Student Question
What is the theme of the novel Fontamara by Ignazio Silone and how is it communicated?
Quick answer:
The theme of Fontamara is the exploitation and awakening of Italian peasants under Fascist rule. The novel illustrates how the capitalist system, the Catholic Church, and the Fascist regime keep the peasants oppressed and ignorant, embodied by characters like the Contractor. Initially, the peasants are subdued, but the narrative evolves to show their growing class consciousness and resistance, culminating in a hopeful vision for a Socialist brotherhood infused with Christian values.
Fontamara focuses on the exploitation of Italian peasants (referred to as "cafoni" in the novel) during the Fascist dictatorship. Set in the Southern region of Abruzzi in the fictional town of Fontamara ("bitter fount" in English), the novel shows how the capitalist system (embodied by the character of the Contractor), the Catholic Church and the Fascist regime keep the peasants ignorant in order to repress any form of political resistance. Although the novel emphasizes the peasants' subdued status at the beginning of the narrative, by its conclusion it also points out their ability to resist and fight back. Thus, Fontamara displays the growth of class consciousness of a group of peasants and their willingness to fight for a better and fairer condition. Its final message, therefore, is one of hope for the construction of a Socialist brotherhood, although Silone's Christian upbringing made him permeate this utopian project with Christian values too.
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