Broken April Essay

Broken April Essay

Broken April by Ismail Kadare depicts the story of newly weds Bessian and Diana on their honeymoon. The word "broken" in the title not only represents how April, for Gjorg, has been metaphorically "broken". It seems to suggest the breakdown of Bessian and Diana's relationship as well. They are a tragic couple, whose marriage disintegrates to an almost unsalvageable state by the end of the novel, with Kadare using words such as "empty" to describe it.
Kadare also uses the landscape around them as a metaphor for their fading marriage. For example, when Bessian failed to get a conversation going with Diana, Kadare mentioned that the "Night was falling" (168). It is as though she were slowly closing off and turning away from him, just as darkness starts to set in. Later on in the novel, when Diana refused to respond to Bessian who asked her why she had gone into ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...When Bessian points out a mountaineer with "the black ribbon on his right sleeve" (68), he tells Diana that these ribbons were "mark[s] of death". Straightaway, Diana could not help but respond with "how terrible!" However, after Bessian expressed his surprise at her response, she corrects herself, saying "I meant to say that it's beautiful and terrible at the same time." Bessian then agrees with her, saying that "it's tragically beautiful". Moreover, Diana also regards life under the Kanun as "horrible" (69) and "dreadful" (116), while Bessian finds it alluring and that despite the sadness, "it had grandeur" (71). This shows how Diana and Bessian have very different beliefs. Diana's first reaction to death was that it is terrible. On the other hand, Bessian, who is more accepting of the Kanun and its effects, seems to see the beauty of death through the brutality of it all. He tells Diana that it is a "special gift" "to measure one's days by the yardstick of death" (72) and to this, Diana merely shrugs her

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