The Gold Necklace

The narrator is given a heart-shaped gold necklace by Vincenzo relatively early into their flirtation. He says that he was given a collection of gold jewelry by his Gypsy friends as payment for some work he did for them, but the narrator suspects that it was all stolen. Nevertheless, she accepts the necklace. The tone of the scene indicates that it is gift is romantic or sexual in nature. The tone is not that of a brother giving his little sister a present. The ambiguity of the necklace's origins is symbolic of the ambiguity of Vincenzo's character and actions. The narrator keeps the necklace throughout her life and it becomes a talisman for her that she wears on important occasions such as her final exams in high school. At the time she is telling the story she plans to wear it to Adriana's upcoming...