The Lying Life of Adults

Aunt Vittoria is a complicated individual who begins the novel as a shadowy, mythic figure that others equate with ugliness, evil, and ruin. Aunt Vittoria believes that her brother, Andrea, ruined her life long ago by exposing her affair with a married man. Though the married man’s family has since befriended her, Aunt Vittoria wants to make her brother pay. Aunt Vittoria grows closer to her niece Giovanna to teach the young adult how to live life outside the confines of her deceptive parents. Aunt Vittoria causes Giovanna to look closely at her parents and her upbringing, and much of Giovanna’s rebellion stems from Aunt Vittoria’s tutelage. It’s suggested that Aunt Vittoria reveals Andrea’s affair with Costanza, thus exacting her revenge on her brother.

Aunt Vittoria is also a character dealing with grief. When Enzo died, what she loved most in life died with him. Much of her hatred or hard-heartedness stems from living in a world where people she believes deceitful get to be happy and successful. Though a colorful character, Aunt Vittoria doesn’t change much in the narrative: Her motivations and mercurial nature remain mostly static fixtures.

Andrea first appears as a refined intellectual who deeply loves his wife and daughter, and who strongly dislikes his sister Vittoria. Giovanna hints early on however that her father has different voices and, though Andrea dislikes dialect, can slip into cursing in dialect when angry. Much of Andrea’s carefully constructed character stems from his shame and animosity at growing up poor in the Industrial Zone. He climbs out of poverty, and he believes that his sister wants to bring him back into it. He warns Giovanna that Aunt Vittoria will use Giovanna as a pawn to hurt him, and his words ring true by Chapter 3. Though guilty of having an affair with his best friend’s wife, Andrea believes himself somewhat innocent because he wanted to do right by Costanza. He also believes that Mariano hurt her by always cheating on her, and so his love for her is a genuine love. Andrea hurts his wife and daughter by moving into a house with Costanza. He eventually wins over his ex-wife and friends again through his charm. Giovanna, however, never fully forgives him.

Nella is a beautiful and intelligent teacher, editor, and mother. She wants Giovanna to follow in her footsteps and encourages her pursuit of knowledge. Nella is the calm parent; she’s known to diffuse tense situations diplomatically. When Andrea’s affair comes to light, however, Nella sinks into a shell of herself. She first despises her husband, but then she enters a period of nostalgia and ultimately forgives Andrea. She rationalizes his actions by stating that he always loved Costanza and so is technically a faithful man. She and Andrea become friends again. It’s hinted that Nella becomes more than friends with Mariano by the end of the novel.

Mariano is the smart, comic best friend of Andrea. He kicks his wife out the house when he learns she had an affair with Andrea. Mariano, however, has cheated on Costanza routinely. Mariano is symbolic of the patronizing males found throughout the novel. He stares at Giovanna’s breasts though she is only a teenager. He cheats, but his wife’s own affair offends his masculinity and his pride. He even rekindles his relationship with Andrea by the novel’s end and sparks up a possible romantic relationship with Nella.

Costanza is synonymous with sophistication, wealth, and grace. Both Giovanna and Nella often watch Costanza with envy. She appears above reproach, until her affair with Andrea comes to light. After the this revelation, Costanza becomes more human to those around her. Her crying and her cloying maternal side annoy Giovanna, while Nella breaks off contact with her former friend altogether.

Sisters Ida and Angela appear as a pair for much of the novel. They are Giovanna’s best friends, though Angela is Giovanna’s age and Ida is always trying to be as close as the other two are. Angela explores romantic and sexual experiences with Giovanna. But Angela reveals a jealous streak eventually. She begins dating Tonino, the person with whom Giovanna was initially infatuated, just because Giovanna liked him. She also wants to be Giovanna’s best friend, eventually becoming so jealous that Giovanna grows tired of Angela’s whining. Angela, who initially wanted to rebel against her upbringing, reinforces her love of refinement when she breaks with Giovanna after Tonino hits Angela and Giovanna does nothing.

Ida always wishes that she could be as close to Giovanna as her sister is. She is the more learned of the two, and she loves writing stories. She later reveals that she always wanted to make out with Giovanna like Angela and Giovanna used to do. Ida becomes a mini-Giovanna, rebelling in school and engaging in sex to experience it for herself. She and Giovanna become friends at the end of the novel, suggesting that Giovanna will be a mentor to Ida.

Margherita embodies kindness and benevolence by forgiving Aunt Vittoria for having an affair with her husband, Enzo. Her son Corrado resembles Enzo. Corrado wants to befriend Giovanna for sex. His character never really changes in the novel. He’s a balm for Giovanna initially, drawing her out of her teenage angst. Tonino is the quiet son, though he reveals an angry streak that ultimately forces him to flee to Venice. Tonino appears boring at first, and Angela dumps him. Both Ida and Giovanna journey to Venice to visit him, suggesting that he might be a friend or romantic interest for Giovanna later on.

Giuliana’s character grows from a quiet, charming girl to a beautiful woman who radiates a spiritual type of energy. Yet her outward appearance hides a growing anxiety over her fiancé Roberto’s faithfulness. She also feels inferior to Roberto, Giovanna, and other intellectuals because she can’t think or read voraciously like they do. Her anxiety manifests in jealousy, outbursts, and hair loss. Though Giuliana doesn’t know, Giovanna proves how well-founded Giuliana’s doubts in Roberto are when Roberto suggests he will gladly have sex with Giovanna.

Roberto is a success story to the people in the Industrial Zone. Born in Pascone, Roberto makes something of himself by becoming an intellectual and moving to Milan. He merges spiritual and intellectual pursuits, and his presence overwhelms Giovanna. Roberto seems above reproach. He is even the envy of intellectuals like Mariano and Andrea. The novel reveals that Roberto is just like many other men in the narrative. He will willingly betray his fiancée by having sex with Giovanna. Roberto is symbolic of a patriarchal, father-type figure who looks down on women as mere playthings.