The Threads of Life

Zeno's journey mirrors the universal apprehension towards the unfamiliar and unwanted. His introspective and outward quest takes him from his birthplace in South America to North America, and ultimately back to his ancestral homeland, Italy. Each encounter peels back layers of his identity, revealing that being Zeno is the only possible antecedent for becoming Zeno. Guided by Dante, Zeno embraces the paradoxical unity of Heaven and Hell, discovering profound truths about human existence.

Zeno’s homosexuality symbolises the fear of the other, a formidable adversary in life. This narrative, much like Hamlet's soliloquy, explores life and death as intertwined counterparts. Zeno's journey is both personal and universal, echoing the structure of a contemporary Divine Comedy rooted in real-life tribulations. It follows a narrative that metamorphoses the self, revisiting ancient instincts in a modern key—envy, anger, fear, love, and thirst for knowledge.

Sex, for Zeno, initially serves as a prism through which he seeks self-assertion. However, as he journeys deep into himself, sex gradually becomes less and less of a self-assertion means. Women, transcending carnal roles, become Zeno’s guides, teaching him profound lessons. His experiences, devoid of judgement, universalise his character, reflecting the essence of our existence. The narrative intertwines literary, philosophical, and historical facets, drawing from diverse traditions. Zeno’s long stay in America, his new spiritual homeland, allows him to abandon societal labels and masks, ultimately leading to a transformative return to Italy, where he reconciles with his essence, embodying the essence of freedom, life, and purgatory.