The Comparison of Carlo and Mandras - Amber

In the novel CCM, both characters; Carlo and Mandras are affected by war. Carlo’s attitude towards the war is very much a safe haven, where he can seek for the love of men and not be accused of homosexuality. Mandras on the other hand, looks at war as a place for him to prove his worth and might, where he can gain respect and statues. Neither of these characters really takes war seriously for both have joined the army for reasons other than ‘fighting for your country’. However, both characters have joined war seeking; either that be Carlo for love or Mandras for glory and honour, both characters feel like they are lacking something from life and had resulted to a ‘manly’ task. Their behaviour towards their loved ones had also been affected by war; Carlo, had mostly been represented and presented through his reflective letters, this had led the reader into thinking that he is an emotional character. Thus signifying that he treats those around him with regard to their emotions, this is conveyed with his love for Francesco. Carlo had secretly loved Francesco until the day his beloved died; even then Carlo was loyal and stayed by Francesco’s side. Mandras however, though he hadn’t had many personal presentations where his emotions were displayed, express a selfish character that wants attention, glory, honour and statues. He had deliberately hurt the one person he had said to love, being Pelagia. He had forced her against her will to read to him her letters and tortures himself to grieve her further. Hence illustrating a self-centred and, to an extent, very selfish character. These two contradicting characters have been presented by de Bernieres in two different aspects. Carlo; had been presented through a series of personal letters, where he had the use of 1st character narrative, and have thus made it an effective way to portray to the reader the type of character Carlo is. Which is; caring, reflective, emotional, sensitive and to an extent sincere. Carlo had also been able to gain much of the reader’s empathy and understanding “what I would have been if God had not meddled with me in my mother’s womb” or “I have not had a family since puberty”. Conversely, Mandras was first presented through the eyes of Pelagia, and a 3rd person narrative, this had concluded to an impersonal relationship between the character and the reader, thus conveying a more significant message of a character that demands the attention of those around him. Contradictory to this point, de Bernieres had many a scene, especially in chapter 13 on page 88 -89, described the ‘beauty’ of Mandras, how he was strong and lean, de Bernieres had used many pleasant similes and metaphors to illustrate a truly handsome character, however, when looked at from a different perspective; Mandras had only ever been presented through the means of visual literary techniques. Such as “he stood glistening on the beach” and “transfixed by his beauty” none of which was the deep and emotional response the reader had gotten from Carlo “and this gives me incalculable grief.” This very much separates the two characters. The consequences of war branches out far and wide, change everyone who is in anyway involved with it. In the case of Carlo and Mandras, both characters have been caused to suffer, they have had to endure harsh conditions and lose those who were close to them. Yet both characters had come away from the war differently affected, Mandras had been reduced to nothing, an infant, a cripple. Whereas Carlo though anguished, still depicts a man. Carlo had lost the man that he so feverishly loved, to be left feeling more tortured and pain than anything else he had before felt. Mandras had also lost a loved one, but he had not felt the utter distress that Carlo felt, he felt anger and resentment. This here shows the extent to how both characters are similar, but very different at the same time.