Who Has the Power?
Last class, the main focus of our discussion centered around power. Who truly held the power in Italian Harlem, men or women? In a society so centered around the domus, it would seem as though the women held the power since they were the ones who passed along various traditions to the younger generation. Yet, in the theatrical world of the streets, the men seemed to dominate. In a society where both sexes have power yet in different ways, who truly prevails? Or, does the subject of power suddenly become irrelevant when it is so widespread? I found myself really questioning these issues after last class.
Upon reading the current reading, I noticed something interesting. The shaping of “Cara Harlem” would not have been possible without the devotion to the Madonna. The Madonna was so integral to the community and culture that it became synonymous with 115th street. In the 1950s and 1960s (when Italian Harlem was pretty much gone), Orsi points out that the culture still lived on through the memory and connection of the Madonna. Then, I thought, perhaps this society has varying levels of power structures more complex than “Who has power?” A sort of equilibrium was certainly created in which both men and women had power in their own way. Yet, the true nucleus of Italian Harlem was in fact the Madonna. So, when analyzing who really had the power, the appropriate response would have to be her.
In this reading, Orsi delves deeper into the influence the Madonna carries over this community. It was believed the had the power to help the sick and poor just by praying to her and making promises to her. She helped to define the neighborhood of Italian Harlem by provided a stable icon to collectively worship. She also helped to grow upon the Italian-American identity by helping to provide a claim of the neighborhood, of New York City, and of American time. The ultimate goal of Italians was to convert suffering to sacrifice, and devotion to the Madonna was the way to achieve such a goal.
Thus, this society really is power-based, but not in the traditional sense. This community allowed religion to have such a profound impact over their culture and morals that gender power roles are not as significant. Yes, they are present. Society was patriarchal, women were the secret heads of the home, etc. Yet Orsi also constantly mentions this greater sense of self present in this community, and how Italian Harlem functions as a unit rather than individually. The men and women play their parts, but the domus structures their lives and world to be the way it is. And who is at the center of the domus? Well, that would be la Madonna herself.
