Fernando Cerullo Character Analysis in My Brilliant Friend

Fernando is Lila and Rino’s father and Nunzia’s husband. He owns a cobbler shop in the neighborhood where he mends and makes shoes, a trade he learned as a young man. Fernando is a stern man who takes pride in his work, yet his children seek to rebel against his entrenched ways as they consider how they might help their father’s business. It’s implied that Fernando is deeply afraid of what will happen to his business and his family should he seek too much money or influence—Fernando is content to make a living and just get by. He’s fearful of drawing the ire or jealousy of his neighbors, or finding himself beholden to the loan sharks and Camorrists (gangsters) who run the neighborhood. Fernando seems to love his children, yet he is more concerned with demanding their respect than he is with showing them respect in return. He seeks to use Lila as a tool in his family’s social advancement—he believes that if Lila marries Marcello Solara, the Cerullos will be more secure without the risk of seeking advancement through business or money. Fernando is a complicated man who wants many things at once, yet he is unsure—or afraid—of how to secure them for himself and his family.

Fernando Cerullo Quotes in My Brilliant Friend

The My Brilliant Friend quotes below are all either spoken by Fernando Cerullo or refer to Fernando Cerullo. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

"All they did was beat you?"

"What should they have done?"

"They're still sending you to study Latin?"

I looked at her in bewilderment.

Was it possible? She had taken me with her hoping that as a punishment my parents would not send me to middle school? Or had she brought me back in such a hurry so that I would avoid that punishment? Or—I wonder today—did she want at different moments both things?

Related Characters: Elena “Lenù” Greco (speaker), Rafaella “Lila” Cerullo (speaker), Elena’s Mother, Elena’s Father, Fernando Cerullo, Nunzia Cerullo

Related Symbols: Language, Literature, and Writing

Page Number and Citation: 79

Explanation and Analysis:

Toward the end of the first section of the novel, as Lenù prepares to take an admissions test for entrance into middle school, her and Lila’s paths begin to diverge for the first time in their lives. While Lenù’s parents support her as she pursues an education, Lila’s parents, who are poorer than Lenù’s, declare that there is no money for Lila to continue in school and they prepare to bring her to work in the family business at her father’s cobbler shop. Lila, who has for years been the better student of the two, pretends that she doesn’t care Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatu

I tried to remind her of the old plan of writing novels… […] I was stuck there, it was important to me. I was learning Latin just for that, and deep inside I was convinced that she took so many books from Maestro Ferraro's circulating library only because, even though she wasn't going to school anymore, even though she was now obsessed with shoes, she still wanted to write a novel with me and make a lot of money. Instead, she shrugged… […] "Now," she explained, "to become truly rich you need a business."

Related Characters: Elena “Lenù” Greco (speaker), Rafaella “Lila” Cerullo, Rino Cerullo, Fernando Cerullo

Related Symbols: Shoes, Language, Literature, and Writing

Page Number and Citation: 117

Explanation and Analysis:

Early on in the second part of the novel, Lenù and Lila’s paths begin to diverge sharply: Lenù continues on in middle school, while Lila, whose parents cannot afford to continue supporting her education, goes to work for her father in his cobbler shop alongside her brother Rino. In this passage, Lenù, fearful that Lila is drifting apart from her (and jealous of the gusto with which Lila has thrown herself into the craft of making and mending shoes), attempts to connect with Lila over the subject which bonded them most closely together: language, literature, and writing. As the novel Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deseru

“What would it cost you to let him see them?” I asked, confused.

She shook her head energetically. “I don’t even want him to touch them.”

Related Characters: Elena “Lenù” Greco (speaker), Rafaella “Lila” Cerullo (speaker), Marcello Solara, Rino Cerullo, Fernando Cerullo

Related Symbols: Shoes

Page Number and Citation: 203

Explanation and Analysis:

In this passage, Lila cowers alone in her building’s stairwell during one of Marcello Solara’s visits to her family’s home. The cruel yet handsome and powerful Marcello has been courting Lila for months, and no amount of indifference or outright contempt she shows him can scare him away. Her parents encourage Lila to accept Marcello, knowing that a match between them would do wonders for their social and economic position—not to mention for Fernando’s cobbler shop. Just before this scene, Lila has been sent to fetch a pair of shoes that she and Rino made themselves as a prototype of Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferen

Punctually, three days later, he went to the store and bought the shoes, even though they were tight. The two Cerullos with much hesitation asked for twenty-five thousand lire, but were ready to go down to ten thousand. He didn't bat an eye and put down another twenty thousand in exchange for Lila's drawings, which—he said—he liked, he wanted to frame them.

Related Characters: Elena “Lenù” Greco (speaker), Stefano Carracci, Rino Cerullo, Fernando Cerullo, Rafaella “Lila” Cerullo, Marcello Solara

Related Symbols: Shoes

Page Number and Citation: 244

Explanation and Analysis:

In this passage, Stefano Carracci visits the Cerullo shoe shop in order to purchase the shoes Lila and Rino have made—as well as Lila’s sketches for a line of fine shoes for men and women—for an exorbitant price. Thus far, Lila and Rino’s shoes have served as a symbol of the sacrifices Lila has made over the last several years in pursuit of economic and social advancement for herself and her family. Lila has given up school to learn the craft of shoemaking—and now, the shoes she has made, as well as her designs for future models, have been sold Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint ape

Fernando Cerullo Character Timeline in My Brilliant Friend

The timeline below shows where the character Fernando Cerullo appears in My Brilliant Friend. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...Lila’s elder, was taken out of school when he was barely 10 years old—his father Fernando now takes him to work every day at his tiny cobbler shop to mend shoes.... (full context)

...Achille’s wife, comes to the Cerullos’ door to shout at Nunzia. On Sunday, after mass, Fernando Cerullo apologizes to Don Achille timidly—Don Achille walks past Fernando as if he has not... (full context)

...reject the idea that she might continue on in school out of hand. Her father, Fernando, will not hear of it, and even hits Lila’s brother Rino when he sticks up... (full context)

...next several months. Lila doesn’t feel she can keep the book at home without incurring Fernando’s wrath, so Lenù keeps it at her home instead. (full context)

...ire. Rino wants money so that he can pay for Lila to go to school. Fernando thinks it is preposterous for a girl to attend school, and Lila never speaks out... (full context)

...to play, Lenù goes to her window and starts shouting for her—and soon, she hears Fernando’s agitated voice and the crash of a broken object. Lenù realizes that Fernando and Lila... (full context)

That summer, Lila is in a cast, and Fernando will barely even look at her while it’s on. Lenù thinks that Fernando’s violence toward... (full context)

Several months after Fernando pushes Lila out of the window, Lila’s cast is removed and her arm is fully... (full context)

...to go. She begins spending her time helping Nunzia around the house and working in Fernando’s shoemaking shop. When Lenù and Lila see each other, Lila doesn’t ask about school and... (full context)

...in Lenù that she and Rino are working on a plan: they want to persuade Fernando to make a fancy line of shoes that will sell well in the center of... (full context)

...like them is to make money. Lila pulls out a sharp knife she’s stolen from Fernando’s workshop and shows it to Lenù. She tells Lenù that if the Solaras ever try... (full context)

...most frequently from the library. The winners of the ceremony are called out: Rafaella Cerullo, Fernando Cerullo, Nunzia Cerullo, Rino Cerullo, and, in fifth, Elena Greco—Lenù herself. Lenù receives a book... (full context)

...and walks with him down the street. They make a plan to visit Lila at Fernando’s shop the next day and bring her all the books she won. Pasquale also asks... (full context)

...the idea of making new fancy shoes rather than just fixing up old ones sends Fernando into a rage. Lenù feels happy that Rino and Lila have a project, but she... (full context)

Rino is eager to show the finished shoes to Fernando, but Lila believes the shoes are full of flaws—she wants to throw them away and... (full context)

Fernando pretends to like the shoes, complimenting them and praising the “Befana” for her craftsmanship and... (full context)

...in Naples, he came by the house to check on Rino, a visit which “perturbed” Fernando because of the honor it demanded in return. After the visit, Fernando complimented Rino on... (full context)

One evening, Rino brings Marcello to dinner. Fernando is honored, and so is Nunzia. Lenù comes over to help Lila prepare for the... (full context)

...Marcello, unsure of how to behave in the presence of their powerful guest. Marcello and Fernando talk about business, and Marcello tacitly suggests Fernando consider expanding his shop. He begins praising... (full context)

...her to the door, hoping her presence will make Lila’s parents go easier on her—but Fernando scolds and beats Lila just the same. Lila cries and declares that Fernando and Rino... (full context)

...the shoes and make sure they sell well. Lila insists on bringing the plan to Fernando. That night at dinner, they tell him—he agrees to put the shoes in the shop.... (full context)

...from the shop when he’s done. Rino is devastated. Marcello returns minutes later and tells Fernando that he wants to marry Lila—whom he calls “Lina.” (full context)

...and Nunzia must drag him back to bed from the front door of the apartment. Fernando tells Lila that Marcello’s proposal is important and he urges her to accept it—he tells... (full context)

...back at him. He threatened and yelled at first, but soon he dissolved into tears. Fernando and Nunzia cruelly berated Lila for damaging their futures by refusing a Solara—only Rino defended... (full context)

...to buy them. Stefano asks how much they cost, and Lila says he should ask Fernando. Stefano makes an abrupt turn and steers the car toward the Cerullos’ shop. (full context)

Stefano, Lenù, and Lila head into the shop. Fernando and Rino are looking at them with strange, “sullen” curiosity. Stefano asks if he can... (full context)

...up, and walks around. Stefano’s face becomes worried—he announces that the shoes are too tight. Fernando offers to widen them on a special machine, and Stefano says he’ll take them. Rino... (full context)

...Lila’s drawings, announcing his intention to have them framed. A few days later, he informs Fernando that he has rented the space next to the shop; if Fernando wants to expand,... (full context)

Eventually, Rino convinces the uncertain Fernando to accept Stefano’s offer. Fernando calls Stefano to the shop and tells him that if... (full context)

...shop with a package wrapped in brown paper—he has framed Lila’s designs, and now asks Fernando permission to hang them on the wall. Once the pictures are hung, Stefano asks for... (full context)

...her “more than […] life” and asks her to marry him. Lila says she will. Fernando gasps and almost immediately asks who will tell Marcello the news—Lila and Stefano are offending... (full context)

...jumps to the Cerullos’ defense when he hears that Silvio Solara has threatened to squash Fernando’s shoe business before it even begins. Lenù tries to defend Lila’s relationship with Stefano and... (full context)

...in securing it. The shoe shop is busy at work making Cerullo shoes, even as Fernando and Rino clash over the finer points of bringing Lila’s vision to life. Stefano encourages... (full context)

...made for it become entangled with the “rancorous birth” of the Cerullo shoe company. While Fernando and Rino make Lila’s designs, they must also keep up with cobbler work in order... (full context)

...emotion,” as if a fairy has granted one of her childhood wishes. Rino, Lila, and Fernando summon Stefano, Pinuccia, and Maria to see the shoes, and the Carraccis are amazed by... (full context)

...Solaras,” refuses him. Rino explodes in fury at the man, embarrassing his family and drawing Fernando’s ire. Stefano, hearing of Rino’s conflict with the other shoemaker, attempts to soothe Rino by... (full context)

Fernando Cerullo Character Analysis

Fernando Cerullo Quotes in My Brilliant Friend

Childhood: Chapter 16 Quotes

Adolescence: Chapter 8 Quotes

Adolescence: Chapter 27 Quotes

Adolescence: Chapter 38 Quotes

Fernando Cerullo Character Timeline in My Brilliant Friend