Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in My Brilliant Friend, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Female Friendship
Masculine vs. Feminine Violence
Women’s Work
Poverty, Social Climbing, and Sacrifice
The Uses of Community
Love, Sex, and Strategy
Summary
Analysis
Lenù begins growing fonder and fonder of Antonio. She starts feeling more attracted to him, and their “sexual games” advance, though they still haven’t had intercourse. Lenù decides that when Lila starts coming to Sea Garden with her, she’ll ask her about her and Stefano’s sexual habits. Lila, however, never comes to Sea Garden, and in mid-August, Lenù’s job is done. Lenù is slightly horrified as the stationer thanks her for all her hard work this summer and mentions Antonio—whom the children have told her sometimes came along during their day trips—but the stationer congratulates Lenù on having such a nice boyfriend and says she should let loose, since everyone knows that Lila sure does.
Even as Lenù warms to Antonio, their relationship remains secondary to her friendship with Lila—all of her sexual games with Antonio are, in a way, attempts to make sure that she and Lila continue to have common ground.
Themes
That night, Lenù repeats the conversation to Antonio and tells him that ever since she and Lila were little, everyone has thought that Lila is bad and Lenù is good. Antonio says that he himself sees them that way, and Lenù is touched by his response. She has been considering breaking up with him, but the reply convinces her to stay with him a little while longer in spite of her burning love for Nino. She tells herself that by the end of the month, she’ll break up with Antonio. As the month goes by, however, Antonio’s mother, Melina’s, mental health starts to suffer again—she begins saying that she has seen Donato around town.
Lenù knows that she will never love Antonio the way he loves her—and yet she enjoys having him around and listening to the compliments he gives her. Ferrante shows how Lenù uses Antonio—and the concepts of love and sex more generally—to fulfill certain emotional needs of her own without actually committing to or prioritizing her relationship with Antonio.
Themes
One morning, on her way to the grocery, Lenù herself runs into Donato. He approaches her and tells her he was sad not to see her in Ischia this summer—he professes his love for her and says he can’t live without her. He offers to read her some love poems he's written her, threatening to kill himself if she refuses to hear them. Lenù tells Donato that she has a boyfriend and never wants to see him again. Donato tries to kiss Lenù; when she ducks out of the way, he promises to bring her some poems soon. Lenù is frightened and decides to tell Antonio what’s happening. Antonio is relieved to hear that his mother isn’t losing her mind, but he is distressed by Donato’s threats against Lenù. Lenù tells Antonio that they must confront Donato together.
Lenù, still repulsed by Donato’s advances, decides to use Antonio to help get rid of Donato. Donato showing up means that Lenù has to relive their experience together. She must remember the cruel twist of fate which led the father of the boy she loves to want her, and she must remember her own abhorrent pleasure as Donato touched her—a pleasure she has not really experienced since. For all these reasons, Lenù is inclined to do whatever she can—and to use whoever she must—to get Donato out of the picture.
Themes
The next day, when Antonio and Lenù go out, they see Donato from a distance. He disappears into the tunnel, but Lenù follows him. She re-introduces him to Antonio and tells Donato that the two of them are together. Antonio tells Donato that Melina’s health has suffered greatly because of Donato—if she sees him, she’ll surely end up in an asylum. Antonio warns Donato to stay out of the neighborhood. Donato insists he wants to see “the places that are dear” to his heart—but Lenù, sensing the dishonesty in his tone, starts to speak up.
Lenù and Antonio seize the opportunity to bring their grievances against Donato and to try and get him out of the neighborhood. The lecherous, deceptive Donato tries to project innocence—but both Antonio and Lenù are aware of his sleazy nature and his willingness to say anything to get out of a tight spot.
Themes
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Antonio cuts Lenù off. He warns Donato that if he harms Melina in any way, directly or indirectly, Donato will soon “lose forever the desire to see these shitty places again.” Donato turns pale and hurries away. Lenù is bursting with pride for Antonio—yet as they walk back toward town, she resolves to leave him after Lila’s wedding.
Even though Lenù is grateful to Antonio for standing up to Donato and scaring him off, she still doesn’t feel any love for him. She continues to use love and sex as a path to the fulfillment of her own personal needs.
Themes
