The Significance of Nicknames in Italian-American Culture and the Novel Christ In Concrete
Nicknames. They are something that everyone is familiar with in one way or another. However, most people have little, if any, personal experience with nicknames. In Italian-American culture, nicknames play a major role in everyday life. Nicknames are formed with a certain unspoken format, and they have a particular importance. In Italian-American culture nicknames, even though to others they may seem harsh and cruel, are terms of endearment and give a sense of belonging.
“Soprannomi” in Italian means “above the name” (Mazzoni) and refers to dialect nicknames (Addario and Rulli). To the “outside world” Italian-American’s use of nicknames may bring to mind organized crime, due to negative media portrayal, with such names as Al “Scarface” Capone and Tony “The Big Tuna” Accardo (Arduini). From my personal experience, I can say that within the Italian-American culture nicknames have a much sweeter significance.
Since very large, extended Italian families all were apt to dwell in close proximity to one another, nicknames were traditionally used to distinguish one branch of a family from another, and/or one individual from another (Addario and Rulli). Another very good reason for the use of nicknames comes from the “rigor of most Italian naming traditions” (Arduini). The first-born son is to be named after his paternal grandfather, and the second-born son is to be named after his maternal grandfather. Likewise, the first-born daughter is to be named after her paternal grandmother, and the second-born daughter is to be named after her maternal grandmother. The children that follow, “Lord willing”, are to be named after their godparents, not to mention the naming of children after patron saints. It goes without saying that many family members, and community members, end up with the same names. Obviously this leads to tremendous confusion when families and communities are gathered and talking to and about one another, which occurs frequently. Therefore there is actually a desperate need for nicknames.
The most basic form of nickname assignment is the tag of “Big” and “Little” added to the oldest and youngest carriers of a name (Arduini). Although, since most Italian families are so large, this isn’t always sufficient, so nicknames have to rely on other characteristics.
A very convincing example of the role that nicknames play in Italian-American life is portrayed in Pietro di Donato’s novel Christ In
We are all proud to be Accardi’s with Sicilian blood running threw our veins. There is definitely a story behind how my name turned from Accardo to Accardi. When my great great grandfather was coming over on the boat from Sicily, he landed in New York. While he was talking to one of the men there, my grandfather thinks that they could have either misspelled his name or he had just had to change his name for many different reasons. My family and I have learned to love our last name even if it was changed or not changed. We have been the Accardi’s for more than four centuries in America and we will keep the bloodline flowing for more generations to come. There are many Accardi’s in America, mostly in the Northeastern area like in New York, Boston and Connecticut. We believe that the first generation of Accardi’s lived up in Connecticut because that’s where most of them are today. The reasons there are Accardi’s down in Tampa, Florida, is because my grandfather moved here to marry my grandmother and to own and operate a produce company with her father. I would not be living in Tampa today if it was not for my
In the traditional political history of Italy the people outside of the ruling class of the society were rarely studied. Only with the use of social history did the issues of class and gender begin to be debated by scholars. Numerous recent articles have done a great job of analysing particularly men of high status. In this paper I will look at the lower classes of Renaissance Florence. More specifically, I will center my focus on the lives of women during this era, how they were treated and viewed by people of other classes and how women were viewed and treated by men.
Their name is sometimes shortened up and changed. The officials would change them so people can pronounce and spell them.
The Progressive Movement that occurred during the early 20th century was a time of major reform in the United States of America. During this time, there was a group of activists that referred to themselves as the Progressives, and they sought to change society for the people. The way that they intended to do this was change through their ideals of democracy, efficiency, regulation, and social justice. With this movement came the election that changed the course of America’s history “…demonstrating a victory for progressive reforms as both Progressive candidates accounted for 75 percent of all the votes” (Bowles). The candidates in this election were Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. While both of these men considered themselves to be part of the progressives and shared some similar opinions, they also differed from each other greatly and were apparent in their views during this time.
People often drop names to assure the achievement of whatever goal it is they are trying to achieve. This tactic works especially well in business, but it can also work in argument. Names of influential people have influential affects. “I know Don Corleone,” would certainly have gotten nearly anything done in Mario Puzo’s The Godfather. Both Simone de Beauvoir and Niccolò Machiavelli used the names of well-known people to add a sense of importance and truth to what it was they were saying. Their choice of names is very similar. They both chose fabled heroes, past and present political figures and fictional powers to help their work gain value. However, they differ in a subtle way. The names are used much like a recipe uses measurements: one part politics to two parts fiction. This ratio adds a different tone to each argument, which also helps to get the author’s, de Beauvoir or Machiavelli’s, point across.
Ginsborg P (1990). ‘A History of Contemporary Italy: Society and Politics: 1943-1980’ Published by Penguin; Reprint edition (27 Sep 1990).
The Vietnam War was the longest and most expensive war in American History. The toll we paid wasn't just financial, it cost the people involved greatly, physically and mentally. This war caused great distress and sadness, as well as national confusion. Everyone had that one burning question being why? Why were we even there? The other question being why did America withdrawal from Vietnam. The purpose of this paper is to answer these two burning questions, and perhaps add some clarity to the confusion American was experiencing.
That is, to control the rapid growth that was putting a strain on the average American. Theodore Roosevelt was considered first of the “progressive presidents”. The first benchmark achievement was in 1902, when he intervened in a national coal strike. He persuaded the owners to allow the dispute to be settled by a commission that he would appoint. By doing so he recognized the United Mine Workers Union. However, this was more than just recognizing a union. Roosevelt made a statement about what kind of president he would be and about what the American people should stand for. It is the first achievement of progressivism that sparked the reforms still to come. Another big achievement by Roosevelt was passing the Pure Food and Drug Act and Meat Inspection Acts in 1906. These acts regulated and guaranteed the safety of what the American people consumed. Many businesses benefited from and supported these acts, showing that Roosevelt’s active liberal government could be good for both
“Chi la dura la vince.” This soft-spoken Italian proverb sums up the series of events that Italian immigrants endured on their journey in America. Between 1880 and 1920, more than four million Italian-Americans immigrated to the United States of America in hopes of temporarily escaping Southern Italy’s impoverished and overpopulated society. Once in America, these new Italian-American citizens started ‘Little Italys’ or ethnic enclaves of Italians. Some Little Italies were even large enough to support a full economic structure of their own, providing a plethora of job opportunities. These ‘small’ Italian communities shielded themselves from general stereotypes and provided a sense of belonging which helped Italians establish their roots. America’s attitude toward these new Italian-American citizens can be summed up in part by Congressman James McClintic, a Democrat Oklahoman: "I say the class of immigrants [Italians] coming to the shores of the United States at this time are not the kind of people we want as citizens in this country." Inplace of responding by aggressive human nature, America’s new Italian citizens viewed this as an opportunity to enrich family and community bonds. As for Italian traditions, they struggled to be accustomed between the two Italian generations as the already ‘Americanized’ Italian children clashed with their parents, which resulted in altered traditions. One major example is Italian-American food which chain restaurants have come to paint as a type of restaurant that specializes in spaghetti with meatballs, pizza, and has red checked tablecloths.
Recognizing a certain name or authority you know how to view the name and why it stands for. Whether the name of the Gambino Family from Palermo, Sicily, Italy stands for power and trust many will disagree. Everyone can agree on this Crime Family has achieved many milestones in history by their violence and authority created by a 19 year old immigrant that learned from one of the best Don’s ever lived. You could even say there are some sort of conspiracies are related with our government and the Crime Families.
Mafia. What does this word mean? The actual members of the Mafia aren’t even sure where the word first originated or what it really means. One of the theories as to where the word came from is from Sicily, where people would yell “ Morte alla Francia, Italia anela!” (Death to France, Italy groans!), therefore forming the acronym MAFIA. Others claim the word derived from the battle cry of rebels who slaughtered thousands of Frenchmen after a French soldier raped a Palermo woman on her wedding day. Their slogan echoed her mother’s cry, “Ma fia, Ma fia” (my daughter my daughter). There are other less “glamorous” stories as to where the word originally formed. The most likely reasoning says that it came from the Arabic word mahias, meaning bold man. The American Mafia has become infamous due to its leaders, its method of operation, and its impact on the economy through illegal means.
People of all varieties in all parts of the world have reported experiencing déjà vu. According to Art Funkhouser, creator of the Déjà Experience Research website, a variety of people, young and old, both within and outside the U.S.A. have sent him unsolicited accounts of their déjà experiences (Funkhouser, 2014). On his website, he posts these firsthand narratives as a resource for other researchers and so that visitors who have experienced the phenomena may parallel their own accounts with those reported to him. He provides a page where visitors can submit their encounter with déjà vu to augment the rapidly expanding database. The following accounts are extracted from his website and have been condensed for brevity. The first account is from M. of the U.S.A. M. relates that he vividly remembers how he feels when déjà vu starts and that it always combines the place and the actions he takes and that everything and everyone around him is involved. M. says, “All of a sudden I freeze ¬ and the feeling comes over me and I realize I¹ve done and seen and heard ...
“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.
Cohen, E. S., & Cohen, T. V. (2001). Daily life during the Italian Renaissance. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press.
Translated from the Italian by Camilo P. Merlino, Charles W. Arbuthnot, editor. Torino, Italy: Claudiana Editrice, 1980.Fs