Last class, we ended our discussion with a question as to whether or not suffering was intrinsic to Italian culture. Orsi describes the Italians’ suffering as a willing sacrifice. By embracing pain, Italians had some form of control over their destinies. They were, therefore, declaring pride, self worth, and freedom through their religious experiences. Of course, one cannot just ignore the masochistic aspect of this self-inflicting behavior. Orsi seems to argue that Italians harmed themselves as a physical outlet for their frustration. Self-inflicted pain certainly connotes masochism in this respect, but the Italians’ suffering can also be regarded as an act of selflessness.

After reading this section, it occurred to me that suffering was just another practice in which Italians sacrificed themselves for a greater good. From a young age, children were brought up to selflessly surrender their individual desires for the sake of the domus. Women, too, had to selflessly obey the demands of the domus (and endure a strict confinement to their own power within it). As Orsi writes, “The identity of Italian American women was to suffer.” In truth, the identity of Italian Americans, both men and women, was to suffer – in other words, to sacrifice everything for a greater whole and to endure the aftermath of their selflessness. In this sense, suffering was indeed intrinsic to Italian culture, both as a religious practice, as well as an everyday experience.

Why were Italian Americans so fearful of material success? According to Orsi, Italians feared that success would make a man into a “cafone,” someone who was rude, boorish, and above all, selfish. Individual prosperity, they feared, would lead a man to go against their fundamental value of sacrifice. The festa was a way in which Italian immigrants confronted this fear of materialism, reminding them to “set their goals in the larger moral context of the family.” Whereas work suggested an individual obligation, the festa emphasized mutual responsibility. Reflecting the chief morals and values of Italian culture, the festa was, first and foremost, a celebration of giving, self-sacrifice, and to a certain extent, suffering.