If
you started following this blog early this year, you may have been looking forward to
the post on this anthology.
Every short story in this compilation is preceded
by a brief biography of the author. At least forty Italian authors are
featured in this book. The writers come from both rich and poor
families. The diversity of stories includes realist, neorealist,
avant-garde, fantastic, modernist and postmodernist styles.
Some authors in this anthology cultivated
literary fame while others shunned it. The Second World War influenced the writing and lives of these authors in various ways. Bear in mind
that two of them were in Nazi concentration camps; another writer escaped from
one. At least twelve of these writers were forced to live in hiding, either
because they were members of the anti-fascist Resistance, or because they were
Jews.
The authors in this compilation lived during
the twentieth century, and Jhumpa Lahiri offers an introduction about the
selection of the stories, her personal connection with Italy and
relevant information about the historical context.
The
Second World War had devastating effects on the Italian society and economy,
but the aftermath of the Second World War gave way to a new cultural movement
during which literary magazines proliferated and innovative publishing
initiatives cropped up.
In the introduction to this anthology, Jhumpa Lahiri explains that Mussolini’s fascist regime sought “to standardize and flatten the language.” This is one of the features of totalitarian regimes. They sabotage language, which is an essential tool for communication. As you know, Orwell exposes this action of totalitarian regimes in his novel 1984. In the case of Mussolini's fascist regime, language serves the purpose of fascist ideology. For example, the pronoun lei (as opposed to voi) was prohibited as a second pronoun because it was claimed to be a Spanish grammatical import, and also because it sounded “feminine.”
Fascism stripped women of political influence and expected them to be subservient. The roots of this trend may have had a Greco-Roman origin (more on this in a future post).
After the fall of fascism new trends in
literature emerged as writers reckoned with the past. There was a
transformation in response to the rigidity imposed by the fascist regime. I
looked into this further and found a list of novels about living under Italian
fascism. I will probably choose something from this list in the future:
https://electricliterature.com/8-novels-in-translation-about-living-under-italian-fascism-italy/
One of the stories I
enjoyed from Jhumpa Lahiri's anthology is “Miss” by Anna Banti. It reveals the life journey of a woman who
makes the choices that somehow define her identity, and the patriarchy
underestimates those choices. Yet she
still feels compelled to make those choices because she is curious and
intellectually active. The stream of consciousness reveals how her intellectual
curiosity and talents guide her in the direction she chooses to go despite the
condescending attitudes and the lack of respect she faces, which appears to be
a normal part of her existence as a female member of the human race.
In her
mosaic of interests and talents, her voice claims its space in subtle, yet
powerful ways that captivate the reader. At least it captivated me.
I would
like to explore more stories by Anna Banti. Another writer I enjoyed reading
was Lalla Romano. I appreciate how these two writers put into words situations
and thoughts that are not easy to verbalize.
Another story I would like to highlight
from the collection is the one by Dino Buzzati. It is about a family and
friends inside a house that slowly gets flooded, but the residents have trouble
accepting what is going on in it. They
are in denial of the truth, even when the truth is right in front of their
eyes. This story could be used as an analogy on what is happening today with the
effects of climate change along with the attitudes and words of the deniers.
Similarly, the analogy may be applied to the way some people choose to be in
denial of the actions of brutal, senseless political regimes. It is a powerful
story that left me reflecting on the ways people are in denial of facts that
threaten their own livelihoods or the lives of others. An example of this was the COVID pandemic. Thousands of people refused to acknowledge the existence of a pandemic,
referring to it as a hoax, even when people close to them died. Imagine now the example of a demented irrational psychopath ruling
a country with unrestrained power. You get the idea.
What does it mean to be in
denial of something that needs to be addressed as soon as possible? If you read
the story by Dino Buzzati: “And yet They are Knocking on your Door” you will
know what I mean.
One of my favorite stories in this collection
is the one by Alba de Cespedes in which the writer explores the embarrassing
emotions and reputation of the citizens of Italy after succumbing to the
fascist regime. I will be exploring more of Alba de Cespedes’ works…Likewise, I would like to read more works by Italo Calvino. His story about a conversation with a
tortoise surprised me. I thought it was original, insightful and ahead of its
times, a good summary of the manifestations and effects of human arrogance on
the world…
Many of the short stories in this collection
clearly expose the power of the patriarchy and the subjugation of women in
society. Some of these tales are oppressive and unpleasant. I prefer stories that open a window of
hope and new possibilities; this is not the case with most of the stories in
this anthology; I would have chosen stories that deal with these themes from a
rebellious perspective, in a more adventurous way.
I think Lahiri
could have made a better selection to excite the reader. It took me over three
months to complete the read.
Some of these stories are good, but many of
them are deeply misogynistic, boring and, of course, stupid. For example, there
is one called “The Streetwalker”, a disgusting story about a man who cheats on
his wife by going to sex workers regularly, and he shares every detail of his irrelevant
outings. I am not even sure if some of the sex workers are indeed sex workers or
sex slaves. Women are clearly used by the narrator as objects to satisfy his
personal desires. Women are not viewed
as human beings with feelings, needs and emotions of their own. They are not
treated as human beings that deserve basic respect. They are simply used to
satisfy his desires in the most convenient way. It was nauseating.
Interestingly, I feel the same kind of nausea whenever I hear or see a clownish
orange psychopath... I suppose in America there will be many people fascinated
with this kind of man considering the kind of politician they voted for to rule
the country in a king-like manner that makes no sense. I thought the story “The
Streetwalker” was vulgar and irrelevant—a complete waste of my time.
This is a very heterogeneous collection. The
feat of this collection, however, is that it offers literary works that
had never been translated into English. I also appreciate that it awakened my
interest in new Italian authors and their works.
I think
the introduction could have provided more information on the effects of fascism
on literature and society since this is a critical issue that authors
had to contend with. Jhumpa Lahiri could have analyzed this in relation to the
stories to highlight the relevance of the book. I was
not interested in her personal experiences with Italy as much as I was in the
reverberations of fascism.
I wanted to learn more about the historical
context of the tales she picked.
All in all, I recommend this book, but bear
in mind that you will have to complete the literary and historical exploration yourself
to dig deeper into the lives of the authors and the meaning of their stories.
Good news
to share
Yesterday I
was thankful to receive an email that informed me that a federal judge blocked trump’s
attack against the endangered species act. You can learn more on this here:
https://earthjustice.org/press/2026/federal-court-strikes-down-president-trumps-attacks-against-endangered-species-act-restores-bedrock-environmental-law-to-pre-trump-status
Thank you to everyone who helped to make this
possible. This is just the beginning of the battle. We need to continue working
to protect the earth from the vandalism and assault caused by the trump regime.
It is also important to educate the public on
the lies of the so-called MAHA movement. The trump regime has dismantled
regulations that protect us from toxic, harmful chemicals, pesticides and
pollutants. Many of them cause cancer, developmental disabilities, and other
serious health issues. You can read about this here. Make sure you share these links and let your representatives know that you disagree with what they are doing.
https://earthjustice.org/feature/trump-maha
The fossil fuel industry is complicit with this
regime. Dirty oil continues to kill people in senseless wars and in our
everyday lives. There is no concern over public health and the environment.
There is no concern for the lives lost in unlawful wars. Please, vote for
democracy and justice. Do everything you can to vote out fascism. Support clean
energy initiatives. They support rural economies and provide jobs. Support the
future of your children to keep them safe from sexual abuse and to live in a
planet where they can enjoy nature. VOTE. Stay informed. Every voice matters.
Use your voice. Call your
representatives. Sign petitions.
Ten
years ago, I anticipated the current situation when I wrote a well-researched article on the need to support the development of clean energies and to work
toward a sustainable future. It was published in The Mindful Word.
I like to remind myself that I am thankful
for the beauty of the sun… but I also feel thankful for how the sun powers our
home and transportation without polluting the air we breathe… what is not to
like about this?
Take a moment to contemplate the Pink Moon today. It symbolizes
renewal, rebirth and growth…
