ABSTRACT
The short novel Il sempione strizza l'occhio al Frejus was written during the last months of 1946, when Elio Vittorini's relationship with the Italian Communist party was in crisis. Indeed, the plot and characterization of Il Sempione constantly defeat unequivocal interpretation. The style, allegorical and fable-like, takes one back to the nebulous atmospheres of pre-war works such as Conversazione in Sicilia and, to an even greater extent, Erica. Erica's final decision to become a prostitute is also mirrored in Il Sempione in a conversation among the women of the family in which they discuss the option of prostitution as a possible source of income. In his review of the novel, Enrico Falqui spoke of a mixture of religious atmosphere and theatrical setting which resembles a 'rappresentazione profana', a lay mystery play. It is a most fitting description, capturing the essence of the work's form and content.
