Captin Corelli's Mandolin and Music

From your reading of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, how appropriate would you say the musical reference in the title is?

The musical reference in the title is appropriate to the novel because it helps sum up one of its central paradoxes which is war and life or peace. While ‘Captain’ conveys the difficult situation Corelli is in the Mandolin can be seen as a symbol of life and optimism in the novel and offers a sense of hope as it can bridge all gaps caused by war.

Music is shown to be a life force throughout the novel by the associations de Bernieres makes with it, particularly set against the dark contrast of war. As the title suggests the character of Corelli and music are inseparable concepts and so the reader is invited to see this character as another force of good. A major part of the novel is concerned with the love affair between Captain Corelli and Pelagia and so we are able to appreciate its importance to their relationship and the close affinity that music has wi...