Inferiority

Inferiority

In the novel Eyes Shut, the author describes his life through the alias Pietro with some slightly altered facts. Throughout the novel Pietro feels inferior and is not able to stand up for himself because of his dominate and power driven father. At a young age Pietro is distanced from his father when he lives with his mother in Poggio a’ Meli. This separation creates distance in the relationship between father and son, only knowing his father as someone whom he must consistently obey. His father, Domenico, was a perfectionist who was “afraid his orders wouldn’t be carried out with anxious attention to detail he seemed to follow in his mind.”(48) This obsession with perfection creates a mental barrier within Domenico, placing himself on a pedestal above all others. When Pietro does not live up to Domenico’s expectations, he is not afraid to share his disappointment both physically and vocally. Because of the constant disapproval from his father, Pietro does not only feel inferior to his father but “he considers himself inferior to others.”(45) The inferiority he feels is shown in school as well as in his social life. When Pietro’s cousin Antonio threatens his relationship with Ghisola, Pietro is unable to stand up for his love for Ghisola. Domencio abuses his dominance over Pietro, consistently placing Pietro beneath him.