Senzo

Senzo

Senzo, by Camillo Boito, is a novel about a beautiful and vain but ignorant married woman, Contessa Livia, who has an extramarital affair with Remigio. Remigio is a gorgeous blue-eyed lieutenant who was already committed but was using Livia as a sponsor for his irresponsible habits. Contessa Livia bares a few similarities with other characters we have dealt with such as Leopardi, Giorgio, Guiseppina and Fosca.

The most striking of her similarities with Leopardi are her thoughts. She finds life and seeks refuge in her imagination and wishes for death of her eyesight/blindness, and the death of Remigio when she discovered the truth. The only difference in her view of life in imagination is that when imagination is killed, death should reign upon he who killed the imagination instead of herself. After receiving Remigio’s first letter, her appreciation of imagination surfaces when she says “everything confirmed to me in my wishful thinking: these expressions of love seemed all the more heartfelt for being hasty, and these coarse cynical remarks, I fancied, were sublime in their generous self-sacrifice.” (Boito 36) She read into his callous carelessness, his loveless letter, a meaning that really wasn’t there- a meaning that she imagined to be true. Then she continues with her “overheated imagination”(37), as she describes it herself “I so badly needed to believe in his infatuation, as an excuse for my own; and his cowardice thrilled my heart because I believed myself to be the cause.”(37). She took delight in imagining explanations for reality. She tried to justify her obsession with the illusion that he felt the same way. She also tried to justify his cowardice with the illusion that she was the reason he took his cowardly stances. She had satisfaction in making illusionary excuses for Remigio’s love-lacking letter; she formulated more excuses to convince herself of her illusion.

Livia had found life in the ignorance of her imagination to the point where she initially wished for blindness upon herself after discovering the truth then later, sought vengeance. “Oh why did God not strike me blind at that moment?” (43) She didn’t want to see the truth- she preferred to live with her illusion in ignorance and denial.

Remigio the Coward

For all of the physical attributes of Remigio, he choses to avoid conflict whenever possible. When he swims to Livia for the first time, he shows off his physical ability for strength and swimming that attracts her initially. But when asked to save a drowning child who falls into the canal, he replies coldly, “I can’t swim.” (28) Remigio is fully capable of saving the child but, afraid of failing, he chooses cowardice. A coward, Remigio, evades the war between Italy and Austria by bribing doctors, “for two thousand five hundred florins two doctors from the military hospital and two with the brigade will issue me with a genuine sickness certificate” (33). By avoiding the war Remigio is avoiding death; as strong as he is, he is still afraid of death. Part of what attracts Livia to Remigio is his lack of morals and tendency to rebel, but she is initially shocked at his cowardice. After reading his letter, Livia has to imagine a situation in which she is the center of attention she says, “I so badly needed to believe in his infatuation, as an excuse for my own; and his cowardice thrilled my heart because I believed myself to be the cause of it.” (37) Remigio does not send another letter and a distraught Livia makes a dangerous journey to visit him. She walks into his room to find him mid-discourse with another woman and she has a “complete change of heart” (44). For a minute she considers suicide but discovers a means of revenge: exposing proof that his injury is factitious. Remigio’s insubordination leaves him faced with death, his greatest fear, and “dragged his feet, sobbing” on his way to his execution like a coward.

Ignorance

Senso tells an intricate tale of passion, regret, hope, comfort, obsession, and most of all ignorance. Ignorance, better known as lack of knowledge, leads to difficulties between Contessa Liva and Remgio. When reminiscing her time with Remgio, Contessa Liva explains, “ I suddenly lost my heart, and surrendered myself to the frenzy of a first blind passion.”(20) Contessa Liva was so easily persuaded by Remigio’s charm, that Remgio noticed this ignorance and was able to easily take advantage of her resources. Remgio continuously asked for large amounts of money often disappearing for a short period of time after the money was given. He once coaxed her into giving him “two thousand five hundred florins”, and when questioned about the money Remigio refuted by stating, “The proof of love is making sacrifices” and saying that she must not really love him if she does not find the money.(33-34) Contessa Liva is blinded by his scheme, only questioning his loyalty a few times until she surprises him for a visit and realizes that he has betrayed her. Once she has uncovered the truth about Remigio, Contessa Liva generates an “idea of revenge.”(45) Contessa Liva pursues revenge by reporting Remigio of desertion, resulting in his execution. Remigio took advantage of Contessa Liva’s ignorance, however ultimately becoming the ignorant one in the end.

Response to Senso

                                                             Superiority in Senso

            Livia's vanity allows her to easily deceive herself: she gets her false sense of superiority from her incredible self-interest.  She "falls in love" with men she feels superior to.  Her affair with the lawyer Gino puts her in an position of exceptional power, for he is a weak and pathetic man.  She gives orders in a manner that suggests little-to-no respect for the servants.  Her love for Remigio is initiated by his moral depravity--to which she holds herself superior--and is sustained by his need for money from her.  When she "[realizes] that Lieutenant Remigio is her life," she is affirming her position of control in their relation: with no financial aid from Livia, Remigio would be nothing.  But it is Remigio who deceives Livia by allowing her to feel that she is control of the relationship.  When he says "do you want to save me?," he is essentially putting his life in Livia's hands--a role that she more than gladly accepts, and a role that she accepts in her relationship with Gino (33).  However, it is when she discovers that it is actually Remigio who holds the control on the relationship that she plots to eliminate him and restart he affair with Gino.  We might even call into question the reliability of the narrator: the young officers in the cafe seem overly attracted to Livia, a detail she might have exaggerated to compensate for the loss of dignity she experienced upon realizing she had been deceived, therefore temporarily losing her sense of superiority over Remigio.  Understanding that she no longer holds power over him--in fact, he has gained the upper-hand in the relationship--Livia plots his death, and falls back into a relationship with Gino, who more than emboldens her sense of vanity and over whom she has the utmost control. 

Senso

           Livia presents her self as being very confident in her beauty. She admits to this, “with overconfidence in my beauty, leaving me no other comfort but this: my mirror” (17). Livia believes that she is very attractive and it is purely her looks that make her beautiful. Livia presses how gorgeous she looks and believes that everyone looks at her when she walks into a room. “I would sense a murmur running all around me. A blush of satisfaction would colour my cheeks. I would take a few slow, solemn steps, without looking at anybody, and as the hostess came towards me and invited me to sit next to her, I would wave my fan in front of my face as if to hide modestly from the eyes of the astonished” (21). She continues her thought on her beauty and sees herself as being modest by pretending to not notice people looking at her, but not acknowledging others around her and the hostess is arrogance. The quality of too much self-confidence and arrogance leads to the reason as to why she is not in love with her husband but finds Remigio to be more attracting.

            Livia wanted to be married and felt it was a missing part in her life. She said, “I had taken him of my own free will. Indeed, I had actually wanted him” (19). She wanted to be married for all the wrong reasons. She was simply “bored with my position as an unmarried woman” (19). She wanted the finer things in life, “I wanted to have my own carriages, jewels, velvet gowns, a tittle, and above all my freedom” (19). Her marriage was a way for her to live the lavish life style. Her 62 year old husband was able to provide that lifestyle for her. Her wants for freedom were quickly answered when she met Remigio. She was given to do what ever she wanted with him, they took walks together and meet up. Soon they became close friends and he began asking her for financial help, which she gladly complied to. Of course this came with the help of her husband as he would happily give money to Livia and she would pass it on to Remigio. She had called him her “lover” (29) as a bond grew between them. She was so captivated by hat they had that one day it came to her attention that she “realized then that Lieutenant Remigio was my life” (27). She was so caught up in this other love in her life besides her husband that it “Everything thus far had favoured my (her) blind passion” (29). It was her over self-confidence and arrogance that led her into this life between her husband and a lover. The confidence provided her a sense of freedom, that she could do what she pleased, only to realize that it was a “blind passion” (29) between her and Remigio.

Senso

In Boito’s Senso, Livia has confidence in herself and believes that she is in control of her life, yet her love for Remigio consumes her. Livia believes she is the most beautiful woman and is very narcissistic, as she claims, “I have studied myself with so much trepidation for so many years, hour by hour, minute by minute, that I believe I know myself through and through, and can declare myself an excellent philosopher” (18-19). She is clearly very obsessed with herself, reasoning that she is of the utmost importance and deserves recognition. Livia thinks that she has control when she gives Remigio the money that he needs and she prides herself for helping the man she loves, describing, “He was so loving, and said so many sweet things, in a voice so passionate that I was glad to be able to give him a diamond hairpin, which, if I remember rightly, cost forty gold napoleons” (26). She thinks that their love is worth more than all of the luxuries in the world, yet what she does not realize is that his soothing and luring words that give her sporadic joy are costing her a fortune. 

Livia finally becomes aware of her obsession with the lieutenant and admits, “I realized then that Lieutenant Remigio was my life” (27). The preoccupation becomes madness when she does not receive letters from him and then forces Giacomo to take her in a carriage through the battlefields of the war just so she can see Remigio. Once she sneaks into his home and sees that Remigio is in bed with another woman, all she can think about is revenge, confessing that, “it gradually invaded my heart and mind entirely: the idea of revenge” (45). Since Livia knows she has lost control of her own life and is consumed by Remigio, she decides to control his fate for him by reporting his lie to the general. After Remigio is shot and she indirectly takes his life away from him, she returns to her selfish ways and boasts of Gino calling her “an angel” over and over again (53). Livia is satisfied through gaining attention and approval of others, and while she tries to do everything she can to make Remigio love her, he ultimately ends up controlling what Livia does.

Annalysse Mason

First Year Seminar

10/10/13

In Boito’s Senso, much like in Tarchetti’s Passion, the reader witnesses the main character experiencing a mental and behavioral transition because of a passion. Senso’s main charcter, Livia, goes through two psychological transitions throughout the story. The first transition happens after her secret love, Remigio, goes to war. Livia transitions from a woman who once described herself as an “impregnable fortress” (pg 21); she soon becomes a woman “living in virtual solitude” and suffering from “an acute mental feverishness” (pg 37). The second transition takes place when Livia learns that Remigio has been unfaithful to her. This transition is the most dramatic because Livia transforms from her current state of devotional loneliness to a “dishonourable” (pg 51) woman that General Hauptmann rightfully accuses of “taking [her] revenge by having [Regimio] shot” (pg 51) The mental, behavioral, and emotional transitions of Livia that the reader witnesses are entirely caused by the actions of a man she had a “blind passion” (pg 20) for. 

Senso Response

Livia’s conceited, self-righteous nature permits Remegio’s into her life. Livia believes she is gloriously beautiful and all men crave her while all women desire to be her. “Men’s eyes would light up with a gleam of desire whenever they looked at me… The women too… would… admiringly examine me” (20). This conceited personality built a “impregnable fortress” (21), around her which made her believe that she herself could not be fooled or wronged. She thought the only people capable of penetrating her fortress were those who showed affection for her. Remegio is able to recognize this cockiness that contains Livia and penetrates her weakness to use her for her money. Livia’s self-infatuation with her beauty and social status clouds her realization of Remegio’s intentions.

While Remegio makes the moves to use Livia, her self-righteous attitude allows him to continue using her. But it goes beyond the fact that she sees herself as an impenetrable fortress to wrongdoing. In fact, Remegio satisfies Livia by asking her for money because she feels needed. Even when she finds him with other women (many in fact), Remegio promises to stay loyal to her and that furthers her feeling of being needed. Livia thrives for the instance of pain Remegio places unto her because it reminds her that she is not godly. Being so infatuated with herself, she believes she is flawless and perfect. But she doesn’t want to be a god, because then in the realm of gods she would only be ordinary. She would much rather be righteous in the realm of humanity.

Self-Obsession in Senso

           In Boito’s Senso, there are numerous parallels between Livia’s and Remigio’s personalities and motives. Livia, a woman constantly fixated on her own beauty, subconsciously sees herself in Remigio. Her self-obsession prompts her encompassing attraction to him, because her own character is mirrored in Remigio’s character.

            Livia’s vanity is attracted to the many personality traits Remigio shares with her. Livia admits that she has “overconfidence in (her) beauty,” and her sole comfort is her mirror (17). Her beauty occupies her worries, and her vanity and self-obsession are obvious even to her. Remigio’s resemblance to herself appeals to her vanity. Both Remigio and Livia carelessly play with others’ emotions and passions. Livia “would laugh, mock and tease those who tried to win (her) with their sighs or verses,” and Remigio only shows affection for Livia because he “need(s) her” to give him money (21; 44).  Livia and Remigio both possess the skills needed to entice the attractions of the other sex.  Additionally, for Livia, “it was the very depravity of the man that attracted (her)” (27). She is happy to subjugate herself to “his infidelity” (27).  However, she herself is being unfaithful and adulterous in her marriage. She is attracted to his unfaithfulness, because it justifies her own unfaithfulness. His corruptness entices her, as she, too, immorally searches for “someone to love” (23). Her vanity is drawn to the corruptness in him because of the corruptness in herself. Furthermore, both Remigio and Livia are more concerned with money and life security than genuine happiness and dignity. Livia willingly marries an old count, because she “wanted to have (her) own carriages, jewels, velvet gowns, a title, and above all (her) freedom” (19). Likewise, Remigio continuously asks for Livia’s money, even requesting 2,500 florins to release him from his military duties (33). Livia is not in love with her husband or even happy with him. She merely married the man so as to gain riches and reputation. She feigned interest in the count, acting without dignity to secure her future prosperity. Remigio, also, acts without dignity. He pretends love for Livia, exploiting her only as a source of income. Additionally, he uses Livia’s money to counterfeit a leg impediment to remove himself from the war’s battlefields. This is a shameless act of dishonor to his country. Remigio’s and Livia’s concerns with money, security, and extravagance are paralleled in each other. Remigio, a beautiful, flippant, corrupt and audacious man, embodies many of the characteristics Livia notices in herself. Livia’s self-obsession gravitates towards Remigio’s similar character, and she develops an intense attraction and passion for him.

Senso

In the story, Senso, by Boito, Livia strives to make others pay special attention to her, and will stop at no limits to make just that happen. Livia is a beautiful young lady who could maintain the love of a man named Remigio. Livia does in fact have feelings for Remigio, but refuses to share them with him. “I was attracted to him. I did not let him know it.” (Boito, 22.) Livia has a hard time expressing her emotions, so instead she chooses to live in pain and be without the one she loves. Livia lets herself live in this world of hurt and enjoys every second of it. “This very pain gave me pleasure.” (Boito, 24.) Livia loves getting the attention of others and having others feel pity for her. She makes it so she seems to be miserable when in fact she could be living a very happy life with Remigio. Livia enjoys this sense of others paying attention to her, so she will do just about anything to make others take a second glance. She has a sense that everybody around her pays special attention to her beauty, including Remigio. Eventually Livia does confesses her love for Remigio and the two fall madly in love. Livia is finally content with her life until Remigio is sent off to fulfill his duties as a soldier. Once Remigio is gone, Livia once again strives to make others feel her pain and feel pity for her. At this point, Livia has successfully gotten all that she has ever wanted—to make others pay special attention to her. She realizes how miserable this life actually is and only ends up hurting herself.