Discussion: Contempt

Author: Alberto Moravia

Description: Contempt is a novella by Alberto Moravia (1907–1990), one of Italy's foremost 20th-century novelists, exploring themes of alienation, marital breakdown, and the commodification of art in post-World War II society. Set in Rome and Capri, the story follows Riccardo Molteni, a struggling screenwriter, who is hired to adapt Homer's The Odyssey for a film directed by the American producer Jerry Batz. The narrative centers on the unraveling of Molteni's marriage to his wife, Emilia, whose growing "contempt" for him manifests through subtle emotional withdrawal and overt disdain. This contempt, Moravia suggests, stems from Molteni's compromise of artistic integrity for financial security, mirroring broader existential disillusionment in a materialistic world.

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