How Does Pelagia Build Compassion In Mandolin

In William Faulkner’s quote he states, “He (man) is immortal, not because he alone among creatures has an inexhaustible voice, but because he has a soul, a spirit capable of compassion and sacrifice and endurance.” which is true due to the fact that it is seen through the thoughts that are expressed by the characters Pelagia, Captain Corelli, and Carlo in Louis De Bernieres’ Corelli’s Mandolin. Pelagia is a young and intelligent Greek women who finds herself unwillingly falling in love with a charming Italian soldier named Captain Antonio Corelli and Carlo Piero Guercio, a fairly large but loving artilleryman for Captain Corelli. All of these characters in the novel are full of compassion and endurance and make sacrifices which help them to not only survive the events of World War II but also overcome them.
One way she shows the amount of compassion she has is by taking in the a baby girl that she finds at door step and names the girl after Corelli’s mandolin, Antonia (370). Before that she is almost raped by her once betrothed, Mandras who is changed completely by the war. However, in that moment she lets her endurance shine through and is able to protect herself (366-7). She makes a sacrifice for Corelli by giving him most of her food since she is stronger than him (343). Captain Corelli also obtains these qualities as seen many of his actions and