During our last class, we wondered whether or not each family in Italian Harlem knew of the other families’ public-privaty dichotomy of power concerning men and women. Prior to this reading, I had thought strongly that everyone had to know about the dynamics in each household, since the community’s people had to be at least somewhat similar. When I read this chapter, it became even more clear to me how much the families knew about one another, especially during the time of the festa. Who are the people worshipping? A woman. Coincidence? Not entirely. The worship of a woman as opposed to a man is quite symbolic of the women’s (somewhat hidden) power. The men put on a show of having power outside the home when the most important day of the year in Italian Harlem is dedicated to worshipping a woman. As Orsi describes, the festa is the moment when a woman’s power is most obvious to the entire community.

Like many other aspects of life in East Harlem, Orsi asserts that a woman’s “power” is nothing more than a paradox. This power is also her constraint. The so called power is put upon the women in the community and they are expected to display it. So, it isn’t as if the women have a choice about whether or not they have power. Maybe they would actually prefer not to have this “power” as the title comes with much burden and pressure. The power is more akin to a trap than actual authority. Furthermore, these women are resented by the rest of the community for having this power. In other words, power is forced upon them and they are then chastised for something they have little control over. Overall, women in East Harlem, like most of the community, were essentially powerless. It amazes me that a word (power) we normally think of as meaning that a person is above the “masses” can actually mean so much more in a negative way. The women in East Harlem could certainly attest to that.