Drogo's Follies: Waiting and Complacency

The Tartar SteppeIn Dino Buzzati’s The Tartar Steppe, young Giovanni Drogo is sent to Fort Bastiani, a remote fortress on the edge of the Tartar Steppe. Like every other young officer in Italy, this is the last place he wants to be. There are no women, no peers, no fun. Other cities are considerably more attractive in terms of amenities and people. But like every other young officer in Italy, he accepts his assignment, albeit begrudgingly, having no other choice.Arriving at Fort Bastiani, Drogo is met by the tenured soldiers on post and is quick to express his intent to leave this place as soon as allowed. This is met with a hearty chuckle and warning that it won’t be that easy. Drogo soon learns about the reason for the fort: the Tartars. An ancient people that are “legend more than anything else”, they pose a threat to Italian sovereignty and all it stands for, requiring soldiers to guard the border they would invade from.Eventually the tailor, Prosdocimo, is introduced, and…