandello Luigi lived for some time in Berlin and Milan. He traveled a lot. The writer returned to his homeland in 1933, about which Mussolini personally asked him. Pirandello in 1934 was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature. Luigi died on December 10, 1936 in Rome. The funeral, according to the writer's last will, dispensed with a public ceremony. In Sicily, in the homeland of Liuji Pirandello, his ashes were buried.
The popularity of Pirandello
Today, not only Luigi's plays are popular all over the world, but also his novels, short stories and short stories. One of the most famous short stories created by Luigi Pirandello is Turtle.
And in our country, the work of this writer is quite popular. In a recent program, "What? Where? When?" there was even a question related to Luigi Pirandello. "Who destroyed humanity, according to the hero of his work?" - this was the question. The correct answer to it is Copernicus. Indeed, thanks to him, humanity learned about its insignificance in the Universe. It was Copernicus who taught that the Sun does not revolve around the Earth, but vice versa.
Of course, it is worth getting acquainted with the works created by Luigi Pirandello. His stories, short stories, novels and plays are marked by high artistic value.