Summary

The Prison tells the story of Tommy Castelli, a 29-year-old man filled with regret and dissatisfaction who feels trapped in his life. Tommy reflects on how he ended up in this situation: as a teenager, he had big dreams of escaping his crowded, poverty-stricken neighborhood. However, he got involved with a group of local toughs, leading to his participation in a liquor store holdup. Although he managed to avoid legal consequences thanks to a local leader’s intervention, the incident set him on a downward path.

Tommy’s father then arranged for him to marry Rosa Agnello, a woman Tommy found unattractive, and to run a candy store her family financed. Desperate to escape, Tommy fled to Texas for a while but returned, and without much resistance, ended up married to Rosa and running the candy store on Prince Street. He works long hours...