Setting and Language in Luigi Pirandello's "War"

Emily Hughes

November 18, 2014

In this short, emotionally condensed scene, Luigi Pirandello creates a painfully real illustration of war and its difficult impact on multiple generations.  Pirandello's writing style in "War" reminded me a lot of the extreme minimalistic syntax approach used by writers like Hemmingway and Marquez.  This straightforward, simple language allows the tension and conflict of this scene to be shown primarily through dialogue.

Furthermore, the use of such an enclosed setting helps the conflict escalate quickly and in a way that may not have occurred in other circumstances.  Luigi Pirandello places several very different characters into a confined and uncomfortable space.  Beginning with the husband's first speech -- "he felt it his duty to explain" -- conflict is ignited.  This conflict escalates through the story's conversation, exposing the range of emotional tensions that can surface within such an oppressive setting.