Pro-tip: If someone asks you what The Leopard is about, just tell them that it's about an old aristocratic Sicilian family losing all of its class status in a modern, democratic Italy. Period.
The book's main character, Prince Fabrizio, has to live with knowing that he'll leave almost nothing behind in terms of legacy because his family's power is coming to an end. Worse yet, he can't bring himself to fight for his social position because he doesn't believe there's a whole lot worth defending. Still, he knows that there will be a tradeoff in the new world, where instead of indulgent aristocrats running the show, opportunists and schemers will find a way to get power. It's kind of bittersweet in the end because neither system can guarantee that good people will become leaders.
Questions About Society and Class
- Why doesn't Fabrizio put up a fight to defend his social class?
- How does Fabrizio advise people to vote in the plebiscite for Sicily to join Italy? Why?
- Who is left of the Salina family by the end of the novel? What is their life like? Please support your answer with evidence from the text.
Chew on This
In The Leopard, Lampedusa shows us that there's no system that will ever guarantee that good people are in charge.
In The Leopard, we learn that the aristocracy wasn't so bad compared to the (rigged) elected thugs who came after it.