SOURCE: "The 'Once and for All' Event: Symbolic Reality in Feria d'agosto," in Cesare Pavese: A Study of the Major Novels and Poems, Cambridge University Press, 1982, pp. 94-114.

In the excerpt below, Thompson discusses the events of Pavese 's life during the period of World War II and their impact on his writings. Thompson also explores Pavese 's theory—exemplified in Feria d'agosto—that experiences during a person's formative years determine his or her destiny and worldview.

The closing months of 1943 were critical in Italian history. The royal coup d'état which unseated Mussolini, after almost twenty years as dictator, shocked and divided the nation. The situation was further complicated by two other factors. Firstly, though technically still allied to Nazi Germany, Italy, on the initiative of the king and Marshall Badoglio, was making representations to the Allies about the cessation of hostilities and the possibilities of a...