The Leopard Dissatisfaction Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #1

"I'm a sinner, I know, doubly a sinner, by Divine Law and by Stella's human love. There's no doubt of that, and tomorrow I'll go and confess to Father Pirrone." (1.68)

Fabrizio has a bit of a Don Draper thing going on, since he knows he's doing something wrong when he cheats on his wife, but he does it anyway. He also figures that he can make it all better by confessing to his priest. At the end of the day, though, there's definitely some deep dissatisfaction at play here: both with his wife and with his life.

Quote #2

The soul of the Prince reached toward [the stars], toward the intangible, the unattainable, which gave joy without laying claim to anything in return. (2.84)

Prince Fabrizio is an amateur astronomer who loves gazing at the stars. As a guy who has always gotten what he wants, he truly desires something that is forever beyond his reach. It makes sense then, that he would reach toward the stars, since he knows that he'll never get anywhere near them.

Quote #3

Who worries about dowries for the Pleiades, a political career for Sirius, matrimonial joy for Vega? (2.84)

Whether it's his dog Bendicò or the stars in the sky, Fabrizio admires anything—living or dead—that doesn't have to deal with petty human concerns. When he thinks of the constellations in the sky, for example, he knows that the star Sirius never needs to worry about who's going to marry his daughter. It's this kind of search for peace that eventually leads Fabrizio to take comfort in the moment of his death.