My Brilliant Friend

Elena observes that the women in her neighborhood were “more severely infected” with anger than the men, “because while men were always getting furious, they calmed down in the end; women, who appeared to be silent, acquiescent, when they were angry flew into a rage that had no end” (38). In the references to silence and acquiescence, Ferrante draws attention to the expected passivity of women, who, in the patriarchal neighborhood, rely on men to make their destinies. The men play an active role in making decisions for both themselves and their families; thus, they are able to feel and let go of their emotions faster. Women, who have less power to promote change, are often stuck with their bitter feelings.

This is the case for Elena’s harried mother (who is in a constant foul mood), as well as for Lidia Sarratore and Melina Cappuccio who fight over Lidia’s husband, Donato Sarratore. Lidia and Melina’s campaign of “vindictiveness” towards each other, which escalates from prank-like disturbances to torrid exchanges of insults, culminates in a physical fight that frightens Elena (39). At first, to Elena, “it wasn’t clear” whether Donato was even aware of Melina’s passion for him; years later, Nino reveals to Elena that the two were lovers and that Donato took advantage of Melina’s vulnerable mental state (38).

Though the neighborhood men consider Donato “womanish” and odd because he writes poetry, his maleness and status as a good Christian ultimately protect him (39). To the young Elena, he seems initially to be a peacemaker in the situation between his wife and Melina, almost “too sensitive, too polite” (39). Donato emerges whole and largely unscathed by a situation that he has caused, while all the blame lies with the two women—and especially with Melina, whom the neighborhood views as an interloper trying to steal a married woman’s husband (40). While Lidia, in a sense, wins the battle when Donato agrees to move the family out of the neighborhood and away from Melina, she is powerless to stop Donato’s incessant womanizing; she has to tolerate or ignore it.

Elena feels the full horror of Donato’s predation, first when he assaults her on her summer vacation, and then again when he turns up in the neighborhood a year later and tries to kiss her. While Elena is too ashamed to tell Antonio what Donato did to her, she uses his mother, Melina, as the excuse to provoke Antonio into confronting Donato. Antonio threatens that, if Donato reappears to Melina, he will “lose forever the desire to see these shitty” neighborhood streets that he claims to be so nostalgic for (287). Elena has to lean on a male, her husky auto-repairer boyfriend, for help, and her action redresses the balance of power in the neighborhood: The once-admired Donato is now a reckless villain, whereas low-status Antonio is empowered to stand his ground.

While Elena takes decisive action to put Donato in his place, with Nino Sarratore her blind affection leads her to give her power away. She entrusts Nino with the publication of her article in Naples, Home of the Poor. She is thrilled when Nino hears about her argument with the priest and invites her to write the article. But when he reads what she’s written, he says with “unexpected sadness” that Elena writes better than he and goes off without saying goodbye. Elena is “bothered” by his behavior and even recognizes “for a few moments his father’s gait” (301). Still, she doesn’t question Nino’s motives despite these signs that he is jealous of and intimidated by her, and that he may share, not just his father’s gait, but also his vanity. When Nino tells Elena that her article will not be published after all, she believes it was rejected, showing no suspicion that Nino might have had a hand in this failure. As she strives to be his equal, it never occurs to Elena that her abilities and talents are a threat to his ego.

Overall, Ferrante shows that, though the patriarchy prevails, women have the ability to make dents in existing power structures. At the end of the novel, that structure appears solid: Lila’s husband puts business and status above his wife’s feelings, and Elena’s article goes unpublished because (she thinks) it was not good enough for a team of (most likely male) editors. However, the “violence” of Lila’s gaze when she sees Marcello wearing her handmade shoes indicates that she will keep fighting—setting up the power struggle theme for further exploration in Ferrante’s sequels (331).