Journal Set One

“If you, in all your life, don’t do this thing [sex] as I did it, with the passion I did it with,
the love I did it with, and I don’t mean eleven times but at least once, it’s pointless to
live” (Ferrante 75).
An immediate connection can be drawn between this quote and chapter 17 of
Thomas C. Foster’s HTRLLAP: …Except Sex, which states that sex is so
inherently profound, that its implementation in novels is symbolic of another
topic. In the context of TLLA, the integration of sex serves as a basis for
understanding Aunt Vittoria; her compelling authenticity, and her role as the
antithesis of Giovanna’s parents.
The reader can observe Aunt Vittoria’s authenticity in many ways, but her
openness to discussing her carnal desires is especially compelling given the
setting and context of the book. Naples - the setting of the book - is one of the
most catholic cities in the world, so much blatant defiance of the religious
moral system (premarital sex, cheating, etc.) should surely imply a rejection of
god. Yet, Aunt Vittoria is closer to God than any of Giovanna’s immediate
family members, generating this sense of duality
and complexity; authenticity. In a book called The Lying Life of Adults, Aunt
Vittoria’s genuine depiction portrays her as the personification of the “truth,”
despite her apparent semi-delusion.
“I knew only one thing for certain; to visit them you had to go down, and down, keep
going down, into the depths of the depths of Naples, and the journey was so long it
seemed to me that we and my father’s relatives lived in two different cities” (Ferrante
17).
Another connection can be drawn to Thomas C. Foster’s HTRLLAP, this time to
chapter 19: Geography Matters. In the chapter, Foster highlights the
significance of location, specifically exploring the symbolism of contrasting
elevations; lower elevation symbolizes a descent into a flawed and despicable,
yet distinctly human environment, whereas a higher elevation represents an
ascent into a seemingly superior, yet uncannily inhuman setting. This is
reflected in the disparity between upper and lower Naples. Where Giovanna’s
house lies is at the top of the hills, where “to go anywhere we [Giovanna’s
family] had inevitably to descend” (17). The symbolism of elevation manifests
especially in her surroundings where all appears deceptively perfect, but, as
the reader later finds, lacks the qualities of authentic imperfection
synonymous with humanity. On the other hand, lower Naples houses Aunt
Vittoria, someone who was depicted by Giovanna’s parents as an outlandishly
evil, spiteful person. Giovanna finds Aunt Vittoria , however, to be wildly
genuine - in her intentions, in her experiences, and in her demeanor.
Journal Set Two (Section 5)
Focus: Roberto
Originating from Christianity, Roberto (Giovanna’s love interest) connects to
chapter 17 of Thomas C. Foster’s HTRLLAP, in which Foster states that
characters inspired from Christianity are often used to make a larger point
about sacrifice, hope, redemption, or miracles. In the Lying Life of Adults,
Giovanna seeks solace from her suffering in her descents from the ivory hilltop
where she lives to lower Naples. In lower Naples, there is a church where she
meets Roberto, whom Giovanna immediately falls in love with. Inspired by her
newfound love, Giovanna begins to read the Bible, which helps to restore her
love for reading. Through her reading she is empowered - in her reparation of
relationships and in her redemption in her intellectual pursuits. Furthermore,
Roberto restores Giovanna’s confidence when he tells her that she’s beautiful.
Roberto’s role in providing salvation to Giovanna mirrors that of a christ figure,
who redeems those around them and provides hope. However, Roberto is
removed from his role in the church, mirroring the sacrifice of the martyr
Jesus Christ. His actions that mirror Jesus, combined with the origin of
Roberto’s name and the setting in which Giovanna met Roberto, solidifies
Roberto as a Christ Figure.

“How rough men were, how brutal in every word they dedicated to love/ they liked
humiliating us, dragging us along their lewd path” (Ferrante 207).
After hearing the demeaning and objectifying comments on her appearance
coming from her male peers to her, Giovanna feels disparaged, sympathizing
with her Aunt Vittoria and the rest of the female population. The comments
on her appearance bring attention to a central challenge for Giovanna; she
constantly seeks external validation instead of choosing for herself how to act.
Throughout the book, we see how others have control over Giovanna -
especially due to her dynamically changing adolescent mind. This can be seen
through Vittoria’s influence on Giovanna’s thoughts, through Giovanna’s
parents’ former influence on her worldview, and through the way she lets
these boys influence her self-image. Through the exploration of Giovanna’s
encounters with her self-image, Ferrante critiques a society that seeks external
validation and emphasizes heteronormative superficial beauty standards,
which causes strife in women and can lead to individuals compensating for a
perceived inferiority.