Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger
asked
Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger:
The Reschen Valley Series – When Angelo Grimani is in the Reschen Valley, he is there to do a job. He is interested in doing this job right. What is it about his character that stands in the way of executing his plans successfully, of leading him astray? Who is/are his antagonist(s)?
Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger
Angelo. Oh, Angelo! He’s my most imperfect character.
His journey of personal self-development is a long one. This is one guy who is being bounced about between two interest groups—mainly his wife’s and her family’s, and his father’s and Angelo’s family. And Angelo tries to do right by them all, which is impossible. On the one hand, he wants to support Chiara’s political causes but not at the cost of winning power for himself in his position at the ministry. And when that requires him to join the Fascist party, well… the only one who approves—indeed forces him into it—is the Colonel. And that’s Angelo’s greatest wish: to just have his father’s recognition and respect. Problem is, Angelo’s dealing with a passionate antagonist.
The Colonel might come across as a con artist, but his ambitions to help Italy win the industrial race is real. It’s what he wants for his country and he gets a kick out of having the power to steer things in that direction. Even if it means trampling on his own son, or manipulating him. Angelo’s antagonist is his father—but only in so far as Angelo’s selfish pursuit for recognition is concerned.
Yes, they are on two different playing fields trying to attain the same thing, but what Angelo’s really up against is the system, and when that system turns into a fascist-ruled one, he’s smaller than David against Goliath, which is why he cannot win. Not yet. Give Angelo some time. He has a lot to learn, but in Part 2, he makes quite some headway. The problem is, he’s easily distracted and diverted by women in power… whether it is his wife, Katharina’s later on, or Gina Conti—who is one of my absolute favourite characters to write now.
His journey of personal self-development is a long one. This is one guy who is being bounced about between two interest groups—mainly his wife’s and her family’s, and his father’s and Angelo’s family. And Angelo tries to do right by them all, which is impossible. On the one hand, he wants to support Chiara’s political causes but not at the cost of winning power for himself in his position at the ministry. And when that requires him to join the Fascist party, well… the only one who approves—indeed forces him into it—is the Colonel. And that’s Angelo’s greatest wish: to just have his father’s recognition and respect. Problem is, Angelo’s dealing with a passionate antagonist.
The Colonel might come across as a con artist, but his ambitions to help Italy win the industrial race is real. It’s what he wants for his country and he gets a kick out of having the power to steer things in that direction. Even if it means trampling on his own son, or manipulating him. Angelo’s antagonist is his father—but only in so far as Angelo’s selfish pursuit for recognition is concerned.
Yes, they are on two different playing fields trying to attain the same thing, but what Angelo’s really up against is the system, and when that system turns into a fascist-ruled one, he’s smaller than David against Goliath, which is why he cannot win. Not yet. Give Angelo some time. He has a lot to learn, but in Part 2, he makes quite some headway. The problem is, he’s easily distracted and diverted by women in power… whether it is his wife, Katharina’s later on, or Gina Conti—who is one of my absolute favourite characters to write now.
More Answered Questions
Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger
asked
Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger:
The Reschen Valley Series – Talk about how shame impacts Jutta, Angelo and Katharina in this novel?
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