Lives of the Saints

Cristina Innocente is Vittorio’s mother and Mario’s wife. Her father is Vittorio’s grandfather, lu podesta, the town mayor. Cristina is a strong-willed, independent woman. She is seen through the lens of Vittorio, her young child. Cristina is a modern woman who does not adhere to the religiosity and superstitions of the other villagers in Valle del Sole. She openly criticizes the Catholic Church, as when she tells her friends Maria and Guiseppina that the priests are “no better than the rest of us” (46). When Vittorio relates to her a story Father Nick tells him about the priest’s friend at seminary who put his shoes under the bed to remind him to get on his knees and thank God, she laughs and says, “Don’t believe those stories, silly” (43).

Unlike the other villagers, she does not attend or give offerings to the Madonna during the procession. She is likewise scornful of the villagers’ superstitions. When Guiseppina tells her to do an animal sacrifice ritual to cleanse herself of the evil eye after she is bitten by a snake, she laughs and scolds Guiseppina for her foolishness. Despite her skepticism, however, when she grows truly desperate, she does appear to attempt the ritual.

However, her defiant posture against the traditional values of the town makes her a pariah in the community, who think she is acting like a “princess” (47). The difference between Cristina and the other townspeople is further emphasized by her refusal to adhere to traditional gender roles. Instead of remaining faithful to her absent husband who abused her, she pursues affection by carrying on an affair with an unnamed man. The fact that this man is, as her father puts it, her “communist boyfriend, a foreigner no less” (160), in a provincial, fascist-leaning community further ostracizes her. While she does largely hide her pregnancy, she is not ashamed to finally show the town she is pregnant at Christmas.

Despite the challenges she faces, Cristina is a good mother who tries to instill the same independent views in her son. When her ostracization leads to Vittorio being bullied at school, she is not afraid to take a stand by beating the bully’s mother and threatening the other townspeople. Ultimately, she acts bravely by deciding to take Vittorio to Canada for a better life for both of them. Her death on the voyage to Canada suggests that her independence of spirit is hindered by the patriarchal society in which she has lived.

Vittorio’s grandfather is known as lu podesta, the town mayor, and acts as the antagonist in Lives of the Saints. He is a figure of some importance in their small town. He was injured in World War I and proudly wears his medals to church and on important holidays. He is the owner of the house and stable where Vittorio and Cristina live, although due to his injury he no longer works. He is a serious, intense man. He spends most of his time at his friend Di Lucci’s bar. He does not have a close relationship with Vittorio but is mostly kind to him, although he is not a warm person.

Vittorio’s grandfather was a supporter of Mussolini and the fascist regime during World War II. He is emphatic about upholding traditional values. Despite knowing of Mario’s violent streak, he encourages his daughter to remain faithful to him. When Cristina gets pregnant by a man who is not her husband, he is angry and ashamed. He does not express his anger with violence, but he nevertheless tells her, “Get out of my sight and let me die in peace” (160).

Cristina’s “shameful” behavior and the threat that the evil eye is on her after she is bitten by a snake leads to her father’s loss of status. He resigns from his position as mayor and the townspeople no longer visit him to consult him for advice. This makes him bitter and resentful. When Vittorio goes to him to say goodbye before they leave for Canada, he tells him, “All my life I’ve been surrounded by traitors and fools” (182). He gives Vittorio his medals, saying that he is upset he did not die during World War I. In this moment, he expresses more sadness than in the rest of the narrative, implying that he is disappointed with his life.

Vittorio’s teacher at his primary school is known only as la maestra, the Italian word for “schoolteacher.” She is a tough but kind woman who pays particular attention to Vittorio. In the beginning of the story, her attention to her students is shown when she takes it upon herself to go to Vittorio’s home to tell Cristina about Vittorio’s truancy. The following school year, when Vittorio gets in a fight with another student, she takes him under her wing and works to protect him. She makes up an excuse to keep him late after school. She is even thoughtful enough to make it seem like it is a punishment so that the other students do not think he is a teacher’s pet.

La maestra is deeply religious and she uses the extra time with Vittorio to read to him from the Lives of the Saints. She conveys her belief in miracles to Vittorio, who begins to believe in them to an extent. While she is kind to Vittorio, she is judgmental of his mother for her pride and lack of conventional behavior. When Vittorio is beaten by Vincenzo, she does not blame the student but rather says, “It’s that woman’s [Cristina’s] fault, all of this, she thinks she’s as free as a bird, she doesn’t think about other people” (108).

On Vittorio’s last day of school, la maestra embraces him and cries. She gives him the book Lives of the Saints and tells him, “I hope you’ll follow their example” (178). She reveals that she once had a baby who died, who would have been Vittorio’s age if it had lived. It is in part this hidden grief that has led her to have so much affection for the young boy.