ENGL. 2003 "Son of Italy" quiz

What does Pascal's father decide to do after the break up?

Go back to Italy.

What causes his gang to break up?

Teofilo and Andrea were crushed to death on the job

hen, they decide to CURE her from her condition. What is the CURE?

The cure was to stab her with a really big needle. The one used to sew mattresses. (pg 38)

Once in NY, why does Pascal think Americans are very religious?

The street names have the world "Ave" which is short for avenue but means Saint in italian so he thought america was very religious. (Page 60) "How religious a place this must be that expresses its devotion at every crossing. I mused. Still, they did not put the "Ave." before the holdy word, as, in "Ave Maria," but rather after. How topsy-turvy?

While riding the subway, Pascal sees two persons doing and odd thing and he thinks it is a disease. What is the odd behavior, and what are they doing in reality?

(Page 60) "...sat a father and son. Upright and straight, they were both glaring at a newspaper which the father held. With compassion, I observed that they were

What is the VERY first memory Pascal recalls in his book?

(Page 7) "My first real recollection probably runs down to a little less than four years - for my grandmother died then. And I clearly remember when she made me go up to the garret to get onions in order to have them roasted under hot cinders of the wood fire that we used in place of a stove."

To which magazine did he send the letter?

(Page 164) The Nation

Which magazine published his first poem?

(Page 168) The Literary Review of the New York Evening Post

Thunderstorms, dogs, lightning: these are the elements of a scary story. Summarize it briefly.

(Page 19) "This man had been known as a sort of wizard. He lived alone and had little to do with the world... He laughed and called back his dogs. Just then the two trees alongside the hut became tipped with flame and something like a great star appeared in the doorway over the man's head. And a thunder broke upon us. The man fell...My mother, hysterically, cried out the news that the old man had been struck by the fires of heaven."

Where does Pascal run into her while they are alone?

(Page 39) "One day I was pasturing my goats and sheep on the broad shoulder of the immense mountain. (Page 40) "Just as I was five steps away, it sprang up throwing out arms enclosed in black rags. With a gasp of horror I stopped short. There in front of me, tall and erect, stood the fearsome witch."

What kind of exchange takes place?

(Page 41) "Then her mouth opened, and in a piteous weak voice she cried, 'I am hungry!'... Without hesitating, as if obeying a command, I took my scanty lunch from the bag slung over my shoulder and handed it to her. Quickly she stepped forward and grabbed it. And ravenously, cramming her mouth and staring around with wild eyes, she consumed the food."

What is the end of story for the old beggar?

(Page 42) "One morning the witch was found badly beaten near a stream that passes through our town. She was in a very bad condition. (Page 43) "The next night, while a glorious moon was flaring above the snowy heights, the reports slowly circulated that the vampire was dead."

Mention one detail of the journey across the Atlantic that illustrates their condition.

(Page 56) "We passed the Azores which looked like toy islands with toy houses and windmills."

Why is the Statue of Liberty NOT mentioned in his memoirs? After all it is the obligatory reference of every immigrant story in those days

(Page 58) "Below all was confusion and noise. Everyone was talking at once. Gradually, however, a silence came over some of us. There was a hideous doubt in our minds. No one was sure either of entering America or being sent back as desirable - which would mean a ruined life." Basically, Pascal was probably super nervous and anxious to see if they were going to be able to get into America or not. Because of the nervousness he either overlooked the Statue of Liberty or he was more focused on the entry into America than mentioning his first sight of the landmark.

Where was SHADY SIDE?

(Page 76) "Shady Side is merely a factory town. It has nothing but factories and workingmen's shacks. (Page 74) "My first real view of New York, the first time I actually realized the city, came in the summer of 1914 when I first visited Shady Side.

While in NY, what happens to Matteo and his money?

(Page 86) "All that day Matteo spent prowling through the Italian section that spreads around Mulberry Street. Some of us as we wandered about looking for a job kept a sharp eye open for the thief, but without result. That night Matteo waited in the house - for the return of the young stranger! Filipo, who was young, kept insisting that perhaps it was a joke. But of course no one came to amiably return the money and exhort Matteo's forgiveness."

What kind of injury does Pascal suffer while pushing a wheel barrow?

A nail pierces his hand.

Why did she commit that crime (according to what people believed)? Be clear.

According to the people, it is believed that the women finally refused to give food to the old beggar which resulted in her new born baby's death. (pg 27)

What is the new fruit he discovers in America?

Banana (Page 66) "One of the men who had been in America a few years came around with a couple of enormous pea pods. But he stripped off the skin and giving us each a small piece of the pulpy center urged us to eat it. It was sweet and we were well pleased. He told us that they were called bananas. The name was easy to pronounce."

What is the REAL reason why Pascal's father decided to go to America? (Skip the "dream" and "opportunity" rhetoric.)

Better condition of life. (Page 47-50) "'I cannot blame him. He works so hard. And we never seem to get any better. I must bend myself to what has to be.'" "It is a matter of too much boundless life and too little space. We feel tied up there."

Mention THREE sites in NEW YORK CITY (streets, neighborhoods, landmarks) that appear in the book.

Gorge Road (barn-like houses) (Page 75) Manhattan Bridge (Page 79) Brooklyn Bridge (79)

What kind of jobs does he find, with his gang?

He did jobs that consisted of physical labor, multiple times they resulted in injury and/or death. Example: Andrea was crushed and he got a nail through his hand.

What is the tone of the letter he write in order to get his first poem published?

He writes in a last ditch attempt to get something published before he loses all hope in his writing.

How supportive are his co-workers when he tries to learn English?

His co workers were supportive because they liked the jokes he would write, they thought his english would help him get a better job. Some felt it was useless, they said a laborer would never rise. Some of the Foremen would challenge him to try to make him look bad, they failed. His nickname become "solution".

Does Pascal have a natural talent for music?

Not at all, he gave up and moved to literature pg142

Give one or two CLEAR AND CONCISE details that describe Pascal's family's poverty.

Pascal dropped out of school at the age of twelve to help his family earn money. His family could not afford to hire an older boy therefore he had to drop out of school early on. (pg 19) His family had a bed which he shared with his mother, father and younger brother. The bed was so small he'd often hit his head. (pg 5) D'Angelo explains that he and his family lived in a rat-infested hovel that they shared with their farm animals. They had little food and his father had no hope for a secure job.

The old beggar is accused of a terrible crime and chased out of town. What crime?

Pascal tells a seemingly harmless folkloric tale about superstitious peasants and a village woman, an acknowledged "vampire" who is accused of casting a spell on a village boy and causing his death.

What is the story with the EGGS and the AX?

Pascal went to the store and asked for eggs but because he did not know english he said "AX" and the store worker brought out an ax for him, eventually after hand gestures he got the eggs. (Page 68) "The foreman repeated the word, 'aches,' several times to me so that I could memorize it. And I hurried down the road repeating the word to myself, so as to not forget it. But my debut in English was somewhat unsuccessful, for by the time I got to the grocery I had changed it to 'axe,' and with my fingers I counted twelve."

What happens to the violin he tried to play?

The foreman bought it from him for $3.50 and smashed it on the ground right in front of him.

What is the first musical instrument Pascal tried to learn?

The mandolin pg 140

Pascal and his friends devise a method to test if the scary woman is really some kind of evil creature: what do they try to do?

To test if she was evil they tried to put salt on her head but failed to do so. (pg 29)

Pascal's injury is a clear and direct reference to a specific Christian iconographic tradition. Can you elaborate? (Not required - you are not expected to know details of Christianity, but if you do, can you also discuss what the similarity may suggest?)

When the nail pierced through Pascal's hand is a reference to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. "I showed Michele my wounded hand and told him my predicament. He now spoke in his soft Abbruzzese dialect that is so much like ours of the uplands, "Boy," he said, "a stupid world drove nails through other hands - other hands." " D'Angelo, Pascal. Son of Italy: 36 (Picas series) . Guernica Editions. Kindle Edition

How does Pascal explain the reason why he writes poetry? **Pascal explains why he writes poetry. This reminded me of a poem by one of the greatest beatnik poets, Gregory Corso, whose real life and work anticipated hip-hop by half a century.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregory_Corso (Page 72) "All my works are lost, lost forever. But a good line of poetry - then when the night comes and I cease writing, my work is not lost. My line is still there. It can be read by you today or by anyone else tomorrow. If I bring you to all the above mentioned places you will never be able to understand all the work I was compelled to do, while I labored there."

The town people believe the "old hag" who goes around begging for food is a ________

witch. (pg 22)