Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay

The night before their wedding, Elena tells Pietro that she plans to go on birth control so that she can write another novel before having children. To her surprise, Pietro opposes her. They fight and are cold to each other the day of the ceremony. Elena discovers that Adele has organized a surprise reception following the ceremony. At first Elena is frustrated that Adele invited her own friends but not Elena’s, but Elena’s mood improves once Adele’s friends admire her. Pietro and Elena have sex for the first time on their wedding night, an unpleasurable experience for Elena as Pietro struggles to achieve orgasm. Afterwards, Pietro disappears to work in his study and does not join Elena in bed. Elena is certain that she became pregnant that night.

Anxious about her pregnancy, Elena telephones her mother despite their strained relationship. Elena’s mother wants her to move back to Naples, but Elena refuses; instead, she allows Adele to arrange her care with a gynecologist in Florence. Lila telephones Elena, hurt that she had to hear about Elena’s pregnancy as gossip in the neighborhood. Lila emphasizes the horrible experience she had with her pregnancy and is certain that Elena’s will be the same. Elena thinks that Lila conflates their feelings and experiences too much; Lila acts as though Elena can’t have a different experience from hers. In fact, Elena has a pleasant pregnancy, and even wins a prestigious award for her book during that time. When she calls to tell Lila about it, however, Lila has already read about it in the paper, and criticizes Elena for the remarks she made in her acceptance speech, wounding Elena. Towards the end of her pregnancy, Elena develops a limp, just like the one her mother has. The gynecologist reassures Elena that it’s just from the weight of carrying the baby, but Elena fears that it’s a sign that she’s becoming her mother. Elena’s daughter is born and named Adele after Pietro’s mother. When Elena tells Lila that the pregnancy and birth were both wonderful experiences, Lila responds that everyone narrates their life as it suits them.

Once they are home from the hospital, baby Adele (nicknamed Dede) becomes difficult for Elena. At first, Elena wonders if Lila has inflicted her negative sentiments on her from afar, but when Dede will not breastfeed, Elena wonders if she is an inadequate mother. Meanwhile, Pietro focuses only on his own work and offers no help, causing strain in his and Elena’s marriage.

Elena feels abandoned by Pietro and inadequate as a mother. Her sense of inferiority is compounded when l’Unita rejects one of her articles; when Elena asks Pietro to review the article for her, he says it’s “empty.” Elena is jealous of Pietro, who works steadily and whose academic renown is spreading to English-speaking countries. The burden of childcare wears Elena down more and more; finally, Pietro resigns himself to inviting Adele to stay with them for a while.

Adele’s presence is a relief to Elena but an aggravation to Pietro. Adele and Pietro frequently argue over Adele’s decisions, such as hiring a nanny. Pietro’s resentments towards his mother build, creating further strain in his marriage with Elena. Adele gives Elena time to attend to her own affairs, bringing Elena books on current political and social theories and advising Elena not to miss anything if she wants to be a writer. However, Elena thinks this gesture is motivated mostly by pity, to pull Elena “out of the desperate state of an incompetent mother” (245). Meanwhile, at the university, Pietro is considered a class enemy by colleagues and students alike because Pietro is a strict professor who does not support the students involved in the class conflict. The tensions in their household increase, and when Adele finally departs, Elena feels lost.

Dede is easier to manage once she begins walking at a year old; the nanny, Clelia, spends most of the day with her, and Elena has more time for herself. She tries to return to the intellectual sphere and work on a new novel but feels herself incapable of grasping something with the appropriate gravity for the present political climate. Elena longs to return to the social life she had before Dede’s birth, but she doesn’t know anyone in Florence and Pietro has no friends at the university. Overwhelmed by her depression and sense of inadequacy, as well as her husband’s continued disinterest in her, Elena feels her marriage deteriorating.

Elena realizes that to his colleagues, Pietro must be considered an “unsuccessful Airota.” She has a serious discussion with him about wanting to return to a full social life; he relents and allows Elena to take Dede along to observe political demonstrations occasionally. However, on these occasions, Elena has the distinct impression that Dede would prefer to be with Clelia and feels guilty. At Elena’s insistence, Pietro begins to bring colleagues over for dinner, and on occasions when the men admire Elena’s intelligence, she responds by flirting with them. Although she always feels guilty afterwards, she does not stop the behavior.

Elena has affairs with some of the acquaintances Pietro brings over to the house but breaks them off once anything sexual occurs. Elena often brings Dede along on walks with these men; Dede, who is only two, nevertheless understands the situation and one day threatens to tell her father. Elena threatens to punish Dede if she does, frightening the child. Although Elena is still filled with a great desire to break the rules, out of guilt she re-devotes herself to Pietro; in just a few weeks, she finds out she is pregnant again.

Elena invites her mother to stay with her during her second pregnancy; she expects this arrangement to be tense but is surprised to find her mother is an efficient helper. Despite her mother’s help, Elena still feels that she can get nowhere with her writing, or with the plans for her new novel; she reflects that despite this new pregnancy, she feels empty.

Elena begins telephoning Lila daily, hoping that she will find in her friend some direction or inspiration for her writing. However, Elena has the sense that they cannot truly confide in one another and are restricted to only trading news of their respective lives. Lila shares that Enzo is the systems engineer of a computer system factory just outside of Naples; he makes a significant salary and, what’s more, Lila was hired as his assistant. Together, they have a significant income. Lila is very pleased with herself and brags about her new life.

Lila calls one night to tell Elena that one of the students from the union was killed outside of Soccavo’s factory. Lila is worried; according to her, the atmosphere in both Naples and the neighborhood has darkened. Pasquale has been beaten a few times himself, and Enzo even fought with Gino right in front of their house. Elena and Lila recall the atmosphere of their childhood when Don Achille Carracci, the late father of Stefano and Alfonso and chief loan shark on the black market, was in power. The two women reminisce on the stories they used to make up about Don Achille’s murder and find themselves concocting a new one: Manuela Solara killed Don Achille so she could control the money-lending market. Although this collaborative imagining is a familiar thrill to both Elena and Lila, they both grow somber and shake off the thought.

Elena at last feels that she and Lila have regained their old harmony and takes inspiration for her new novel from their speculations about Don Achille’s murder. The writing process is more difficult than it was for Elena’s first novel, and she is anxious after its completion. She considers giving her novel to Pietro to read but does not feel that he is interested in her work. Elena sends the novel to Adele instead.

Pietro is hurt when he finds out Elena let Adele read the new novel but not him; however, he does not read the copy Elena leaves for him. According to Adele, the book is not good, which wounds Elena. Shortly thereafter, Elena’s second daughter is born; Elena calls her Elsa, despite Pietro’s insistence that they name her after Elena’s mother, as is tradition. This hurts Elena’s mother. Immediately after returning home from the clinic, Elena calls Lila and asks her to read the new novel. Lila is reluctant at first, afraid she no longer has the intellectual capacity she used to, but Elena tells her just having her opinion will be enough. Lila relents.

Elena falls into a self-destructive spiral after her mother returns to Naples. Elena fires Clelia, inflicting solely upon herself the onus of housekeeping and childcare. Lila calls with feedback on Elena’s novel; Lila is evasive at first, but then to Elena’s shock, she breaks down sobbing and says that the book is “ugly.” Elena is so concerned by Lila’s reaction that she doesn’t even feel wounded. Once Lila calms down, she explains that it is unbecoming to Elena’s education to depict the ugliness of the neighborhood as it truly is; it needs imagination to transform it into something meaningful. Lila urges Elena to do better, because she feels that if Elena, with all her education, is not successful, then she, Lila, is nothing in comparison.

While Elena is touched by what she considers an affirmation of Lila’s faith in her, she also feels burdened by the responsibility not to disappoint her. Depressed by the pressure, Elena abandons writing altogether and devotes herself entirely to domestic duties. She suddenly feels that her transformation into a mature woman and mother is the natural order of things. She tries to devote herself to Pietro, but it soon becomes clear to Elena that Pietro likes her only insofar as she remains in her role as wife and mother. He appears unhappy when she talks about her prior success as a writer, and he isn’t interested in her thoughts on academic topics; in fact, he seems relieved when Elena gives up writing altogether. Elena realizes that Pietro likes her to only listen and validate him, and her esteem for him diminishes by the day.

Elena is captivated by feminist theory after Mariarosa introduces it to her. The feminist essays prompt Elena to consider her own nature as a woman as well as her relationship with Lila. Lila, however, mocks Elena’s attempts to have deeper conversations on the topic and scorns the feminist theories that Elena shares with her. Elena realizes that all her life, she has been trying to make herself into something she is not: first, to make herself masculine to be accepted in male-dominated intellectual circles, and then to make herself like Lila, without whom Elena feels almost non-existent. Elena doesn’t want to restrict herself any longer, but she worries that she doesn’t have the intellectual capacities she used to have. She feels an urge to turn everything in her life upside down.

Elena becomes closer to Mariarosa, much to Pietro’s irritation. Pietro criticizes the feminist literature Elena reads, leading to an argument which ends when Pietro slaps Elena in front of Dede. Elena, while unfazed by the blow as domestic violence occurred frequently in her neighborhood growing up, is surprised that the upper class, intellectual Pietro resorted to violence. Horrified by what he’s done, Pietro leaves the house and is gone all night, worrying Elena. When he returns, he tells Elena that she has never loved him and that he doesn’t deserve her.

Pasquale and Nadia drop by Pietro and Elena’s house without warning, looking unwashed and carrying large backpacks. Pasquale and Nadia act too familiarly in their house, and Pasquale disparages Pietro for his intellectualism. Elena has a moment alone with Nadia, and Nadia expresses her jealousy for Elena. Nadia felt that her mother preferred Elena to her; in addition, Nadia thought Elena was the reason Nino broke up with her. Elena was likewise jealous of Nadia as a child, because of the privilege Nadia had been born into. Nadia rebuffs this; according to her, the guilt of undeserved privilege is unbearable. Elena disagrees; she thinks the guilt of failure is more potent. Nadia says that she prefers Lila to Elena, because “You’re two pieces of shit and nothing can change you, two examples of underclass filth. But you act all friendly and Lina doesn’t” (287). As Pasquale and Nadia leave, Pasquale addresses Elena as “Signora Airota” with a note of sorrow in his voice, prompting Elena to wonder if others’ perception of her—and perhaps even her perception of herself—has changed. Pietro never wants Pasquale and Nadia in their house again; he considers Pasquale’s anti-intellectualism Fascist and says of Nadia that “there’s not a thought in her head” (288).

Elena hears from Mariarosa that Franco and Silvia were attacked by the Fascists. Franco was severely beaten and Silvia was beaten and raped. Elena departs for Milan with Dede and Elsa at once. Franco is in the hospital in severe condition and sends Elena away when she tries to visit. Elena visits Silvia and is struck by the detachment with which Silvia recounts what happened to her, as though it were a “horrendous nursery rhyme” (290). Silvia’s story reminds Elena of Stefano and Lila’s wedding night, when Stefano assaulted Lila, who refused to have sex with him after he made a deal with the Solaras. Elena weeps as she imagines it happening to Lila all over again. Elena is shaken when she notices Dede and Mirko pretending to be a father and mother, and Dede instructs Mirko to hit her. Elena reflects that the children are reenacting the same cycles that have been in place for a long time.

Carmen, Pasquale’s sister, calls Elena to ask for news of Pasquale, whom Carmen hasn’t heard from in several weeks. It isn’t like Pasquale to go so long without contact; Carmen’s worry is compounded by the fact that there have recently been accusations against Pasquale by the Fascists in the neighborhood. Elena reassures Carmen that Pasquale is probably somewhere with Nadia. Nevertheless, Elena calls Armando, who can tell her only that Nadia has become more radical since she went off with Pasquale. A few days later, Carmen calls Elena again with the news that Gino was shot and killed, and Pasquale is the suspected murderer.

Elena tries to talk to Lila about Pasquale’s potential role in Gino’s death, but Lila is adamant that Gino deserved it; she would support Pasquale even if he did murder Gino. Lila unexpectedly asks Elena to take care of Gennaro for a month and is evasive about the reason why. Elena agrees to take Gennaro with her and the girls to the beach at Viareggio until the end of August.

Enzo drops Gennaro off at Pietro and Elena’s apartment in Florence and agrees to stay the night before departing again for Naples. Enzo tells Pietro and Elena about the computer system he and Lila are responsible for at the factory, a conversation full of many technical terms in which Elena is quickly lost. Elena is jealous of the way Enzo boasts about Lila– he is clearly proud of her intelligence, and Elena is reminded starkly that her husband is threatened by her intelligence and can only see her as a wife and mother.

Elena catches up with Enzo on the news of the neighborhood the following morning. Michele Solara has been trying to get Lila to work for him, and Lila has refused every time. One day, Gennaro disappeared and returned several hours later unharmed; despite Lila’s suspicions, Michele denied any involvement. Michele’s interest in Lila has persisted, however. Recently, he offered her a significant salary to be chief technician at a data-processing center he rented. Lila has not made her decision yet but must decide by the end of September. Recalling Gigliola’s words, Elena is worried Michele might try to entrap Lila somehow; Enzo isn’t concerned because Michele already has a lover: Alfonso’s fiancée, Marisa Sarratore, who is pregnant by Michele. Alfonso’s sexuality is a topic of gossip in the neighborhood and everyone knows he is gay. The neighborhood gossip also includes a rumor that Manuela Solara killed Don Achille all those years ago. Hurt that Lila started the rumors about Alfonso and Manuela, and that Lila didn’t tell her about Michele’s job offer, Elena calls Lila in an angry outburst; Lila treats her coldly and Elena, irritated, pushes Lila from her mind.

At the beach at Viareggio, Elena notices that Gennaro shares his mother’s deviousness, but whereas Lila was unabashed in her wickedness as a child, Gennaro knows how to charm and manipulate. Dede is fascinated by Gennaro, who is often mean to her, and develops a crush on him despite their four-year age difference. One day, Dede and Gennaro disappear from the beach, and Elena finds them in a patch of reeds, nude; Gennaro is showing Dede his erect penis, prompting her to touch it. Elena, having read many books on infant sexuality, is not sure whether to stop them; however, when she hears the vulgar words Gennaro says to Dede in the Neapolitan dialect, she angrily pulls them apart. Afterwards, Elena reflects on her own childhood. She admits to herself that she had felt a fascination for Lila’s body, but that nothing could have ever happened between them—they would have been publicly beaten if they’d been caught doing anything sexual together. Elena doesn’t know if Lila ever felt similarly about her.

Elena learns that the Soccavo factory was attacked by a band of terrorists. Soccavo was brutally murdered, shot three times in the chest and once in the head. Horrified, Elena telephones Lila, but Lila is impassive; she has no sympathy for Soccavo. Elena, on the other hand, can’t banish the image of him as the boy she once met on the beach at Ischia.

Elena and the children return from the beach; Enzo takes Gennaro back to Naples. Elena, still disturbed by Soccavo’s murder, is preoccupied by dark imaginings of Lila’s potential involvement.

Lila calls Elena to tell her the news: she’s head of technology at Michele’s data-processing center. Elena is shocked and says it’s the last thing she would have expected of Lila. Angry, Lila calls Elena a hypocrite for criticizing Lila’s involvement with the Solaras but not Elena’s younger sister Elisa’s. Elena is confused; Lila laughs meanly and tells Elena to ask her family.

Elena immediately calls her family and finds out that Elisa is engaged to Marcello Solara, Michele’s older brother. Elena is shocked and outraged; she departs for Naples immediately with Pietro and the girls, intending to dissuade Elisa from the relationship. Upon seeing her parents, Elena learns that Elisa now lives with Marcello in the wealthier, newer part of the neighborhood, and departs for there at once.

Elena arrives at Elisa’s apartment fully determined to extract her from Marcello’s influence, but instead she finds her sister perfectly happy. According to Elisa, Marcello is very different from the rest of his family; he supports Elisa and treats her very well. Resigned, Elena respects Elisa’s choice and merely warns her to be careful. When Elena prepares to leave, Elisa stops her; “everyone” will be arriving shortly for dinner.

Elena’s mother and father arrive along with Pietro, Dede, and Elsa. They are followed by Michele, Gigliola, and their two boys, and then by Marcello and Manuela. The gathering is to celebrate Manuela’s 60th birthday. Elena is nervous at being surrounded by all the figures of her childhood and feels herself regressing into speaking in the Neapolitan dialect instead of the formal Italian she learned at school. This insecurity is compounded with irritation when Elena learns that Marcello and Elisa have secretly arranged for Elena, Pietro, and the girls to stay at their house, despite Elena’s plans to stay at a hotel. Just then, Lila arrives with Enzo and Gennaro.

Elena is surprised to see Lila there, but they do not have a chance to talk, as the group all sits down to dinner together. Michele toasts his mother’s birthday, but, in an audacious display of impropriety, also praises Lila. He says Lila is the one woman brilliant enough to compare to his mother and commends her work at the factory. Michele compares Lila to Elena—he considers Lila the more intelligent and special of the two, despite Elena’s success. Elena feels overshadowed and is resentful that Lila allowed it to happen. Nonetheless, Elena does not say a word in her own defense.

Elisa, hurt on Elena’s behalf, suddenly exclaims that she has a surprise for Elena. She returns with a small package; she explains that she and Marcello recently travelled to Germany, where they ran into Antonio, Elena’s high school boyfriend from the neighborhood. The package is a gift from Antonio: it’s the German translation of Elena’s first novel. Elena is shocked and very pleased. She didn’t know her novel had translations abroad. Everyone is impressed and Elena feels that she has regained her prestige. Only Lila shows no interest in the German translation of Elena’s book.

Later that night, Pietro tells Elena his impressions of everyone at the party: He speaks warmly of Elena’s family and of Gigliola and Enzo, but he condemns the Solaras as exploitative criminals. What surprises Elena, however, is that Pietro found Lila most disturbing of all. He says that Lila isn’t Elena’s friend at all—that she in fact hates Elena—and that her intelligence is destructive. Although Elena is pleased that her husband is not dazzled by Lila, she becomes angry when Pietro says that Lila and Michele are made for each other. Elena berates him harshly for that comment; she feels that perhaps Pietro went too far because he is afraid that Lila’s powerful influence will pull Elena away from him.

The next day, Marcello takes Elena and Pietro on a tour of the factory in Acerra where Lila is head of technical operations. At the factory, Lila pulls Elena aside to ask her sarcastically if she has congratulated Elisa on her relationship with Marcello. When Elena replies that she has no control over what her sister does, Lila says that one can only do what they want in fairy tales; in reality, one must do what one must. Lila rejects Elena’s implication that Michele is using her, telling Elena that she will soon understand that it’s Lila who is using Michele. Furthermore, Lila says that Elena has no right to criticize anyone in the neighborhood anymore, as she is no longer in their lives. Lila tells Elena that Nino returned to the neighborhood: He’s taken a professorship at the university and is married to a woman on Via Tasso with whom he has a child. Elena isn’t sure how to feel about this news; she is so surprised that she doesn’t even feel sad that Nino is married. Lila says that if she runs into Nino, she wants to tell him that Gennaro isn’t his child.

Lila tells Elena more about her life. Lila is very successful in the neighborhood because of her well-paying job, and she uses her money to help her family, the Cerullos. Lila often talks with Alfonso, who wishes to be a girl like her. Alfonso is in love with Michele and jealous of Michele’s feelings for Lila. Lila tells Alfonso that he could never be a girl like her; he can only emulate a man’s idea of what a woman is. Elena feels that her relationship with Lila no longer has any intimacy; Lila states the facts of things that have occurred without sharing her feelings on them. Elena reflects that although she was the one who escaped the neighborhood, Lila is the one whose life has become richer. Lila can do all the things that Elena wishes she could do, like direct her own path and take care of her children and family without feeling burdened by them. Finally, Elena realizes that her desire to achieve was driven by desperation to keep up with Lila’s success; Elena resolves that she must “become” outside of Lila.