“ONE, NO ONE AND ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND” PIRANDELLO’S NOVEL THROUGH THE LENS OF MIN YOONGI’S ALTER…

“ONE, NO ONE AND ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND” PIRANDELLO’S NOVEL THROUGH THE LENS OF MIN YOONGI’S ALTER EGOS

One, No One and One Hundred Thousand is a 1926 novel by the Italian writer Luigi Pirandello. With the protagonist, Vitangelo Moscarda, Pirandello explores the identity crisis of the modern man and the concept of masks that each person wears.

This insightful journey reveals how everyone has constructed a Vitangelo persona in their imagination and none of them corresponds to the one Vitangelo believes himself to be.

We can find this socio-philosophical reflection in the personal and artistic journey of Min Yoongi, known also as SUGA of BTS or Agust D as a solo artist.

Like Vitangelo Moscarda, Min Yoongi- global artist of this century- reveals a fragmented identity of his being.

“One”- Yoongi, Exist in Memory

For Pirandello One is the illusion of a unique, single, stable self. Yoongi represents this dimension – more intimate that seeks stability and authenticity in his existence.

“No One”- Agust D, The Chaser

Pirandello’s No One represents the most dramatic moment for Moscarda- and the human beings in general- when he gains conscience: there is no defined identity but only internal chaos.

Agust D is the alter ego that embodies this daunting condition: a rebellious, angry voice but also vulnerable and scared.

In his mixtapes Agust D and D-2, and in his solo album D-Day, Yoongi confronts this existential condition in an emotional and raw way, particularly in the songs

140503 at Dawn

I always prepare two masks hiding my true self

The Last

On the other side of the famous idol rapper stands my weak self, it’s a bit dangerous

“One Hundred Thousand”- SUGA, Lost in Memory

One hundred thousand refers to the infinite identities that others project onto us. This is where SUGA comes in: a role shaped by Yoongi himself, but also by fan expectations, media and the industry.

There is no single self only as many selves as there are others’ perceptions.

In the song “Moonlight” , Yoongi reflects on whether he is as great as the rest of the world perceives him to be

Being called immortal is fucking overwhelming I started just because I liked music But the adjectives they attach to my name feel too much sometimes

Like Moscarda, Yoongi doesn’t have a singular identity and it shows in his work where he confronts the impossibility of being fully known either by himself or by others.