According to the Oxford Dictionary, the term superstition can be defined as “a widely held but irrational belief in supernatural influences, leading to good or bad luck” (Oxford 2012). It is said to be a practice based on such belief resulting from fear of the unknown. The role of superstition in Lives of the Saints written by Nino Ricci controls the society of a small town called Valle del Sole, as the villager’s main beliefs revolve around the practice of superstition. Thus, Nino Ricci’s Lives of the Saints portrays a dominant role of superstition due to the influence of the snake bite, the effects on Cristina’s relationships, and the drive of conflict with society. Due to the influence of the snake bite, the negative effects of Cristina’s
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3.Do you follow any superstitions today? If so, which ones?
4.Do you agree with Cristina’s actions of living freely? Do you think you would do the same if in her position?
The Role of Superstition in Lives of the Saints Argument #1: Superstition is evident in Lives of the Saints when Cristina is bitten by a snake and it causes a turmoil of negative events. The superstition of a snake bite is introduced primarily and directly in the novel as the reader gets the idea of how it is going to be a dominant theme throughout when Vittorio says, “If this story has a beginning, a moment at which a single gesture broke the surface of events like a stone thrown into the sea, the ripples cresting away endlessly, then that beginning occurred on a hot July day in the year 1960, in the village of Valle del Sole, when my mother was bitten by a snake.” (Ricci 1). In Valle del Sole, the snake symbolizes the malocchio – which is referred to as the “evil eye” and has a relation to the …show more content…
This is evident when Vittorio defends his mom when Fabrizio makes a negative comment regarding her: “But I threw myself on him, arms flailing, and the two of us fell to the ground, Fabrizio holding out his elbows to ward me off. ‘Oh, scimunit! Have you gone crazy?’ ‘It was the snakes fault you stupid!’ ‘You’re just stupid like your stupid father!’ ‘Si, si, stop it was only the snake, you’re right, it was only the snake.” (Ricci 107)
The villagers isolated Cristina, breaking off any ties they had to her, due to their strong superstitious beliefs and fixed ways of thinking. “Ricci explores how the villagers relied on their superstitious beliefs as a source of faith.” (Padolsky 1987, 145)
Argument #3: Superstition drives conflict with the society of Valle del Sole. Cristina’s friend, Giuseppina, says “I warn you, Cristi, you’ll bring a curse on everyone around you. It’s only for your father that people have kept quiet till now. But with the snake, everyone has started to talk.” (Ricci 54), which shows that because she has been bitten by a snake, she is now cursed, which leads to the villagers alienating her.
The men of Valle del Sole share that “If the cock was in the fields then the hen would lay her eggs in someone else’s nest.” (Ricci 144), assuming that if Cristina’s husband was home in Italy then she would not have had an
3.Do you follow any superstitions today? If so, which ones?
4.Do you agree with Cristina’s actions of living freely? Do you think you would do the same if in her position?
The Role of Superstition in Lives of the Saints Argument #1: Superstition is evident in Lives of the Saints when Cristina is bitten by a snake and it causes a turmoil of negative events. The superstition of a snake bite is introduced primarily and directly in the novel as the reader gets the idea of how it is going to be a dominant theme throughout when Vittorio says, “If this story has a beginning, a moment at which a single gesture broke the surface of events like a stone thrown into the sea, the ripples cresting away endlessly, then that beginning occurred on a hot July day in the year 1960, in the village of Valle del Sole, when my mother was bitten by a snake.” (Ricci 1). In Valle del Sole, the snake symbolizes the malocchio – which is referred to as the “evil eye” and has a relation to the …show more content…
This is evident when Vittorio defends his mom when Fabrizio makes a negative comment regarding her: “But I threw myself on him, arms flailing, and the two of us fell to the ground, Fabrizio holding out his elbows to ward me off. ‘Oh, scimunit! Have you gone crazy?’ ‘It was the snakes fault you stupid!’ ‘You’re just stupid like your stupid father!’ ‘Si, si, stop it was only the snake, you’re right, it was only the snake.” (Ricci 107)
The villagers isolated Cristina, breaking off any ties they had to her, due to their strong superstitious beliefs and fixed ways of thinking. “Ricci explores how the villagers relied on their superstitious beliefs as a source of faith.” (Padolsky 1987, 145)
Argument #3: Superstition drives conflict with the society of Valle del Sole. Cristina’s friend, Giuseppina, says “I warn you, Cristi, you’ll bring a curse on everyone around you. It’s only for your father that people have kept quiet till now. But with the snake, everyone has started to talk.” (Ricci 54), which shows that because she has been bitten by a snake, she is now cursed, which leads to the villagers alienating her.
The men of Valle del Sole share that “If the cock was in the fields then the hen would lay her eggs in someone else’s nest.” (Ricci 144), assuming that if Cristina’s husband was home in Italy then she would not have had an