Mitică () is a fictional character who appears in several
sketch stories by
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
n writer
Ion Luca Caragiale
Ion Luca Caragiale (; According to his birth certificate, published and discussed by Constantin Popescu-Cadem in ''Manuscriptum'', Vol. VIII, Nr. 2, 1977, pp. 179–184 – 9 June 1912), commonly referred to as I. L. Caragiale, was a Romanians, ...
. The character's name is a common
hypocoristic
A hypocorism ( or ; from Ancient Greek ; sometimes also ''hypocoristic''), or pet name, is a name used to show affection for a person. It may be a diminutive form of a person's name, such as '' Izzy'' for Isabel or '' Bob'' for Robert, or it ...
form of ''Dumitru'' or ''Dimitrie'' (
Romanian for ''
Demetrius
Demetrius is the Latinization of names, Latinized form of the Ancient Greek male name, male Greek given names, given name ''Dēmḗtrios'' (), meaning "devoted to goddess Demeter".
Alternate forms include Demetrios, Dimitrios, Dimitris, Dmytro, ...
''). He is one of the best-known figures in Caragiale's
1901 collection ''
Momente şi schiţe'', as well as in
Romanian humor at large. Mitică is a male resident of
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
whose background and status are not always clear, generally seen as an
allegory
As a List of narrative techniques, literary device or artistic form, an allegory is a wikt:narrative, narrative or visual representation in which a character, place, or event can be interpreted to represent a meaning with moral or political signi ...
of the average Bucharester or through extension, inhabitants of Romania's southern regions—
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia (; ; : , : ) is a historical and geographical region of modern-day Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians. Wallachia was traditionally divided into two sections, Munteni ...
and
Muntenia
Muntenia (, also known in English as Greater Wallachia) is a historical region of Romania, part of Wallachia (also, sometimes considered Wallachia proper, as ''Muntenia'', ''Țara Românească'', and the rarely used ''Valahia'' are synonyms in Ro ...
. According to accounts, he was based on a resident of
Sinaia
Sinaia () is a town and a mountain resort in Prahova County, Romania. It is situated in the historical region of Muntenia. The town was named after the Sinaia Monastery of 1695, around which it was built. The monastery, in turn, is named after ...
, whom Caragiale had befriended.
Caragiale used Mitică as a
stock character
A stock character, also known as a character archetype, is a type of character in a narrative (e.g. a novel, play, television show, or film) whom audiences recognize across many narratives or as part of a storytelling tradition or convention. Th ...
to feature in
satirical
Satire is a genre of the visual arts, visual, literature, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently Nonfiction, non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ...
contexts; the biographical insights he provided are short and often contradict each other. Among Mitică's traits are his tendency to generate
sarcastic
Sarcasm is the caustic use of words, often in a humorous way, to mock someone or something. Sarcasm may employ ambivalence, although it is not necessarily ironic. Most noticeable in spoken word, sarcasm is mainly distinguished by the inflectio ...
comebacks and sententious
catchphrase
A catchphrase (alternatively spelled catch phrase) is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through word of mouth and a variety of mass ...
s, a
Francized speech, as well as inclinations to waste time and easily find his way out of problematic situations. His existence is connected to events in the
history of Bucharest
The history of Bucharest covers the time from the early settlements on the locality's territory (and that of the surrounding area in Ilfov County) until its modern existence as a city, capital of Wallachia, and present-day capital of Romania.
...
which he occasionally references in his jokes. Like
Lache and Mache, who are present in Caragiale's fiction, the character is usually portrayed as a
civil servant
The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil service personnel hired rather than elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leadership. A civil service offic ...
who has a hard time making ends meet, but who is well liked by his peers.
On account of his
caricature
A caricature is a rendered image showing the features of its subject in a simplified or exaggerated way through sketching, pencil strokes, or other artistic drawings (compare to: cartoon). Caricatures can be either insulting or complimentary, ...
-like nature, Mitică survived in common reference beyond Caragiale's age. The character was portrayed by several actors, and most notably by
Åžtefan Iordache in the film ''
De ce trag clopotele, Mitică?''. In contemporary Romanian, his name was turned into a
common noun
In grammar, a noun is a word that represents a concrete or abstract thing, like living creatures, places, actions, qualities, states of existence, and ideas. A noun may serve as an object or subject within a phrase, clause, or sentence.Example n ...
, and often pluralized under the form ''mitici''. During and after the 1990s, the terms surfaced in polemics surrounding Romania's
centralism and the alternative projects for
Transylvania
Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...
's
regional autonomy
Regional autonomy is the authority of a region to govern and administer the interests of the local people according to its own initiatives.
21st-century examples of disputes over autonomy include the Basque Country and Catalonia in Spain, Sici ...
. In this context, it was used in reference to administrators from Bucharest or the
Old Kingdom
In ancient Egyptian history, the Old Kingdom is the period spanning –2200 BC. It is also known as the "Age of the Pyramids" or the "Age of the Pyramid Builders", as it encompasses the reigns of the great pyramid-builders of the Fourth Dynast ...
. In parallel, the term was adapted into a
stereotype
In social psychology, a stereotype is a generalization, generalized belief about a particular category of people. It is an expectation that people might have about every person of a particular group. The type of expectation can vary; it can ...
of modern Bucharesters and inhabitants of other regions over the
Southern Carpathians
The Southern Carpathians (also known as the Transylvanian Alps; ; ) are a group of mountain ranges located in southern Romania. They cover the part of the Carpathian Mountains located between the Prahova River in the east and the TimiÈ™ and ...
, who are often portrayed as belonging to the
Balkans
The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...
, as opposed to the
Central Europe
Central Europe is a geographical region of Europe between Eastern Europe, Eastern, Southern Europe, Southern, Western Europe, Western and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Central Europe is known for its cultural diversity; however, countries in ...
an traditions of Transylvania. Under these definitions, Mitică and ''mitici'' were notably present in essays authored by the Transylvanian activist
Sabin Gherman.
Eponymous sketch
Ion Luca Caragiale first introduced Mitică to his readers in an eponymous sketch of 1900, where he evidenced the character's universal traits and indicates that the first name is enough to define the character.
[ ]Ion Luca Caragiale
Ion Luca Caragiale (; According to his birth certificate, published and discussed by Constantin Popescu-Cadem in ''Manuscriptum'', Vol. VIII, Nr. 2, 1977, pp. 179–184 – 9 June 1912), commonly referred to as I. L. Caragiale, was a Romanians, ...
''Mitică''
(wikisource) The opening passage notably draws a parallel between Bucharest and
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
(at a time when the Romanian capital was colloquially known as "little Paris" or "Paris of the East"), and mentions ''
Gambrinus
Gambrinus ( ) is a legendary European culture hero celebrated as an icon of beer, brewing, joviality, and '' joie de vivre''. Typical representations in the visual arts depict him as a rotund, bearded duke or king, holding a tankard or mug, a ...
'', a pub owned and managed by the writer himself:
"Of course we all ought to know itică we bump into him so very often—in shops, in the trolley, in the tram car, on a bicycle, in the train wagon, at the restaurant, at ''Gambrinus''—in short, everywhere.
Mitică is the Bucharester '' par excellence''. And given that Bucharest is a little Paris, Mitică himself is, obviously, a little Parisian.
He is neither young nor old, neither handsome nor ugly, he is so so; he is a lad whose features are all balanced; but that which sets him apart, that which makes him have a marked character is his original and inventive spirit."
With sarcasm, Caragiale proceeds to indicate that the character's main trait is his inventive use of Romanian and his tendency to coin terms and make jokes, with which "First and foremost, our little Parisian astounds the provincials".
The remainder of the sketch lists Mitică's remarks, part of which are platitudes or clichés. Some of them are isolated observations, which the author defines as "sentimental, lyrical, and melancholic": "The most beautiful girl can only offer what she has to offer", "Life is a dream, death is an awakening", and "Every rose has its thorn".
Most of Mitică's lines are comebacks in dialogue, and Caragiale notes that his character takes pride in "being unrivaled" when it comes to these.
The writer implicates himself in the story, portraying himself as his character's good friend and a main target for such remarks—for instance, he recounts that, soon after
New Year's Eve
In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve refers to the evening, or commonly the entire day, of the last day of the year, 31 December, also known as Old Year's Day. In many countries, New Year's Eve is celebrated with dancing, eating, drinkin ...
1900, Mitică pretended not to have recognized him because "it's been a century since we last saw each other!"
He writes how, when he was ordering a ''
ţuica'' in the presence of Mitică, the latter jokingly asked the bartender not to comply, "for
aragialeis likely to drink it".
The character's lines offer glimpses into his financial and social status. Thus, he claims that he does not carry change because the metal might attract lightning, refuses to listen to his friends' confessions because they did not pay the
revenue stamp
A revenue stamp, tax stamp, duty stamp or fiscal stamp is a (usually) adhesive label used to designate collected taxes or fees on documents, tobacco, alcoholic drinks, drugs and medicines, playing cards, hunting licenses, firearm registration, ...
for complaints, and, when told that cabs are available, he sarcastically tells the drivers that they may go home.
In one instance, he publicizes his goal to run in elections, but explains that he is going to contest a non-existing seat—at a time when the
Romanian Kingdom made use of the
census suffrage and had established
electoral college
An electoral college is a body whose task is to elect a candidate to a particular office. It is mostly used in the political context for a constitutional body that appoints the head of state or government, and sometimes the upper parliament ...
s to stand for the three wealth-based categories, he claims his intention to enlist in the fourth college, for the sparsely populated area of
Bucureștii-Noi.
The sketch shows him to be married and to resent his mother-in-law, but to be courting a young female
telegraph
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas ...
-operator.
In this context, Mitică is shown to have developed a series of
jargon
Jargon, or technical language, is the specialized terminology associated with a particular field or area of activity. Jargon is normally employed in a particular Context (language use), communicative context and may not be well understood outside ...
-like expressions. When recounting this to his friends that a clerk has been fired from office, refers to this "a promotion", elaborating that the new office involves "chasing flies out of
he park in CiÅŸmigiu".
Caragiale provides some of his character's
one-liner jokes, which include references to garlic as "
Serbia
, image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg
, national_motto =
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg
, national_anthem = ()
, image_map =
, map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
n vanilla", and to
Romanian leu
The Romanian leu (, plural lei ; ISO code: RON; numeric code: 946) is the currency of Romania. It is subdivided into 100 (, singular: ), a word that also means "money" in the Romanian language.
Etymology
The name of the currency means "lio ...
banknotes as "
Trajan
Trajan ( ; born Marcus Ulpius Traianus, 18 September 53) was a Roman emperor from AD 98 to 117, remembered as the second of the Five Good Emperors of the Nerva–Antonine dynasty. He was a philanthropic ruler and a successful soldier ...
's pictures" (alluding to their design, which, at the time, featured a portrait of the
Roman Emperor).
His absurd requests include asking a shopkeeper to sell him "a few centimeters" of yogurt, and telling friends to drink their beer "before it cools itself" or to "climb on top of a sheet of paper" in order to reach for clothes placed higher on a stand.
Several of his puns refer to the switch from horse-drawn trams to
trolley pole
A trolley pole is a tapered cylindrical pole of wood or metal, used to transfer electricity from a "live" (electrified) overhead line, overhead wire to the control and the electric traction motors of a tram or trolley bus. It is a type of current ...
s, for instance showing him blaming unexpected stops on horses not having been properly fed.
Other texts
Mitică was again present in Caragiale's ''Tot Mitică'' ("Mitică Still"), a sketch which only comprises sections of dialog. It begins with an exchange of lines between an unnamed character and Mitică, which was to become one of the best known puns in this sequence. When asked the general interest question ''De ce trage clopotele, Mitică?'' ("What are they sounding the
hurchbells for, Mitică?", which, in the Romanian original, may be interpreted as "What are they pulling the bells by?"), the protagonist answers ''De frânghie, monşer'' ("By the string, my dear").
[ ]Ion Luca Caragiale
Ion Luca Caragiale (; According to his birth certificate, published and discussed by Constantin Popescu-Cadem in ''Manuscriptum'', Vol. VIII, Nr. 2, 1977, pp. 179–184 – 9 June 1912), commonly referred to as I. L. Caragiale, was a Romanians, ...
''Tot Mitică''
(wikisource)
''Tot Mitică'' offers other glimpses into the character's financial problems, showing him complaining that he has been "pulling the devil's tail"—using a traditional proverb to indicate that he has had a hard time getting by.
To this, he adds that the devil would be suing him for injuries.
He claims that he is going to spend his vacation in the mountains, and elaborates that he is talking about the
pawnbroking institution known as ''muntele de pietate'' (from the
French for "Mountain of Piety"; ''see
Mont de Piété'').
Mitică enters a restaurant to order only things which he knows are free ("a toothpick, a match, a glass of water and a newspaper").
In other such sequences of events, he is shown eating in a pub as a means to "defend himself from death", and borrowing money which he promises not to return.
When, in order to converse with a friend in a different compartment, he is traveling second class on a first class train ticket, Mitică asks the conductor to pay him the difference.
He is shown anxiously walking about in the
Bucharest Tribunal hall, and asking to see a lawyer for his defense, jokingly claims that he wants to be defended "from flies".
When invited for a walk in the
Herăstrău Park, which was heavily forested at the time, he pretends to have understood this as an invitation to chop trees, and stresses that he buys his firewood.
Mitică still frequents the
beer garden
A beer garden (German: ''Biergarten'') is an outdoor area in which beer and food are served, typically at shared tables shaded by trees.
Beer gardens originated in Bavaria, of which Munich is the capital city, in the 19th century, and remain co ...
, and one of the dialogs mentions that he spends entire nights there.
He is shown to be flirting with women, including the telephone operator, and boasts that several ladies visit him in his home.
The sketch includes several references to well-known characters of the day, including the
Conservative Party leader
Petre P. Carp, the archaeologist
Grigore Tocilescu
Grigore George Tocilescu (26 October 1850 – 18 September 1909) was a Romanian historian, archaeologist, epigrapher and folkorist, and member of the Romanian Academy.
He was a professor of ancient history at the University of Bucharest, author ...
, the
Royal
Royal may refer to:
People
* Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name
* A member of a royal family or Royalty (disambiguation), royalty
Places United States
* Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
* Royal, Ill ...
administrator
Ioan Kalinderu
Ioan Lazăr Kalinderu (born Calenderoglu, Nicolae Iorga, "Molière și Romînii. Comunicație comemorativă la Academia Romînă", in ''Revista Istorică'', Nr. 1–3/1922, p. 5 also known as Iancu Kalinderu, Ioan Kelenderu, IoanŠCalenderu, or ...
, the actor
Ion Niculescu (as ''Iancu Niculescu''), as well as the dentist Kibrik.
The character reveals his tendencies toward political satire, with a one-liner introduced by Caragiale's definition of "Mitică as a
chauvinist"—Mitică is shown announcing that the only song he wants to have played at his funeral is the
nationalist
Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation,Anthony D. Smith, Smith, A ...
tune ''
Deşteaptă-te, române!'' (which translates as "Awaken Thee, Romanian!").
In addition to the main sketch and ''Tot Mitică'', Caragiale introduced a character of this name in a longer piece, titled ''1 Aprilie'' ("The 1st of April"), which centers on an
April Fool gone wrong. Late in the evening, this Mitică decides to hide in
Cişmigiu while his lover Cleopatra pretends to court their common friend Mişu Poltronul—with simulated indignation, he takes Mişu by surprise as Cleopatra embraces him. Mitică dies hours after Mişu, who reacts out of instinct to his threatening voice, hits him over the forehead with a cane. Another Mitică—"Mr. Mitică the haberdasher", whose family name is probably Georgescu—is present in the 1900 sketch ''La Moşi'' ("At the Fair in
Obor
Obor is the name of a square and the surrounding district of Bucharest, the capital of Romania. There is also a Bucharest Metro station (on the Bucharest Metro Line M1, M1 line) named Obor metro station, Obor, which lies in this area. The dis ...
"), where he is shown accompanied by his family and ridiculing his mother-in-law in public. In another such piece, titled ''Iniţiativa...'' ("The Initiative..."), Caragiale recounts another dialog with "my buddy Mitică", who is shown to be unnerved that the Romanian state "is indifferent" to the fact that infants, his daughter included, do not have
wet nurse
A wet nurse is a woman who breastfeeding, breastfeeds and cares for another's child. Wet nurses are employed if the mother dies, if she is unable to nurse the child herself sufficiently or chooses not to do so. Wet-nursed children may be known a ...
s assigned to them, and that
breastfeeding
Breastfeeding, also known as nursing, is the process where breast milk is fed to a child. Infants may suck the milk directly from the breast, or milk may be extracted with a Breast pump, pump and then fed to the infant. The World Health Orga ...
has to rely on the
private sector
The private sector is the part of the economy which is owned by private groups, usually as a means of establishment for profit or non profit, rather than being owned by the government.
Employment
The private sector employs most of the workfo ...
. Another or the same Mitică makes a brief appearance in ''Inspecţiune'' ("An Inspection"), where he is one of the clerks investigating the bizarre suicide of the civil servant Anghelache.
[ ]Garabet Ibrăileanu
Garabet Ibrăileanu (; May 23, 1871 – March 11, 1936) was a Romanian-Armenian literary critic and theorist, writer, translator, sociologist, University of Iași professor (1908–1934), and, together with Paul Bujor and Constantin Stere, fo ...
Spiritul critic în cultura românească: Spiritul critic în Muntenia – Critica socială extremă: Caragiale
(wikisource)
A Mitică is present in the piece called ''Ţal!...''—the title comes from ''a face ţal'' ("to make ''ţal''"), an antiquated expression which, as Caragiale explains in the beginning of his story, means "to make a payment" (from the
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
''zahlen'').
[ ]Ion Luca Caragiale
Ion Luca Caragiale (; According to his birth certificate, published and discussed by Constantin Popescu-Cadem in ''Manuscriptum'', Vol. VIII, Nr. 2, 1977, pp. 179–184 – 9 June 1912), commonly referred to as I. L. Caragiale, was a Romanians, ...
''Å¢al!...''
(wikisource) The writer illustrates this concept by invoking a meeting between him, Mitică, and Mitică's wife Graziella. Caragiale recounts how his friend served him and others a copious dinner in his house, and then made them sit through Graziella's reading of her own lengthy essay on women as portrayed in Romanian folklore.
To this goal, Caragiale explains, Mitică discreetly claimed that it was ''ţal'' and added, using a quasi-official parlance, that "all bills are to be paid".
The piece ends with Caragiale exiting Mitică's house in haste and: as the latter shouts "to be seeing each other", he exclaims "to be left alone, Mitică".
Background themes and sources of inspiration
Despite Mitică's association with Bucharest and his usual most common career as a state employee, several commentators have recounted that he may have been based on Gheorghe Matheescu, an entrepreneur from the town of
Sinaia
Sinaia () is a town and a mountain resort in Prahova County, Romania. It is situated in the historical region of Muntenia. The town was named after the Sinaia Monastery of 1695, around which it was built. The monastery, in turn, is named after ...
(located on the
Prahova Valley
Prahova Valley (Romanian: ''Valea Prahovei'') is the valley where the Prahova river makes its way between the Bucegi and the Baiu Mountains, in the Carpathian Mountains, Romania. It is a tourist region, situated about north of the capital c ...
, in northern Muntenia).
[ Åžerban Cioculescu, ''Caragialiana'', Editura Eminescu, Bucharest, 1974, p.115-117. ][ Marius Chivu]
"Lumea înainte şi după Caragiale: Ioana Pârvulescu, ''În Ţara Miticilor. De şapte ori Caragiale''"
, in '' Dilema Veche'', 176/IV, June 2007 Matheescu took pride in this supposed connection, and, around 1939, argued in its favor in front of literary historian
Åžerban Cioculescu.
Cioculescu recorded the rumor, and indicated that it was backed by information received from Caragiale's daughter, Ecaterina Logadi.
Her father reportedly enjoyed Matheescu's company, and, in 1901, even authored short advertisements for his store.
Mitică and
Lache and Mache have often been seen as three manifestations of a main type in Caragiale's work—the petty clerk who spends his time off in lively company. Literary historian
Garabet Ibrăileanu
Garabet Ibrăileanu (; May 23, 1871 – March 11, 1936) was a Romanian-Armenian literary critic and theorist, writer, translator, sociologist, University of Iași professor (1908–1934), and, together with Paul Bujor and Constantin Stere, fo ...
, an adherent to the
left-wing
Left-wing politics describes the range of Ideology#Political ideologies, political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy either as a whole or of certain social ...
trend known as ''
Poporanism
Poporanism is a Romanian version of nationalism and populism.
The word is derived from ''popor'', meaning "people" in Romanian language, Romanian. Founded by Constantin Stere in the early 1890s, Poporanism is distinguished by its opposition to Ma ...
'', was among the first to stress that Mitică's name, like those of Lache and Mache, was actually supposed to enhance his everyday nature, while arguing that the character stood for the first generation of commoners with access to education. Ibrăileanu, who criticized Caragiale for his satirical overview of the social process, believed that the clerks in his work are unnecessarily cynical, and stressed that ''Inspecţiune'' was the only one of his works were "one sees at least one glitter of kindness in the souls of the ''mitici''".
Literary historian
George Călinescu
George Călinescu (; 19 June 1899 – 12 March 1965) was a Romanian literary critic, historian, novelist, academician and journalist, and a writer of classicist and humanist tendencies. He is currently considered one of the most important Romani ...
saw Mitică as a main representative of
Balkan
The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...
subjects in Ion Luca Caragiale's prose, and listed among the character's other traits his
pessimism
Pessimism is a mental attitude in which an undesirable outcome is anticipated from a given situation. Pessimists tend to focus on the negatives of life in general. A common question asked to test for pessimism is "Is the glass half empty or half ...
in respect to historical developments, as well as his interest in rallying people off the street and imposing his ideas on them.
George Călinescu
George Călinescu (; 19 June 1899 – 12 March 1965) was a Romanian literary critic, historian, novelist, academician and journalist, and a writer of classicist and humanist tendencies. He is currently considered one of the most important Romani ...
, ''Istoria literaturii române. Compendiu'', Editura Minerva
Editura Minerva is one of the largest publishing houses in Romania. Located in Bucharest, it is known, among other things, for publishing classic Romanian literature, children's books, and scientific books.
The company was founded in Bucharest in ...
, Bucharest, 1983, p.181 He defined the latter aspect as "southern", and noted that, like other heroes of Caragiale's sketches, Mitică is "at the antipode of
Romanticism
Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. The purpose of the movement was to advocate for the importance of subjec ...
", and inhabits a place where "
Gothic meditation does not flourish".
In his history of the ''
Junimea'' literary society,
Z. Ornea argued that there was a link between Mitică's personality and Caragiale's strong rejection of
nationalism
Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation, Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Theory, I ...
:
"Caragiale's ''mitici'' are jovial, good-natured characters, easy-going in their thought and behavior. Solemnity does not suit them and fanatical monomania
In 19th-century psychiatry, monomania (from Greek , "one", and , meaning "madness" or "frenzy") was a form of partial insanity conceived as single psychological obsession in an otherwise sound mind.
Types
Monomania may refer to:
* Erotomania ( ...
s are unimaginable in this context. An ecstatically nationalist Mitică is a contradiction in terms, since his formula in life is accommodation, adaption to the situations."
The character and his counterparts have been understood as purveyors and exponents of ''moft'', a concept treasured by Caragiale.
The word, meaning "trifle" or "nonsense", refers to pretentious and often ridiculous expectations of people caricatured in his work, but is uttered by such characters in reference to each other (as their tendency to dismiss events they are confronted with, no matter how important they may be).
''Moft'' was notably present in Caragiale's own satirical magazine, ''
Moftul Român'' (which he issued at intervals in the 1890s and after 1900). Two mentions of, respectively, ''moft'' and the magazine itself are made in ''Tot Mitică'' (in reference to
Petre P. Carp and to a woman courted by Mitică's friend Costică).
Mitică's voluble nature has itself been considered to have negative implications. An assessment of this was offered by Călinescu, who rejected the popular take on the character as boorish:
"Mitică is a gossiper, a scoundrel, an intriguer, in general on account of his garrulous nature, and a generous and confusing mystifier, agreeing to render services without having the strength to complete them, which in turn permits him to ask services from anyone else .. He is easy-going, with a horror for suffering and is most of all a well-mannered man. The impression that Caragiale's heroes are vulgar is false and mostly arises from the fact that, wishing to seem distinguished, they have not yet cultivated their speech and gestures."
Caragiale created Mitică at a time when the
Romanian culture as developed in the Old Kingdom was the recipient of
French influence, and the Romanian language was open to
Francization
Francization (in American English, Canadian English, and Oxford English) or Francisation (in other British English), also known as Frenchification, is the expansion of French language use—either through willful adoption or coercion—by more an ...
. The character himself partakes in the process, and is shown to have adopted several of the manners and pastimes associated with the
French Third Republic
The French Third Republic (, sometimes written as ) was the system of government adopted in France from 4 September 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed during the Franco-Prussian War, until 10 July 1940, after the Fall of France durin ...
.
[ Florian Bichir]
"Noii 'Mitici' ÅŸi provincia"
, in ''Evenimentul Zilei
''Evenimentul Zilei'' is a formerly physical and now exclusively online newspaper in Romania. Its name translates to "The event of the day" or "Today's event".
History and profile
''Evenimentul Zilei'' was founded by Ion Cristoiu, Cornel Nisto ...
'', January 23, 2007
Modern uses and influence
Cultural and political symbol
The literary critic
Paul Zarifopol, who was Ion Luca Caragiale's good friend, made several references to Mitică as a
prototype
A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process. It is a term used in a variety of contexts, including semantics, design, electronics, and Software prototyping, software programming. A prototype ...
of ignorance. He thus used the character to define the most ignorant of journalists and newspaper readers, and, in his lengthy essay titled ''Din registrul ideilor gingaşe'' ("From the Register of Gentle Ideas"), argued that Mitică's traits survived in the manners and morals of state employees and journalists after Caragiale's death, throughout
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
and after the creation of
Greater Romania
Greater Romania () is the Kingdom of Romania in the interwar period, achieved after the Great Union or the related pan-nationalist ideal of a nation-state which would incorporate all Romanian speakers.Irina LivezeanuCultural Politics in Greate ...
.
Political interpretations of Mitică's status were present at an earlier stage: in his influential essay ''Neoiobăgia'' ("Neo-
Serfdom
Serfdom was the status of many peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to manorialism and similar systems. It was a condition of debt bondage and indentured servitude with similarities to and differences from slavery. It developed du ...
"), the
Marxist
Marxism is a political philosophy and method of socioeconomic analysis. It uses a dialectical and materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to analyse class relations, social conflic ...
thinker
Constantin Dobrogeanu-Gherea
Constantin Dobrogeanu-Gherea (born Solomon Katz; 21 May 1855 – 7 May 1920) was a Romanian Marxist theorist, politician, sociologist, literary critic, and journalist. He was also an entrepreneur in the city of PloieÈ™ti. Constantin Dobroge ...
, himself a friend of Caragiale, used ''Iniţiativa...s protagonist to illustrate the
interventionist policies of the
National Liberal cabinets.
[ ]Constantin Dobrogeanu-Gherea
Constantin Dobrogeanu-Gherea (born Solomon Katz; 21 May 1855 – 7 May 1920) was a Romanian Marxist theorist, politician, sociologist, literary critic, and journalist. He was also an entrepreneur in the city of PloieÈ™ti. Constantin Dobroge ...
''Neoiobăgia: Cât ne costă neoiobăgia şi legiuirea cvasisocialistă de la 1907''
(wikisource) He contended that the two terms of his comparison shared "a mania for
tate
Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the UK ...
intervention", and argued that the National Liberals had a tendency to overregulate the economy.
Commentators such as
Constantin Amăriuţei have proposed that there is an intrinsic connection between Mitică and Gore Pirgu, one of the protagonists in the novel ''
Craii de Curtea-Veche'', authored by Ion Luca Caragiale's son and rival, the
Symbolist
Symbolism or symbolist may refer to:
*Symbol, any object or sign that represents an idea
Arts
*Artistic symbol, an element of a literary, visual, or other work of art that represents an idea
** Color symbolism, the use of colors within various c ...
Mateiu Caragiale
Mateiu Ion Caragiale (; – 17 January 1936), also credited as Matei or Matheiu, or in the antiquated version MateiÅ,Sorin Antohi"Romania and the Balkans. From Geocultural Bovarism to Ethnic Ontology" in ''Tr@nsit online'', Institut für die Wi ...
.
[ Dan C. Mihăilescu, "Mitică prin Heidegger", in '']Ziarul Financiar
''Ziarul Financiar'' is a daily financial newspaper published in Bucharest, Romania. Aside from business information, it features sections focusing on careers and properties, as well as a special Sunday newspaper. ''Ziarul Financiar'' also publish ...
'', March 4, 2003 Pirgu, who enjoys a successful career during the
interwar
In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period, also known as the interbellum (), lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days) – from the end of World War I (WWI) to the beginning of World War II ( ...
despite having a shady past and coarse manners, has been defined by Amăriuţei as "the eternal and real Mitică of the Romanian world".
Constantin Amăriuţei was noted for defining Mitică's character (''Miticism'') through
onthologic terms borrowed from the
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
philosopher
Martin Heidegger
Martin Heidegger (; 26 September 1889 – 26 May 1976) was a German philosopher known for contributions to Phenomenology (philosophy), phenomenology, hermeneutics, and existentialism. His work covers a range of topics including metaphysics, art ...
.
He thus argued that, for all their mundane motivations, the character and his peers illustrated a search present with all individuals, identifiable with Heidegger's concepts of ''Being-in-the-World'' and ''Being-toward-death'' (''see
Heideggerian terminology'').
In 2000, several essays by literary historian
Laurenţiu Ulici were published posthumously, under the title ''Mitică şi Hyperion'' ("Mitică and
Hyperion"). This name drew a direct comparison between the voluble Mitică and an equally famous character in
Romanian literature
Romanian literature () is the entirety of literature written by Romanian authors, although the term may also be used to refer to all literature written in the Romanian language or by any authors native to Romania.
Early Romanian literature inc ...
, the aloof, rational, and god-like protagonist of
Mihai Eminescu
Mihai Eminescu (; born Mihail Eminovici; 15 January 1850 – 15 June 1889) was a Romanians, Romanian Romanticism, Romantic poet, novelist, and journalist from Moldavia, generally regarded as the most famous and influential Romanian poet. Emin ...
's poem ''
Luceafărul'' ("The Morning Star").
[ ]Paul Cernat
Paul Cernat (born August 5, 1972 in Bucharest) is a Romanian essayist and literary critic. He has a Ph.D. summa cum laude in philology. Cernat has been a member of the Writers' Union of Romania since 2009. As of 2013, he is lecturer of Romanian l ...
"Bridge peste ape tulburi: Laurenţiu Ulici, ''Mitică şi Hyperion''"
in ''Observator Cultural
''Observator Cultural'' (meaning "The Cultural Observer" in English) is a weekly literary magazine based in Bucharest, Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast ...
'', Nr. 74, July 2002 Ulici attempted to synthesize the two conflicting natures in the Romanian identity, and viewed the two as terms in "an
oxymoron
An oxymoron (plurals: oxymorons and oxymora) is a figure of speech that Juxtaposition, juxtaposes concepts with opposite meanings within a word or in a phrase that is a self-contradiction (disambiguation), self-contradiction. As a rhetorical de ...
" standing at the center of
Romanian culture.
In his essay on the history of drunkenness in Romanian culture,
Mircea Bălan defined Mitică as:
"The Bucharest wise guy, a haughty rascal, a swindler doubled by a thief and a boor giving himself airs, deplorable, awkward and discredited from the get-go, in reality an aborted 'dastard', an aborted 'wanton'."
Literary critic
Ioana Pârvulescu agreed that there was a link between Mitică and other characters in Caragiale's sketches; she subsequently argued that formed an integral part of the writer's caricature of Romania in its entirety, and that the measure to which they reflected reality is impossible to detect.
In her 2007 volume of essays, titled ''În Ţara Miticilor. De şapte ori Caragiale'' ("In the Land of the ''Mitici''. Seven Times Caragiale"), she stressed that the character was both more human and more artificial than his usual interpretations in 20th century commentary.
A particular definition of Mitică and ''mitici'' was adopted by many inhabitants of
Transylvania
Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...
, who used the terms in reference to either Bucharest-based politicians or inhabitants of the city at large, and contrasted them with their counterparts to the northwest.
The character has thus evolved to include a
stereotypical
In social psychology, a stereotype is a generalization, generalized belief about a particular category of people. It is an expectation that people might have about every person of a particular group. The type of expectation can vary; it can ...
view of contemporary Bucharesters or Wallachians, one which depicts them as
sciolist, arrogant, aggressive and cunning.
In other contexts, the ''mitici'' may be seen as not having an adequate familiarity with the culture of Transylvania, and are associated with the
Balkans
The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...
(whereas Transylvania is identified with
Central Europe
Central Europe is a geographical region of Europe between Eastern Europe, Eastern, Southern Europe, Southern, Western Europe, Western and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Central Europe is known for its cultural diversity; however, countries in ...
).
In September 1998, the Transylvanian journalist and essayist
Sabin Gherman issued a pamphlet titled ''M-am săturat de România'' ("I've Grown Tired of Romania"), which was at the center of a scandal over its radical tone and demands for
regional autonomy
Regional autonomy is the authority of a region to govern and administer the interests of the local people according to its own initiatives.
21st-century examples of disputes over autonomy include the Basque Country and Catalonia in Spain, Sici ...
in Transylvania. In its first lines, the message drew a parallel between Mitică and "politicians in power", identifying centralism and the
politics of Romania
Romania's political framework is a Semi-presidential republic, semi-presidential representative republic where the Prime Minister of Romania, Prime Minister is the head of government while the President of Romania, President, according to the C ...
with, among other things, disorganization and
statism
In political science, statism or etatism (from French, ''état'' 'state') is the doctrine that the political authority of the state is legitimate to some degree. This may include economic and social policy, especially in regard to taxation ...
.
[ Sabin Gherman]
"M-am săturat de România"
a
Fundaţia Civică proTransilvania
retrieved September 10, 2007 Gherman went on to contrast "the seriousness, the elegance, the discipline" which he attributed to Transylvania with the invasion of "miticisms, ordinary Balkanisms, the civilization of pumpkin seeds".
The latter sentence comprised a reference to the habit of consuming seeds as snacks, in which he saw evidence of rudimentary behavior:
"Here hat is, outside Transylvania one doesn't have rights, but complaisances. Here they eat pumpkin seeds, they use 'there is many' in their speech, and, in general, people get born, multiply themselves and die."
Portrayals and tributes
One of the best-known references to the character is the
1981 film ''
De ce trag clopotele, Mitică?'' (translated as "Why Are the Bells Ringing, Mitică?"), directed by
Lucian Pintilie
Lucian Pintilie (; 9 November 1933 – 16 May 2018[Lucian Pi ...](_blank)
. Titled after the opening dialog in ''Tot Mitică'', the film was actually structured around Caragiale's play ''
D-ale carnavalului'', and included portions from several other writings—including ''1 Aprilie''. Mitică, who makes a brief appearance before dying at the hands of Mişu Poltronul, is portrayed by
Ştefan Iordache. ''De ce trag clopotele, Mitică?'' was noted for its subtle undertones, through which it expressed criticism of the
Romanian communist regime (at a time when the country was led by
Nicolae CeauÅŸescu Nicolae may refer to:
* Nicolae (name), an Aromanian and Romanian name
* ''Nicolae'' (novel), a 1997 novel
See also
*Nicolai (disambiguation)
*Nicolao Nicolao is an Italian given name and a surname. It may refer to the following:
Given name
*Ni ...
).
In 2003, the
Luceafărul Theater in
IaÅŸi hosted a dramatized version of ''
Momente şi schiţe''. Titled ''În lumea lui Mitică'' ("In Mitică's World"), it was directed by
Constantin Brehnescu and starred
Dionisie Vitcu.
The
national television channel
TVR 2 produces a weekly show titled ''D'ale lu' Mitică'' (roughly: "Mitică's Stuff"), whose title is inspired by Caragiale's hero. Hosted by the actor
Mitică Popescu, the show groups
reportage
Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree of accuracy. The word, a noun, applies to the journ ...
pieces from the Romanian countryside, recording unusual events which, the editors believe, serve to illustrate the problems faced by small communities in the
post-1989 transition period.
[ Adrian Văduva]
"D'ale lu' Mitică – 'Oamenii de la ţară mint convingător' "
, in '' Jurnalul Naţional'', June 12, 2007
References
External links
''De ce trag clopotele, Mitică?'' at the
Internet Movie Database
IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biograp ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mitica
Ion Luca Caragiale
Bucharest in fiction
Culture of Transylvania
Fictional civil servants
Fictional Romanian people
Romanian humour
Romanian short stories
Stereotypes of white men
Stock characters
1901 short stories