Week 3: The Valley of Decision

[Lori, Moderator]

Welcome back! Odo has spent some time in Pianura, learned to navigate palace intrigues (not always successfully), and been prompted to leave.

What are Odo’s reflections as he studies the portraits in the palace?

What do you make of the court at Pianura and the various “moving pieces” and actors.

How do Brutus/Gamba and Momola end up together?

Gamba informed Odo that the Dukedom is ruled by a triumvirate composed of Belverde, the Dominican, and Trescorre. What are their agendas?

What did you think of the political lampoons?

What are Odo’s conflicting ideals?

Why does Odo seem to be in danger, and from whom, in your opinion?

A few words I had to look up:
Metayer: one who cultivates land for a share of its yield, usually receiving stock, tools, and seed from the landlord
Corvee: unpaid labor (as toward constructing roads) due from a feudal vassal to his lord
Sbirri: a police officer

[Gary]

Lori wrote: "Why does Odo seem to be in danger, and from whom, in your opinion?"

I have to confess that I'm perplexed by the end of Book II, Odo's clandestine escape from the Duke's castle. Was Odo in personal danger of some sort, or was the chaos at the seance/healing an opportune time to dodge being sent to Monte Alloro (Odo's own wish) and becoming even more bound to the court? The escape was arranged by Odo's manservant, Cantapresto, whose loyalties are suspect. Is his allegiance to Odo or to some other interest at court? We don't have an answer as yet to this.

Addendum: Questions answered in first few pages of Book III.

[Gary]

Wharton's description of life at court is devastating. Still some part of Odo seems to be drawn to it. His contemporaries would say it's in his blood. Given Odo's character, his interest in wide-ranging reading, in the arts, in intellectual conversation, his concern for the unprivileged, his steadfastness, I would counter that Odo may be courtly by blood but not by temperament; this may well be the Valley of Decision of the title.

[Brian E]

I'm still trying to identify and know all the major players, some of which I still have trouble distinguishing between.
To help, I have created my own index of characters, none of which include the early characters, some still seemingly lurking in the background ready to reappear: Momola, Filomena, Vivaldi, Fulvia, Giannozzo, Tartaglia, Miranda Malmacco and others who I have pushed aside in my brain to make room for all the Duchy court characters, of which there are many.

Duchy Court Characters:
The Royal Family with heirs
Duke of Pianura
Duchess Maria Clementina
Prince Ferrante, heir
Marquess of Cerveno, heir
Odo Valsecca, heir, protagonist
Main Advisors
Countess Belverde - Duke's 'friend' and advisor; conservative, religious
Count Trescorre - arrogant, personable and devious financial advisor to the Duke
The Dominican, (Father Ignazio?) member of Triumvirate
Prime Minister Pierepalgo - figurehead while the triumvirate rules
Others
The Bishop - don't know well yet
Don Serafina - Bishop's nephew, Duchess' social leader,"loose-liver and gamester"
Crescenti - church abate, head librarian, respected scholar
Gamba - hunchback servant, librarian assistant, liberal, appears helpful to Odo
Cantepresto -church abate and Odo servant
Doctor Heiligenstern - caring for the Prince; secret Illuminati

I do think I am getting the hang of the book and I do think the book has gotten better. Having it settle down in one place at the Duchy court has helped.
I'm also getting a feel for the book's essential conflict between the conservative forces of the RC church and the liberal notions Rousseau and the Illuminati. There is also Wharton's frequent theme of the societal restrictions, usually in the Gilded Age or contemporary New York society, constraining the individual's ability to pursue their happiest lifestyle choices, a theme examined so well in The Age of Innocence

[Lori, Moderator]

I had to keep a running character list too! Aside from a few short ghost stories, this is the only Wharton I've read. I don't think this particular book is going to be a favorite, but I'd like to read more of her works.

[Nancy]

Lori, I agree with your opinion. I have read only one other Wharton book, Ethan Frome, which was excellent (and succinct!), and I plan to read more despite the fact that this novel strikes me as laborious. This section did move along a little better, probably due to the increased tension for Odo of navigating the court and determining who can be trusted. One thing I noticed about Wharton's prose that makes Odo's emotions seem remote is that she often described what he is feeling rather than phrasing things in such a way that we are privy to his thoughts. For example, when he is considering Maria Clementina's designs on him, the passage reads: 'If he accepted this chance of escape he must hereafter come and go as she bade. At the thought, his bounding fancy slunk back humbled." And later in the same paragraph: "Better find a pretext for staying in Pianura, affront the Duchess by refusing her aid, risk his prospects, his life even, than bow his neck twice to the same yoke." How much more emotional the entire passage might have been if we had received direct quotes of his thoughts and his bodily reactions to what we are told he was thinking!