Im Not Scared

In Niccolo Ammaniti's masterpiece, I'm Not Scared, we explore the plight of human endeavour against all odds. We learn of the climate and poverty that makes the inhabitants of Acqua Traverse victims of circumstance, and ultimately drives them to persecute other people in the continuous pursuit of money and exceptional livelihoods. Clearly, Michele is not the only victim in Ammaniti's text, but it is through his endless determination to restore justice that ultimately demonstrates his morality, and separates him from everyone else in the story.

Set in "that damned summer of 1978" in a small southern town in Italy, we immediately witness the umelenting landscape in which the members of Acqua Traverse are bound by. The children who travel to the outskirts of the town are "swallowed up by the wheat that covered the hill," and "as far as the horizon" there is "nothing but wheat, sky, crickets, sun and heat." The isolation is so immense that Michele describes it as a "place forgotten by God and man." Acqua Traverse has always been Michele's whole world, as we can see during the harvest when Michele comments, "it was as if God had given the whole world a hair cut". The wheat hills "rolled over me and buried" Michele. We also see that most of the families in Acqua Traverse aren't financially comfortable, which supplements Michele's comment that "the north was rich and the south was poor". It is only the Scardaccione family that appear to be wealthy, but we learn that this is because Mr. Scardaccione actually travels North for work. As well as the scenery and poverty that restricts these people, it is also the harsh climate that rules them. We witness the endless days that "followed one another, scorching, identical and endless," and further understand the influences that limit these people. It is so unremitting, that "no twenty-year-old could live in Acqua Traverse without ending up like Nunzio Scardaccione, the hair-tearer." The circumstances that cannot be controlled, but can certainly be dealt with, plague the inhabitants of Acqua Traverse and make them victims that choose to feel sorry for themselves and lead them to paths of detriment.

It is the inevitable forces that suppress the townspeople that ultimately drive them to commit crimes. The kidnapping of Filippo for a ransom depicts the persecutors as money-hungry villains that will turn against the law of man for money and power. Their indulgence in materialistic delights, i.e. when Pino brings home a model gondola that wasn't allowed to be handled, but simply looked at, symbolises Northern life and concurrently the wealth that would soon be obtained if the kidnapping resulted in a successful outcome. Pino uses lots of monetary bribes to gain respect and trust from his own children. The irony is that it is Michele's gained understanding of justice and integrity on his journey motivates him to recognise and reject the worldly gifts from his father. It would be unfair of me to tar Pino with the "bad" brush, however, without first admitting the family values that most Italian men possess. Like all men, he feels the responsibility to ensure a prosperous and happy life for his family. His true motive for being involved in the crime is so he can financially support his family and remove them from the climate, poverty, and place that pull them down. His final words in the text, "I didn't recognise him. Help me, please, he's my son" illustrates that his first and foremost concern is the wellbeing of his family. However, most of us do not accept his plea for understanding because we have witnessed the extent to which he has gone for wealth. The adults of Acqua Traverse chose to deal with their unfortunate circumstances by kidnapping Filippo and this decision ultimately results in their downfall.

Aside from the Acqua Traverse inhabitants that are victims of circumstance, there are other more obvious victims and throughout the text we see how they deal with these struggles. The most obvious is Filippo. He is an innocent victim of the violence and brutality of the adult's scheme. As a direct result of being violated after years of being nurtured by his wealthy family, Filippo assumes "they're all dead." He is so confused about why he is being treated badly that in his conversations with Michele, he draws on the only things that he does still know, such as the "little wash bears". Although we are never formally introduced to them,

Filippo's parents are also victims of the adult's scheme. They deal with this by turning to the public, which unfortunately endangers their son further. Felice Natale is a victim ofthe stereotypical and parochial views of people, which force him to assume a military fas;ade to disguise his true dancing and singing self. Like the lizard that hides its fear by pretending to be ferocious, so too does Felice. Barbara is also discriminated against because she is female and overweight. Barbara challenges the gang when they ask to see her "hairy slit", and says "haven't you lot got anything to say?" When skull "slapped her across the face" she'didn't retaliate, indicating that she probably usually