Levi - Christ Stopped at Eboli

Question 1

Levi dichotomy

Answer 1

Saw the promise in Turin of restoring the economy, punish those responsible for hard times, restore national pride

Observed how it failed to deliver

Question 2

Levi banishment

Answer 2

Beginning of Abyssinian War in 1935, to a small primitive village in Lucania

Gagliano is fictional name for Aliano

Galianello is the smaller village attached to it

Question 3

Levi medical skills

Answer 3

In demand, as both Dr Milillo and Gibilisco are incompetent and resent the peasantry

Question 4

Gentry behaviour

Answer 4

All resent peasants, but perform a sad parody of behaviour in society

Make sure to dress differently and to be seen promenading in the squares

Question 5

Priest

Answer 5

Don Giuseppe Trajella

Abused by the whole village for being drunk always

Pantomime at midnight mass of losing notes and finding letter from only Abyssinian conscript

Question 6

Mayor’s sister

Answer 6

Donna Caterina Magalone

Runs village and is intelligent - married local party leader to hold power

More interested in feud with Gibiliscos than fascist policies

Question 7

Poor fascist innovations

Answer 7

100% goat tax to stop crops being destroyed removes a vital source of income

Question 8

Mayor

Answer 8

Don Luigi - absurd

Drowns out Christmas Eve midnight mass with fascist songs

Question 9

Peasants attitude

Answer 9

Feel alienated as they have never had any part in governance

Sided with the brogans in their conflict against the landed gentry

Now resigned to fatalism - fascism is merely another passing repressive force

Question 10

Failure of Abyssinian campaign

Answer 10

Hardly any volunteers - local leader one of the few, leaving the mayor in command

No rejoicing at success in Abyssinia

Question 11

Levi socialism

Answer 11

Parents were socialists, also Jewish

1929 - founded the anti-fascist ‘Justice and Liberty’

Continued political activism, even arrested after confine in Florence

Question 12

Levi after WW2

Answer 12

Served as the editor for L’Italia Libera, an anti-fascist publication

Elected to senate in 1963 on Communist party ticket

Question 13

Levi use of experience

Answer 13

Liberal but essentially rather privileged man

Tries to extrapolate from limited experienced with underclass to make recommendations about necessary political changes

Question 14

Levi time of writing

Answer 14

During WW2, Levi holds no great hope for future administrations

Question 15

Number in confino

Answer 15

1922-43, 5,000 political prisoners sent away

Average sentence of around 5 years

Question 16

Experience of confino by most

Answer 16

Had to work on pumice quarries on islands like Lipari and Lampedusa

High morality rates and many lost eyesight

Squalid, vermin infested barracks, especially in Favignana

Fitted with manacles

Question 17

Cause of mainland confino

Answer 17

For the least dangerous, became increasingly common from 1935

Originated from shortages in posts, as more sentenced than could be accommodated

Lack of space to move people anywhere other than the south