My mother’s Italian dinner is a full display of her excellence in the kitchen. This meal is different from the others; it is immeasurably close to her heart. The preparation is old fashioned, bringing back memories of our ancestral history. The table is set beautifully- silverware and glasses sparkling on the tablecloth- and crystal carafes of wine filled to the brim (water for the kids of course). The whole family arrives. Adults conversing, kids running around, all waiting to hear the same message, “The food is ready.” Soon, an overwhelming amount of pasta emerges from the kitchen complimented by huge, pillowy soft meatballs. Nothing says Italian food like a big bowl of spaghetti and meatballs. Everyone sits down to eat, well almost everyone. …show more content…
Her father, Luciano, had to work long days, seven days a week while her mother, Maria Grace, also worked every day as a live-in housekeeper for a wealthy family. When Lucia was first born, Maria Grace would bring her baby daughter to work with her; however, once Lucia became a toddler, Maria was no longer allowed to bring her daughter with her to work, leaving Lucia with little, if any, supervision at times. Fortunately, Maria’s employer took pity on them and helped place Lucia in a convent to live with nuns who could actively care for her. The convent proved to be a wonderful solution, as it was the place Lucia learned to cook, clean, and sew. The convent made a lot of its money from selling homemade linens and lace, and the nuns learned quickly that Lucia excelled at making lace. After seven years of living with the nuns, this skill proved useful as Lucia was able to obtain a job as a seamstress in a local factory at the young age of twelve (Powers).
The responsibilities of working in a factory kept Lucia busy, lessening her chances of running into the mafia or getting into trouble like when she was younger. “Days were long, nights were short, and living a life of an working adult was not what she wanted (Powers).” Their family was fast becoming comfortable with all three members working stable jobs; still, Maria wanted more for her daughter,
…show more content…
Lucia would always comment to my grandmother that she remembers the trip taking such a long time which is funny considering her journey took only ten days, extremely shorter than the ten to twelve weeks that the journey took back in the 17t h and 18t h centuries (Scarpaci). Nevertheless, Lucia remembered feeling tired and hungry, but she was not allowed to complain. Another fortunate aspect of their trip was that Angelo had sent money back home to help pay for Maria and Lucia’s passage, and that with the amount Maria had saved was enough to upgrade them to second class, which was exceptionally better than those who were relegated to steerage. Steerage was considerably more crowded and unsanitary than conditions in first and second class. In fact, clean water and bathrooms were unavailable (Powers). After ten days on the boat, Lucia and her mom landed at Ellis Island. Ironically, this was not Maria’s first
Life in Italy is much different than life in the United States. Italians live at a much slower pace, than American’s and they have a desire to enjoy life instead of rushing through it as many American lifestyles exhibit (Zimmermann, K. (2015). The extended family is very important in Italy, whereas in the United States, the focus tends to be on the nuclear family, which includes mom, dad, and children (Zimmermann, 2015). The differences in Italian culture and American culture are vast and varied, but with a few comparable components to demonstrate similarities.
The varieties of pasta differ in shape and sizes, as well as the amount of sauces you can choose from. Pasta itself isn’t Italy’s only specialty. A large portion of Mediterranean dishes derive from the country, seeing as how it’s almost completely surrounded by water. It ranges from trout to tilapia, to salmon and mussels. Therefore any individual can have whole meals such as steak or salmon, or satisfy his or her pasta craving by adding virtually any meat to it, either way through Olive Garden’s broad menu and choices of dishes everyone is bound to find something they will
When Octavia tells Lucia Santa about her wanting to become a teacher, Lucia Santa “objects out of superstition,” emphasizing how “life was unlucky, you followed a new path at your peril” (Puzo 12). To Lucia Santa, taking risk when everything in life is already stable is the same as “[putting] yourself at the mercy of fate,” and because Octavia was [too young to understand,]” the only way to protect her against the uncertainties of life is to restrict her freedom. Similar to how Nino wants to protect Gina from the disappointment of not getting into a fancy women’s college or from getting pregnant in an uncommitted relationship with Alex, Lucia Santa wants to protect Octavia from losing what she already has obtained “to be happy” (Hendin 12). In addition to protecting Octavia from the uncertainties of life, Lucia Santa’s fatalistic perspective is also shown through their cynicism against upward mobility, as “the greater the reward, it followed, the greater the risks,” as you can “become helpless in a shattering defeat” (Puzo 138). Thus, instead of taking risks and trying to achieve richness, it is better to have a “modest safety” (Puzo 138). The idea protecting what you already have, instead of trying to strive for more, is also apparent through Lucia Santa’s refusal of letting Frank return home,
At first, Caline is sent to live with her aunt, Ma Rose, because Caline’s mother is unable to pay for Caline’s school tuition and take care of five children. Caline’s mother is a single mother with minimum income. She had no other choice, but to send Caline to live with Ma Rose in Jacmel, Haiti. Upon Caline arriving to Jacmel, Ma Rose promised Caline’s mother that she will take care of Caline. Also, Ma Rose vowed to make sure Caline receives quality education from the best school in Jacmel.
In analyzing this story, there are several other interesting facts that merit further exploration. For instance, throughout the story all references to the little convent girl use black or dark references. But, when plunging to her death, the author describes the little convent girl as a "flutter of white petticoats, a show of white stockings". What is the significance of the sudden color change? Also, Since the reader must assume that the little convent girl is Catholic, what can be concluded about a proper catholic committing suicide?
There’s a lot more to being Italian than the typical stereotypes that we have come to know from movies, television and books. From the Catholic mobsters who kill during the week but always make it to mass on Sunday, to the “how you doin” views of Joey from the television show “Friends”, people often forget the more important parts of being Italian. It is a culture like no other, full of history, art, and most importantly, their passion for food. Italian food, in my opinion, is the best in the world. Italians put so much into everything they make that the time and effort is tasted with every single bite. One of my favorite dishes would have to be fettuccini alfredo and it just happens to be a fairly easy, but extremely delicious, dish to make. Trust me, if I can make it, you can make it.
Adèle Ratignolle uses art to beautify her home. Madame Ratignolle represents the ideal mother-woman (Bloom 119). Her chief concerns and interests are for her husband and children. She was society’s model of a woman’s role. Madame Ratignolle’s purpose for playing the pia...
While Madame Ratignolle, Madamoiselle Reisz and Edna are very different characters, all of them are unable to reach their potentials. Madame Ratignolle is too busy being the perfect Louisiana woman that she no identity of her own; her only purpose in life is to care for her husband and children. Madamoiselle Reisz is so defiant and stubborn that she has isolated herself from society and anyone she could share her art with. Edna has the opportunity to rise above society’s expectations of females, but she is too weak to fight this battle and ultimately gives up. While these three characters depict different ideas of what it truly means to be a woman and what women’s role in society should be, none of them can reach their full individual potential.
Linguine with clams, or linguine alle vongole, is a dish that can be enjoyed on any day throughout the year. However, the linguine with clams that is had on Christmas Eve is much more special. When my mother makes this dish for dinner, she uses clam sauce with small pieces of clams from a can. Although it is delicious, there is nothing like the fresh white sauce my grandfather makes and the whole clams you eat right out of the shells. The linguine with clams we have on Christmas Eve is also more special because of the occasion. For some people, Christmas Eve is just a day to prepare for Christmas Day. However, for Italians Christmas Eve is a holiday in itself and is just as special as Christmas Day. What makes Christmas Eve special for Italians is the meal that is enjoyed on this day. The meal that is made on Christmas Eve is called either The Feast of the Seven Fishes, La Festa dei Sette Pesci in Italian, or the Vigil, La Vigilia. It is traditi...
Antonia and Agnes are the characters in the novel that suffer the most, the difficulties that they encounter are due to their position in society, as women and as under the control of those who have more power than them. Agnes in particular is held prisoner and tortured by those who yield power over her. While Agnes is trapped in a one room prison with the decaying body of her baby, the nuns hold complete control over her. Agnes is depleted of all control in her life, she is brought down to skin and bones and she has lost years of her life as well as the child she gave birth to in her prison cell. The differences in power is extremely stressed with the nuns and Agnes as well as with Ambrosio and Antonia.
Details about the modest apartment of the Loisels on the Street of Martyrs indicate Mathilde’s peevish lack of adjustment to life. Though everything is serviceable, she is unhappy with the “drab” walls, “threadbare” furniture, and “ugly” curtains (5). She has domestic help, but she wants more servants than the simple country girl who does the household chores in the apartment. Her embarrassment and dissatisfaction are shown by details of her irregularly cleaned tablecloth and the plain and inelegant beef stew that her husband adores. Even her best theater dress, which is appropriate for apartment life but which is inappropriate for more wealthy surroundings, makes her unhappy. All these details of the apartment establish that Mathilde’s major trait at the story’s beginning is maladjustment. She therefore seems unpleasant and unsympathetic.
Right next to food, family is the most important thing in Italian culture. My mother was born and raised in Naples, Italy and lived with her mother and three siblings after her father passed away when she was only six years old. My mother and my grandmother had a very close bond, the same bond my mother and I share now. My grandmother was a very hands on type of mom my mother tells me. Like most mothers, her children were her pride and joy. My mother’s most vivid memories of her childhood involve my grandmother teaching her how to make tiramisu and lasagna. Practices my mother has now passed onto me. Aside from the cooking lessons, my mother also taught me what it means to be a women. Being independent, never giving up, and working for what
When women are kept in their classical role of mother and caretaker, all is well and their lives are simple. Children relate positively to their mothers in this typical setting; while Dantés was in prison, during a time of distress, he remembered something his mother had done for him. For example, Dumas writes, “He remembered the prayers his mother had taught him and found meanings in them which he had formerly been unaware.” (41). Mothers teach their children to the best of their ability, evidenced in Dantés, as well as when Caderousse says Mercédès is instructing her son, Albert. It is in these moments that a mother’s love, compassion, and necessity are revealed. Lives are calm and enriched as long as women are in their niche. This includes non-maternal nurturing roles, for example, Mercédès attentiveness to Dantés father and Valentine’s special ability to care for Nortier. This loyalty is valued and shown as essential for the stability of life. Though The Count of Monte Cristo depicted women as best suited to the home, they intermittently stepped further out of that r...
She was never open to new change in the movie because within the Italian culture, tradition is a main part. Everything is made the same and passed down from generation to generation, without any change. The food Marquerite made was not filled with much color or flavor. Bread was also served with the meal but it was most as a side dish to the pasta or other grains. The families who were eating at the restaurant had a bigger family, and all ate together. When eating the Italian meal, they went through every course from appetizer to
When something sticks to your bones, your full and satisfied after eating it. Not all spaghetti dishes give you this fulfilling feeling. To achieve this feeling, it begins with the meatballs because it's the heaviest component in the dish. she uses fresh thinly sliced onions, bell pepper, and a couple pinches of cayenne pepper. The meatballs marinate overnight and the solid circles go into the breadcrumb. My family likes spicy food a lot, so I have to drink about a river of water during this meal to calm my stomach.