Midnight in Sicily by Pete Robb
Midnight in Sicily, which was first published in Australia in October 1996, is a great novel which dig's deep into the truth and reveals the possible facts about the Cosa Nostra and it's operations in Italy, especially in the South, which is referred to as the Mezzo Giorno'. Pete Robb a native Australian, who recently published A death In brazil', lived in the mezzo giorno for 15 years and who worked as an English teacher, has the time to experience Italy's Art, Culture, Food, History, Landscape and Travel, in doing so he sometimes relates to the Cosa Nostra.
"Pasta con le sarde is a kind of mosaic in which each little piece finds its reason for being there in the final result". (pg 89)
Midnight in Sicily also shows the workings of organized crime in daily life and the connections it had with politicians, especially the relationship of the Mafia and the Christian democrats. The book also looks deeply into Giulio Andreotti, Seven times prime minister of Italy, which was convicted and later acquitted of conspiracy to murder. When the narrator (Pete Robb) was asked by Clara, what the book is going to be about, the narrator responded, "I'm trying to make sense of the Andreotti trial". (pg 242)
Robb mentions events which occurred while he resided in Southern Italy such as a death of a pope a month after his election, Priminister Aldo Moro kidnapped and killed by the Red Brigades, Magistrates and police investigating corruption and the mafia were routinely murdered, Italy's largest bank suffering a huge financial Collapse, the growing use of heroin on Italy's streets, A big refinery of heroin was discovered and an Air Italia flight was brought down by what is believed to be a missile, killing all passengers on board. Robb believes that these things are not natural occurrences or just a coincidence but of " something big and hideous that was working itself out in the dark". (pg19)
Rule of Law:
"In the rule of law, the law is a regulator of the government. It provides equality to all before the law, and it means procedural and formal justice. The rule of law is the principle, thus every member of a society, even a ruler, must abide by the law."
In Italy the Rule of Law was empowered after Mussolini's fall from his fascist government, the allied liberation of Sicily in 1943.
Ginsborg P (1990). ‘A History of Contemporary Italy: Society and Politics: 1943-1980’ Published by Penguin; Reprint edition (27 Sep 1990).
Stolen Children is a Gianni Amelio’s magnum opus and a tragic salute to neorealism. The film follows a carabinieri, Antonio, who was assigned to escort two southern orphans in northern Italy to a Catholic orphanage, but when that proved to be unsuccessful, he took it in his hands to escort the children back to southern Italy. Gianni, much like De Sica, explores the issue of failed institutions that are fundamental to a contemporary society or an individual in need of help. When these central institutions, such as the church or law, begin to deteriorate, so does the community that relies on them. He also makes a point of criticizing post-modern institutions, such as the role of media in current society and its socio-cultural impact. This criticism begins the fundamental conversation, postmodern society should concern itself with to improve one’s present civilization.
Sciascia, an Italian politician and French-enlightenment writer, utilizes Laurana as an impartial looking-glass; a means for analyzing and assessing “the insular, mafia-saturated culture of Sicily–which [Sciascia] believed to be a metaphor of the world,” (Sciascia III). Laurana, principled as a symbol of innocence, yields a detached atmosphere regarding his acquaintances: “it was something opaque, dense, almost repressed” (Sciascia 43). Sciascia’s use of contrast, subtly established by these shallow observations, introduces the driving force behind the investigation in conjunction with Laurana’s tragic flaw: purblind trust.
The story begins as "Don" Vito Corleone, the head of a New York Mafia "family", oversees his daughter's wedding. His beloved son Michael has just come home from the war, but does not intend to become part of his father's business. Drug dealer Virgil Sollozzo is looking for Mafia Families to offer him protection in exchange for a profit of the drug money. He approaches Don Corleone about it, but the Don is morally against the use of drugs, and turns down the offer. Being this only request Don Vito has turned down, displease Sollozzo and has the Don shot down. The Don barely survives, which leads ...
Mussolini appointed Cesare Mori to the position of Prefect of Palermo. He gave Mori permission to eliminate the mafia at any cost. Cesare Mori arrested 11,000 Italian criminals during his reign using the police. He may have gone to extreme measures to capture criminals, but his methods were very effective. Mussolini helped Mori to clear many towns
The elements at play in the novel and film are quite remarkable for their traditionally universal appeal.3 The fates of two adolescents, one jailed the other unwilling jailer, intersect and are soon bound together in a struggle for survival at the hands of unsuspecting enemies. The filmmaker's aim was to adopt a child's unadulterated point of view in referential opposition to the surrounding adult world. Given the suspenseful plot and the exploration of the young protagonists' fears at coping with a habitat they must disavow, such an aim and narrative scheme were expected to gather much attention.4 The pre-teens Michele, the novel's principal hero, and Filippo the kidnapped child are ultimately elevated from a pit of dirt and fear, the antechamber of death, chiefly by their own heroic praxis. Yet the problematic lack of any meaningful degree of depth in the novel and film seems to lie precisely with its overly schematic construction, tailored to safely weather the otherwise unpredictable market.
Gilbert’s use of imagery emphasizes the wild, vibrant, energetic nature of the city of Naples. It becomes clear that, In Gilbert’s eyes, Naples is a city unlike any other. The author writes, “An anthill inside a rabbit warren, with all the exoctism of a Middle Eastern bazaar and a tough of New Orleans voodoo” (Gilbert 175). This shows us how Gilbert sees Naples better than if she had chosen to describe the city detail by painstaking detail. Gilbert combines aspects of places in other countries in a way that gives the reader a clear image of Naples overall atmosphere. Gilbert writes, “The city is all decorated with the laundry that hangs from every window and
"The manner in which Mussolini and the Fascist Party gained possession of the government was regarded in most foreign circles as an illegal act of violence." (3) As the nation of Italy began to suffer great debts, Mussolini had been summoned by the King to form a government to aid in the economic needs. This marked the birth of the Fascist Party in Italy. In the beginning of his rise to the top, Mussolini was popular amongst his people. His popularity was high, and people began to trust in his judgment and ideas. (4) He was, in essence, saving the people from the turmoil that had ensued the nat...
Ignazio Silone’s Bread and Wine became one of the most controversial as well as influential novels in Italy during the early twentieth century. Bread and Wine is set in rural impoverish Italia countryside under the Catholic and fascist control. It begins with Don Benedetto, an elderly priest and his aged sister are waiting for visitors to come celebrate his birthday. These visitor’s are some of his favorite students who have grown up and moved away. In their reminiscing, Don Benedetto begins to ask how other student lives have turned out after all these years. Including his favorite pupil, Pietro Spina. The former students explain that Pietro Spina had become a communist revolutionary and was exiled from Italy, and is on the run from police who are hunting him. Don Benedetto asks the student to aide Pietro in his return to Italy. At this point the novel begins to focus on Pietro Spina and his return to Italy. Pietro aided by his childhood friend Nunzio dons the disguise of a Catholic priest called Don Paolo Spada. However, Pietro Spina has abandoned the religious beliefs and ideas of becoming a saint that he once had as a child and now in his adult life is considered to be a fervent atheist making; this disguise quite ironic. While in disguise, Spina becomes exasperated with the strong catholic beliefs and superstitious ideas which are the basis of thought of the peasants he is trying to influence. This brings about the continuous theme of socialism and Christianity as well as the question surrounding all the characters within the novel, “How can a decent person act in a terrible time?”1 Silone uses this questions to explore how the political views of fascism within the Catholic church effects uneducated peasants withi...
Gilbert wanted the audience to have an idea of her experience in Italy. Describing how she felt when she was in the streets of Naples and as she observed her surroundings, she wanted to get her audience comfortable to the sense of her trip, feeling how different the atmosphere is in Naples, “I instantly love Naples. Wild, raucous, noisy, dirty, balls-out Naples. An anthill inside a rabbit warren, with all the exoticism of a Middle Eastern bazaar and a touch of New Orleans voodoo. A tripped,out, dangerous and cheerful nuthouse (Gilbert 175), she says. Gilbert uses this to set the scene of Naples, Italy. Unless her intended audience was natives to the town, or well traveled civilians, embracing the feel of the city could not be done without the details provided. Though the pizza itself made the most impact on her, it is the entire trip that leaves such a large impression on the narrator. The essence of the pizzeria plays an important role in her life changing journey. “The guys who make this miracle happen are shoveling the pizzas in and out of the wood-burning oven, looking for all the world like the boilerman in the belly of a great ship who shovel coal into the raging furnaces” (Gilbert). It is not just about how delicious the pizza taste, it is the entire environment of the pizzeria that leaves the both the women in awe. Seeing these men working and sweating over the
At the beginning of the story, a young man named Giovanni Guasconti is introduced to the readers as a typical homesick student from Southern Italy. He is at once attracted to the beautiful garden next door belonging to the mysterious scientist, Dr. Rappaccini. Not only is he fascinated by the scientist and his garden, but he is instantly enchanted by Rappaccini's beautiful daughter, Beatrice. The second time Giovanni sees Beatrice from his window overlooking the garden, he notices several unusual things. First, he believes that he sees a lizard die suddenly at Beatrice's feet. Then a swarm of insects appear to die from he...
In this paper I will discuss the cultural factors and economic conditions within the territory of Italy and specifically within the island of Sicily which led to the rise and every day common need for an institution such as the Sicilian Mafia. Following my explanation of the Sicilian Mafia’s origins in the context of local culture and its pervasive role in Sicilian society I will discuss the various ways in which the Mafia’s activities have at times greatly preserved and also crippled the economic potential for growth in the areas it operated in and the reasons why this underdevelopment aided it. Lastly I will examine the causes of the Sicilian Mafia’s decline and discuss the future solutions to preserving a Sicily free from overt Mafia control.
“You live and you suffer” — a translated quote from Antonio (from the film The Bicycle Thief), is a brief statement that summarizes the feelings of those who lived in the post world war II “civilization”. This paper will preview Italian Neorealism, and the way it’s elements are incorporated into the movie “The Bicycle Thief” to reveal the ideal Italian setting, as it was after the second world war.
According to Aristotle, "The rule of law is better than that of any individual”, suggesting every member of society, even a ruler, must abide by and follow the law. The rule of law is linked to the principle of justice, meaning that everyone within a society (including both private citizens and government officials) are subject to the law, and that those laws are administered fairly and justly. The intention of the rule of law is to protect against arbitrary governance. It is the basic underpinning of a free society.
According to Aristotle, "The rule of law is better than that of any individual”, suggesting every member of society, even a ruler, must abide by and follow the law. The rule of law is linked to the principle of justice, meaning that everyone within a society (including both private citizens and government officials) are subject to the law, and that those laws are administered fairly and justly. The intention of the rule of law is to protect against arbitrary governance. It is the basic underpinning of a free society.