Varina Kosovich
Dr. Piccici
English 630
April, 6, 2010

Childhood in Calvino’s The Path to the Spiders’ Nest
Throughout Calvino’s novel we see a pre-teen child go through hardships that might be hard for a modern child to cope with. Pin doesn’t exactly thrive in his situation, but nonetheless, he evolves to adapt to his changing life and more importantly stays alive throughout his ordeal. There are numerous occasions where he could have been killed, especially when he gets involved with the partisans. Pin undergoes neglect from his sister as well as torture by the Fascists, but still has a loyal streak to him that remains throughout he novel. This may be due to his lack of adult influence, so that when he meets an adult that he deems worthy, he clings to them as if he would his father or mother. We see this with Cousin. Pin gets along with the man almost instantly, a rare occurrence for Pin, who distrusts most adults. In his loyalty to certain people we are able to see a childlike affection and longing for healthy human interaction, rather than the normal games Pin plays. It is apparent the at he receives none of this affection from his sister, and so must look for it in strangers. Pin’s dislike for women may stem from the behavior of his sister. She neglects him from his childhood, and never knowing his mother makes for a negative view of women as a group. He has never met a good woman, having only his over-sexed sister as an example of the behavior of females. Because this is all he has known, he places this descriptor on every woman he meets, not knowing what else to think of them. No maternal or strong female qualities are found by Pin’s eyes.