Our Fathers' Living Legacies: Three Italian American Novels

Abstract

This dissertation focuses on the father figures of three Italian American novels and their respective legacies: The Godfather (1969) by Mario Puzo, The Brotherhood of the Grape (1977) by John Fante and Christ in Concrete (1939) by Pietro Di Donato. The analysis will consider in particular how and when these fathers transmit the knowledge gained over the years of their worlds to their sons and the reasons why they chose, or were forced to choose, a certain heir to follow in their footsteps. I decided to work with these novels because of the major role played by the paternal characters, which is obvious, but also because these three men, who share nothing in common on the surface, are in fact connected on a deeper level. They are all driven by the same urge: their children’s survival. The love for the offspring is what makes a man a human being within the family but one must remember that it is “Job” that determines “the size of someone’s shadow” and his true value as a man among other working paisans. Michael Corleone, Henry Molise and Paul son of Geremio receive their rural, Italian education at different stages of their lives and react to the similar lessons each in his own according way depending on the social context, the years in which the events take place and whether the leading figure is present or not. Critical bibliography will include works by Thomas J. Ferraro, Robert Viscusi, Francesco Durante, Fred Gardaphé, Salvatore J. LaGumina and Anthony J. Tamburri with special attention to Viscusi’s notion regarding “the persistence of impossible desires”.