Prose S.
1 total work
v. 39
Feast of the Dead explores the theme of isolation from both American society and the Italian culture of the first generation immigrants who came to the United States. These interrelated stories focus on a young boy and his grandmother who infuses him with a sense of the mysterious of her former life in Sicily. The central image of Mount Etna dominates the villagers' lives and the protagonist's dreams. In his search for connection to his past, he discovers that his parents and their generation have broken their ties to teh European country and that his own generation has refuted its heritage to pursue the American dream. Divided between Europe and America, he must try to integrate both these cultures. Steeped in oral tradition of these people, these stories investigate magic and folklore, the passing of a generation and a way of life, and the spiritual crisis of a traditional culture in transition.