People are often taught the morals of right and wrong and are expected to follow these virtues throughout their lives. In Lives of the Saints by Nino Ricci, the moral standards of a community are broken by Cristina, who is ostracized for her transgressions. In Valle del Sole, the Cristina exhibits her sinfulness through her violent tendencies. Similarly, she displays her pride by believing she is better than the other townspeople and not accepting her faults. Most importantly, she shows her weak character by unapologetically committing adultery. Ultimately, Cristina’s lack of proper ethics makes her sinful and a poor role model.
Those who are violent often possess immoral virtues. After a fight between Vittorio Innocente and Vincenzo Maiale,
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Cristina goes to confront Maria. Cristina attacks Maria as Vittorio observes, “My mother had worked her knees onto Maria’s elbows, leaving Maria’s forearms to claw helplessly at the air, and finally her hands around Maria’s throat” (Ricci 110). Cristina demonstrates her violent side during this confrontation with Maria. Rather than talking out the problem with Maria, she chooses to attack her to prove her point. Upon seeing Maria at her home, Cristina does not hesitate to attack Maria. Alternatively, Cristina could talk out the issue with Maria and avoid the need of physical confrontation. In addition, Cristina demonstrates the archetype of The Mother in a negative way. Although she attacks Maria to protect her son, violence is not the best way to ensure the safety of her son. Cristina may be being a mother for protecting Vittorio but her methods are not of a conventional mother. She also proves to be a poor role model for Vittorio. She attacks Maria in front of Vittorio, leaving Vittorio to watch his mother attack another woman for his safety. She is teaching Vittorio that violence is a valid and acceptable solution to his problems. An immoral individual would turn to violence as a means of solving a problem. Pride often makes a person believe they are superior when they are actually conceited. Alfredo gives Cristina a banknote from Mario explaining that Mario is struggling to take care of himself but is still trying to help Cristina financially. Cristina talks back calling Mario prideful and that she hear things. In retaliation, Alfredo responds by hinting that Mario will soon learn about her adultery. Cristina yells in response, “Ah, so that’s it,isn’t it? Che cretino!You think it’s the money I want, don’t you? Here, take it back to him,stronzo,tell him I don’t need his money” (Ricci 97). Mario is trying to be caring by continuing to support his family even though he needs the money but Cristina sees this as prideful. However, Cristina is prideful because she refuses the money and even wastes it by ripping it into shreds. She believes she does not need Mario’s money or support and is better off without it. In addition, Cristina shows her pride by acting out when threatened by Alfredo. To defend herself and her pride, she yells at Alfredo calling him a stronzo. Alfredo’s threats attacks her pride making her look like a promiscuous woman. Importantly, she shows her pride in understanding Alfredo is hinting about her affair but does not recognize her mistakes. She refuses to admit to her mistakes as accepting it would not make her look as superior as she thinks she is. This is why she acts defensive as he threatens her image and her pride. Pride makes one conceited and feel greater than those around them. Cristina’s transgression of adultery shows her weak virtues.
After staying home for the church mass for the festival, Cristina gets into an argument with her father. Cristina’s father shouts, “For my sake! Was it for my sake you behaved like a common whore? Do you think you’re better than those people?” (Ricci 149). Cristina’s adultery is already known by everyone in the village. Cristina has sex consensually with another man while her husband, Mario, is in Canada trying to make money for her and Vittorio. Cristina’s infidelity is a sin for her disloyalty to her husband and cares only for her needs. In addition, Cristina is not sorry for her cheating on Mario. She acts as if shes proud that she commits adultery. Cristina never states she is sorry for cheating on Mario and neither does she say she is in the wrong. When Cristina is visibly pregnant she does not apologize for her sins but shows it off with pride that she is unloyal. Notably, Cristina’s infidelity hurts her family’s lives. Her grandfather feels ashamed in front of the townspeople and loses their respect. For example, he no longer sings at church because he feels ashamed. Vittorio also faces the consequences of Cristina’s actions. Alfredo and his friends make fun of Vittorio and pull sick jokes on him because he is now an easy target. Cristina’s inability to show repentance for her adultery shows how weak and prideful she is. Cristina’s disloyalty is her biggest sin and what makes her an immoral
person. Cristina is not a good role model and it is evident through her immoral virtues. Her adultery shows her weak character by being remorseless. In addition, Cristina’s prideful behaviour makes her believe she is better than the others in Valle del Solle. Finally, her violence further displays her sinful character. Those who go against the virtues that are set are sinners and lack morality.
Firstly, Cristina has an abundance of pride. She allows it to get in the way of her actions. Her pride leads to her choices and never in the right direction. Also, Crisitina’s pride causes her to believe that she is better than the villagers of Valle del Sole. The villagers notice this and dislike her even more. When Cristina is talking to her father he says, “You carry your shame on the streets, you force people to point a finger at you. What you’ve done, you’ve done and may God forgive you for it; but that’s not the way to be with people” (Ricci 164). It is seen that the villagers have noticed her attitude in relation to them. The inhabitants of Valle del Sole make Cristina’s life for more difficult because her pride is getting in the way of her feeling repentant over her mistakes. The villagers judge her so harshly because she refuses to make a gesture. Her pride will not allow her to feel repentant and in the process she makes Vitto’s life more difficult. Next, Cristina is impractical, as seen when she forcefully rips up the money sent to her by Mario. Lastly, Cristina is selfish and inconsiderate. She only thinks of herself when she acts and not how her actions will affect her son. Vitto is an innocent child who depends on his mother for his well being and Cristina has brought to him many difficulties in his already difficult situation of being born into an abusive household. This value system that Cristina carries with her is detrimental to Vitto, because every action and choice she makes affects him directly. All the instances, such as when she rips up the money, runs off with the German soldier, travelling too late in her pregnancy and relying too much on Vitto, all have harmful affects on him. Her value system has lead to Vitto’s physical, psychological and sexual abuse throughout the novel. Vitto is only six years old and he does not deserve the treatment he is getting just because his mother
The blunt diction in “Parable in Praise of Violence” elucidates the condemnation of the speaker towards those who lash out due to their emotions through
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Were the Medicis the great heroes of the Renaissance or the great villains? The Medici’s were a prominent family in the Renaissance, who ruled Florence from 1434 to 1737. They are regarded as being one of the most powerful and richest families in the whole of Europe. The Medics used this great status and wealth to develop an improved Florence, one that was significantly influenced by the Renaissance.
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Print. The. Weisberg, Richard H. "Antonio's Legalistic Cruelty: Interdisciplinarity And The Merchant Of Venice'." College Literature 25.1 (1998): 12.
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