When Tancredi gets engaged to Angelica (a commoner), it brings up a whole bunch of issues for Fabrizio and his family. That's not to say that anyone in The Leopard is especially against the marriage. The whole thing just symbolizes the process that'll eventually cause Fabrizio's noble family to get absorbed by the general Italian public.
In this sense, marriage becomes a place for the transition of power to happen. In the past, aristocrats have always kept their power in-house by marrying cousins and other aristocrats. But you can't stop history, and pretty soon, the aristocracy will be gone. Fabrizio's support of Tancredi's marriage shows his willingness to accept the end of his family's exclusive noble bloodline. That, plus it's not the worst idea in the world to marry someone other than your cousin.
Questions About Marriage
- Does Fabrizio ever have second thoughts about Tancredi's marriage? Why or why not?
- How does Fabrizio act as a husband toward his wife Stella? Do we ever get any explanation for his behavior?
- Why does Father Pirrone have to convince his nephew to marry his niece? What might happen if he doesn't? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.
- Does Tancredi's marriage to Angelica turn out well? How can we tell?
Chew on This
In The Leopard, we learn that true love will always triumph over more petty concerns like social class.
In The Leopard, we learn that marriage is just as much about status and property as it is about love.