Reviews and Comments

The problem of Intelligence The Mismeasure of Man, discusses how difficult it can be to define what intelligence really means. There is not necessarily a correlation between measured IQ and 'book learning' and the ability to turn that into practical use.

Nature and Nurture. Throughout the book Charlie wants to learn, and to be a good person. Did this come from his nature, or was it imposed by his strict mother? Humankind argues for an inbuilt level of goodness. There are many examples of strict parenting not having the desired result.

The difficulty of treating unequal siblings equally. In Progress Report 12 Charlie's parents have told his sister Norma that she can have a dog if she does well in a test, but they have already told Charlie that he can not. Denying her the dog because of Charlie fuels resentment and further family strain. Finding the right balance of limited parental attention and limited family budget is always difficult, but particularly so if one child is different from the others in a major way.

The journal entries, which evolve in linguistic style with Charlie's capabilities, make it an Epistolary novel, but the rapid growth and change puts it more into the Bildungsroman, category. In some ways it resembles a rags-to-riches-to-rags format, echoes of the story of Faust and the concept of forbidden knowledge, and hints of the inescapable destiny which remind me of Arthurian Romance.

The way Charlie's relationships with his co-workers at the bakery, staff and students at the university and Alice change as he changes is important, and they too are changed - though in lesser amounts - as the sun is pulled less towards the earth than the earth to the sun.

Throughout there remains a central decent core to Charlie, with his aspiration to know and his wish to be good, which is very endearing and identifiable.

Human Relationships

Describes the way our relationships with others evolve through our lives. Beginning with her view of little children's relationships with adults, followed by those of adolescents with adults and each other. The having, and changing, best friends, and the uncertainty about whether we will find 'the right person'. The sliding into a relationship with the right person without realising this, and the way having children changes our views on relationships, and what is important. Almost returning to the start with the adults relationships with small children, and how this changes as the children grow into adolescents.

Silence

Natalia suggests that silence is a sin, and that we are all smothered by silence, incapable of exchanging an unconstrained word.

My Vocation

Describes how her writing style has changed and evolved over time, and how the process intertwines with her emotions

The Son of Man

The title is a reference to Matthew 8:20 where Jesus says 'The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head'. This is linked to the destruction by war of peoples homes, and how those have experienced this can never feel safe again

He and I

Written in 1962, about the relationship between Natalia and her second husband Gabriele Baldini.

La Maison Volpe

Describes, as she encountered it, the English attitude to food.

England: Eulogy and Lament

Written in London in 1961, some of the descriptions seem outdated, but others resonate. The food and drink has transformed since then, and some social attitudes may have changed.

Portrait of a Friend

Although neither the friend, nor the city which he loved are named, he was probably Cesare Pavese, and the city Turin. The descriptions convey the complex moods of both person and city.

Worn-Out Shoes

She recollects her time alone in Rome during the German occupation when she had no choice but to wear worn-out shoes. Old shoes provide a connection with a friend, as well as where shoes fit in her financial priorities.

Winter in the Abruzzi

Describes her internal exile by the Fascist government of the time, with her husband to Abruzzi. At first she finds the people and their way of life strange, but gets to know them better.