Bread and Wine
by Ignazio Silone
PLOT:
Bread and Wine opens on a warm April morning at the house of Don Benedetto. Benedetto, a priest and former teacher, is expecting the arrival of several of his former students in order to celebrate his seventy-fifth birthday. Benedetto is eventually visited by Dr. Nunzio Sacca, Concettino Ragu -- a civil servant in the Fascist government -- and Don Piccirilli, who acts as a spy for the bishop when not performing his normal priestly duties. After several minutes of idle chatter, talk turns to classmates not present at the gathering. Finally, when confronted with the question of who his favorite student was, the priest admits that Pietro Spina had always been his favorite. Benedetto is then informed that Spina had been arrested years before, and then escaped to France. Ever since then, Spina had been continuously expelled from various European countries, and no one was sure of his current condition. As Benedetto's visitors leave, Ragu secretly tells Sacca that Pietro Spina has successfully entered into Italy after an exile in Belgium.
Soon after, Sacca is called upon by Cardile Mulazzi. Mulazzi
knew Spina from an encounter in France, and Spina had arrived at Mulazzi's
doorstep near death. Against Spina's will, Mulazzi urges Dr. Sacca to help his
former classmate. Sacca hardly recognizes the withered Spina, who has
deliberately aged himself in order to avoid being recognized by police. The
doctor advises a great deal of rest and relaxation to improve Spina's
condition. Spina leaves in a hay loft, while Mulazzi brings him daily rations
of food and medicine. Eventually, Sacca comes up with a plan to hide Spina in a
remote mountain village disguised as a priest. There Spina can rest unnoticed
for two to three months. That night Pietro Spina changes his name to Don Paulo
Spada, and begins his journey to Pietrasecca.
During his trek to Pietrassecca, Spada stops at the Girasole
Hotel to rest for a night. While there, Spada is forced into granting
absolution to Bianchina, a girl who will almost certainly die from
complications arising from an attempted abortion. Miraculously, Bianchina
survives, and returns later to play a more involved part in Spada's life. Spada
leaves Girasole and arrives at Pietrasecca, a tiny village with only one
convenience -- the authorities take little notice of it.
Spada is looked after by Matalena Ricotta, the superstitious
innkeeper of the hotel where Spada is staying. Although Spada refuses to
perform any religious ceremonies, shortly after his arrival his is forced into
blessing the unborn baby of a young woman who threatens to throw herself out a
window. Soon after this performance, Bianchina arrives at Pietrasecca convinced
that Spada is a saint, or possibly even Jesus Christ himself. After Checking
Spada's hands for stigmata, both Bianchina and Matalena become convinced that
Spada is not Christ, but they do believe he is a saint. Spada becomes convinced
of Bianchina's trustworthiness, and decides to send her on a special mission to
Rome for him.
While waiting for news from Bianchina, Spada attempts to have
serious discussions with the poor cafoni of the valley. He is greatly
disappointed by the cafoni's unwillingness to talk about politics. The cafoni
have no use for politics, and would rather talk about sins they have committed,
or Biagio, a cafone greatly respected for his violent behavior. The cafoni show
their distaste for politics when they make a mockery out of the schoolmistress'
reading of News From Rome. The cafoni believe that all laws are evil, and that
damnation is eternal in this world. Because of the cafoni's inaccessibility to
politics, Spada tries to convey his ideas using a metaphor while settling a
dispute in a card game between several cafoni.
Spada decides that he must return to Rome and once again become
involved in the Socialist movement. Before leaving for Rome, Spada strikes up a
friendship with a young man named Pompeo, who shares many of the same views and
ideals as Spada. While in Rome, Spada (who has now returned to the identity of
Pietro Spina) meets with Battipaglia, a high ranking member of the socialist
movement. Spina and Battipaglia erupt into an argument, with Spina accusing
Battipaglia of losing his critical spirit, and becoming a conformist to the
majority. At this point, Battipaglia threatens to have Spina kicked out of the
Socialist party.
After this incident, Romeo gives Spina the names of former party
members. Romeo urges Spina to try and bring these men back into the party.
Spina first confronts Uliva, who tells Spina that he is a member of the party
out of fear. Uliva accuses Spina of being afraid to believe that progress,
liberty, and freedom cannot exist. Spina leaves sickened, disillusioned, and
disgusted. Later, Romeo tells Spina that Uliva's apartment was blown up shortly
after Spina left. Apparently Uliva was building a bomb to blow up a church
service that many government officials were planning to attend.
Spina wishes to find at least one experienced party member in
Rome who can help organize Pompeo and his friends. Spina is unable to contact
Murica, but is able to locate his girlfriend Annina. From Annina, Spina learns
that Murica had spent several harrowing months in prison. The time spent in
jail disturbed Murica greatly, and his relationship with Annina was never the
same, especially after she granted sexual favors to two policemen who
threatened to arrest Murica.
Spina assumes the identity of Spada once again, and returns to
Fossa during a war rally. Cafoni are rounded up like cattle and are told to
sing and shout government slogans on cue. Spada and Zabaglione talk about the
absurdity of speeches on subjects such as "The Revival of the Roman
Tradition." The cafoni, as is usual, simply accept the rally and do as
they are told, neither questioning its motives or its effects.
The next night, Spada, disgusted by the apathy which surrounds
him, writes slogans such as "Down with War" and "Long Live
Liberty" on several public buildings in Fossa. Afterwards, he encounters
Pompeo, who has enlisted in the army, believing that the war will be beneficial
for both the poor and Socialism. That night, as he returns home, Spada begins
to cough up blood, much to the dismay of Bianchina, who attempts to help him
regain his strength.
The next day, after a visit with Don Angelo Girasole, the parish
priest of Fossa, Spada feels an urgent need to speak with Don Benedetto, his
former teacher who Don Angelo had spoken ill of.
While waiting for Spina to arrive, Don Benedetto tells of a
crime which Spina witnessed as a boy. "It was a robbery with violence at
th e expense of an injured or dying man....the person concerned enjoyed
universal respect and after the crime he went on living as before."(p.
222) This crime had changed Spina's entire perception of life, and it affected
him to this very day. After a short discussion on faith and duty, Spina must
flee from Don Benedetto's house when Don Piccirilli arrives for a visit.
The next day, Luigi Murica comes to visit Spada at the
recommendation of Don Benedetto. Murica repeats the story which Spada has
already heard from Annina. Afterwards, Spada shows his trust for Murica by
revealing his true identity of Pietro Spina. The two men have mutual respect
for one another, and quickly strike up a friendship.
Several days later, after the first snow reaches Pietrasecca
Spada receives a note revealing that Murica had been arrested. Immediately,
Spada heads for the Murica house, but before arriving, he learns that Luigi
Murica has died while in prison. While at the Murica house, Bianchina, who now
knows Spada's true identity, warns Spina that the militia has discovered his
whereabouts, and are on their way to Pietrasecca to arrest him.
Spina heads directly for Pietrasecca, where he has left some
papers which he must burn. While at Pietrasecca he reveals his true identity to
Cristina, and flees for the pass at Goat's Saddle. Cristina, frantic over
Spina's condition, grabs some food and warm clothing, and tries to catch up
with Spina during the blizzard. Cristina collapses in the snow, calling out
"Pietro" every so often. Cristina never receives a reply from Spina,
and is answered only by the howls of the approaching wolves.
Bread and Wine symbolizes two simultaneous existences, one secular, one spiritual , both in harmony and in balance with one another.
Criticism:
Marxism is based on a materialist understanding of societal development, taking as its starting point the necessary economic activities required by human society to provide for its material needs. In the novel, Bread and Wine by Silone, It shows the compatibility between Socialism and Christianity. Though Don Benedetto and Spina differ in their principles about Christianity and Socialism, they are both extremely devoted to their beliefs and how they stand for it. Don Paulo Spada is the unification of a Benedetto and a Spina. He is like a bread and wine, which the peassants subsist on, and it is also used by the church as a symbol of salvation and resurrection.Bread and Wine symbolizes two simultaneous existences, one secular, one spiritual , both in harmony and in balance with one another.
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