Feminism

Through Ferrante's strong female characters, the reader recognizes that women are the true strength in these combined narratives.

In the Airota family, Adele is a woman that repeatedly gets things done--she is known to politicians, doctors, and publishers alike, all of them prepared to do whatever favor she asks. Mariarosa Airota is also well-connected: she has friends in France, is crucial to the workers' struggles and other Communist causes. She writes and rallies and works to get Elena's feminist text translated into French. Lila compiles a list of grievances against Bruno Soccavo and hand-delivers it to him; she joins the workers' union and visits the Communist group to see conditions improve. In addition, she pushes Enzo to study mathematics at night and studies it herself. Elena's mother is the backbone of her family; she travels to Florence unattended to help Elena when she needs it and...