Their lives have always been difficult, but the advent of the Fascists makes it far worse.īut Silone's agenda is clearly something more than this. The story is told simply, from the perspective of the poorly educated and uncomprehending Italian peasants. Silone had been subjected to Fascist oppression: the offices of the newspaper Lavoratore in which he worked were burnt down three times after Mussolini came to power, and his brother Romolo Tranquilli died in prison following his arrest by the Fascists (and this after his mother and five other brothers had been killed during an earthquake in 1915). It was first published in 1930 when Ignazio Silone (Secondo Tranquilli) was in political exile in Switzerland, and at the simplest level it is a story criticising the Fascist government in Italy, and exposing the duplicity of the Church and the professional classes during that regime. Which leads to more fear and more crimes."įontamara is a political novel with a very clear agenda. The more frightened they get the more crimes they commit.
The more crimes they commit the more frightened they get. Why do they put thousands and thousands of innocent people in gaol? Because they're afraid. Why do they constantly increase the number of police and militia? Because they're afraid. Why do they murder their opponents? Because they're afraid. Even they say that things can't go on like this, and are afraid. It isn't only the opponents of the government the so-called Fascists are more frightened than anyone else. "When fear grips a whole population there isn't any explanation.
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