Ahh last book of the semester! This was definitely a fun one to end with. I watched the HBO show a few years ago and fell in love with the characters, so I had a preformed image of how they looked and acted. I watched the show with my dad, who is also Italian (but only half so that makes me a quarter!), and speaks the language fluently. His family lives in Sardegna, an island I’ve been very lucky to visit several times over the years, and I couldn’t help but draw comparisons between some neighbourhoods there and the one described in the book. Cagliari (the city my dad is from) isn’t Naples, but while I was reading I pictured the familiar graffitied streets I walked down on summer vacations, the buildings crowded together, the laundry hanging between balconies. It helped conjured an image of the world depicted in this novel.
What first struck me was the acceptance of violence in the neighbourhood, as this is how things have always been. The tensions between the various families are seen as part of life, not something to be solved or ameliorated. Lenu is aware of this from an early age, and it carries into her later experiences. Even when she is assaulted, she tells no one, and while she is tormented and disgusted by it, she accepts it as part of the violence she’s known her whole life.
I also find it interesting to observe the role of class in Lenu and Lila’s relationship, how there is a constant back and forth between them- first Lenu is above Lila for her ability to go to school and further her education beyond what Lila is capable of. Lila finds another way to rise above Lenu, however, by marrying Stefano, the wealthiest and most respectable man in the neighbourhood. Sometimes it seems that the two only make decisions based on each other, either to compete with the other or help her in some manner. They are truly bound to each other, and it makes sense when their relationship appears to be deeper and more real than many of the ones they see around them. While Lenu serves as the sole narrator of the story, there are glimpses of Lila’s equally warm feelings to her, such as when she refers to her as “my brilliant friend” at the end of the novel.
While Lenu’s education may offer her a way out of the neighbourhood, out of the constant cycle of violence and allow her to reach the world beyond, Lila is confined by her marriage to that familiar poverty. It’s quite sad in the end, as it seems this isn’t a fate she wanted but one that she was forced into given her family’s situation. There’s lots more to discuss about this novel, but I’ll try not to ramble. Overall, one of my favourites!
My question- do you think there were some aspects of Lila and Lenu’s relationship that were toxic or unhealthy?
It was also one of my favorite novels and now I started watching the HBO series. I have not been disappointed at all! As you also mention, there is the promise of a “better life” thanks to participation in the educational system, an idea very typical of the post-war years. I don’t know if the way school education is represented in the novel catches your attention. What specific knowledge helps improve social position? It seems to be implicit, but as you say this can also be discussed in class!
Hey Kendra, interesting to hear about your family history. I think Lenu’s view of their friendship was definitely unhealthy at times and was fueled by her sense of inferiority in comparison to Lila. I don’t really think Lila intended to “compete” with her friend, but Lenu perceiving it that way was certainly a bit toxic.