The Family

In addition to being the title of the book, the use of the word Family, capitalized, is used in the novel to refer to the organized mob activities that the characters participate in. The Family represents many things, from crime to fear to loyalty to the Italian heritage of the characters. It is known what it means to enter “a Family family,” and it is one of the most significant choices the characters could make.

Theoldcountry

The Old Country is mentioned several times in the novel and symbolizes the country of Italy. Once, it is referred to as one word, “theoldcountry” (9), demonstrating that this is a phrase that would be so often used by the Italian relatives in the family that it would flow off the tongue as if it were one word. As Italian American immigrants, the characters in the novel have tremendous love...