When Anatole first asks Pito if he’s in love with Tullia, his answer is, “How could I be?” The second time he’s asked, he says, "How could I not be?” (p. 33). Are these answers contradictory? What does Pito mean?
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When he is asked if he is in love with her the first time he answers how could I be. He is saying she is a princess I cannot be in love with her, cannot be allowed to love her. The second time he is asked he says I love her, meaning how can I not, she is the person I love. I love everything about her.
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His comments reflect his denial at first since he knew of the danger involved in loving Tullia. However, when he was given a “pause” he told his real feelings. I think all of us have had that experience when asked our opinion about a topic. Fear of hurting someone’s feelings may have caused protective reactions but after thinking about it the “truth” came out. His reactions are certainly not contradictory in my opinion just reflect an “time interval” of reaction. Pita had time to rethink his response.
At first, he treats the idea as absurd, “How could I be” meaning, how could I, a servant, love a princess? It’s impossible.
But once he is told that she loves him and is even willing to do her own duty of marrying the prince because she loves him, he allows himself to believe it is possible. And once he really considers it, he talks himself out of guardedness and into honesty. “How could I not be”?
Paula, that was my interpretation too. Pito was realistic about his chances of ever connecting with Tullia, but he could still imagine it.
I loved this - because he know that he could not love her due to their status but she is so amazing, he had no option but to love her. Poor Pito and Tullia.
I agree Paula. He realizes his station in life and the fact that he would be considered beneath her title of Princess. However, he also realizes how lovely she is and how can he not be in love with her. Supposedly love never picks sides, rich or poor, old or young. When it hits you you know it.
What I would answer has already been stated. It is not for him, in his position, to be in love with a princess. But given what he knows of her and his experiences with her, he cannot avoid it.
Paula_Walters, you are 100% correct in the distinction. It is subtle, but it is clear why he answers as he does. Well done!
I read this as him saying with his rational brain “he can’t be” beause he’s just met her, she’s a princess, she’s already betrothed etc but then when he starts talking about her, he is fixated by her and is swept away by the emotions. That’s his true feeling!