Lives Of The Saints Sparknotes

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Studies have shown that what children see and hear can have an impact on their lives. If a child is exposed to kindness and compassion, they start to take on those characteristics, yet if a child is exposed to abuse and hatred, they will take on the negative characteristics. In the novel, Lives of the Saints by Nino Ricci, the protagonist Vittorio Innocente's childhood is ripped away from him through his great suffering. Vittorio's innocence is tainted through the negative impact of his experiences with friends and his encounters with violence and death, thus leading him to mature at an earlier age. Vittorio's classmates had a negative impact on him by exposing him to the toxins in cigarettes and forcing him to reveal himself in the most …show more content…

Different types of peer groups have unique abilities to encourage negative or positive behaviors in their members regardless of their age. Friends have the power to affect one's character and behaviour, yet people can always offer an individual many different routes but it's up to that individual to choose which route they want to take. Throughout the novel, Vittorio becomes the victim of peer pressure due to a lack of confidence and self empowerment. "Fabrizio was holding a cigarette out to me. I hesitated, then took it, leaning forward towards Fabrizio's proffered match" (Ricci 173). Vittorio's hesitation illustrates the guilt he is feeling in regards to smoking. Vittorio does not decline Fabrizio's offer and in this incident, he shows his yearning to be accepted. It is not a common scenery to spot a 7 year old smoking, yet Vittorio believed that this would be a gateway to belonging. He believes that when he smokes a cigarette and acts like a "man" he will be respected by his friends. His classmates deprive him of his chastity again by violating his privacy and taking his pants off without his agreement. "Vincenzo and one of the boys lifted me by the armpits, and before I had …show more content…

It has been proven that children mimic domestic violence because any violence is a learned behavior. The actions they see being committed by their parents can change the emotional stability of one's life. The impact of witnessing violence is not just felt in childhood, but the damage will be a burden throughout one's life. Vittorio's father, Mario Innocente, is never present in his life because he leaves Valle de Sole and Vittorio with nothing but decayed memories. These memoirs are one of the many things that contributes to Vittorio's loss of innocence. "I saw my father pick up something from the table, a dish or a bowl, and hurl it towards where my mother sat across from him [...] I saw my mother recoil, her lips forming into a scream or soundless horror as the object shattered against her cheek" (Ricci 32). Vittorio reminisces his father as abusive and destructive and a memory like this one can surely traumatize him. He does not have many memories from his father and it is significant that one of the reminisces is created by his father's anger. His vicious memories act as bridge to lead him to experience cruelty on his own. "Suddenly we were on the ground, rolling in the dirt in the square in front of the church. I did not have any experience fighting, but somehow my body seemed to know instinctively how to do it, how to fling a fist, what areas to strike to cause the greatest harm" (Ricci

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