The little virtues is an excellent collection of short
stories. They are very emotionally deep, as well as being relatable and philosophical
in nature. One of the underlying themes found in a lot of the stories is the struggle
of the common man. Natalia Ginzburg uses certain situations to plainly display
injustices that are faced by many on a day to day basis. Her writing is still
quite upbeat, almost having a forced feeling to it. Specifically in worn-out
shoes, she seems optimistic in the face of her friends extreme pessimism. I
believe that we can all relate to both characters in a way. We have all
questioned the reasons why we act in a certain fashion, like how her friend
discusses throwing her entire life away(11), and some of us have had to deal
with another person’s desire to abandon responsibilities. These are just one of
the many day to day scenarios we have to deal with.
Ginzburg's collection of essays become universal to every reader as each one pulls on the individual's emotions and poses philosophical questions for the reader to ponder. The struggle of the common man is an underlying theme throughout the collection. Ginzburg illustrates relatable situations to a diverse group of individuals to demonstrate injustices. She attempts to keep her writing upbeat, but it seems forced. In her essay, "Worn Out Shoes" her writing on the surface appears optimistic even though she is writing that her friends believe in pessimism. Looking deeper, her writing draws on a bountiful of negative emotions, which pull the reader down. The characters question why they act in a certain fashion and why they abandon their own responsibilities to help a friend. These same questions we ask too. These few examples are some of the many scenarios that occur on a daily basis that everyone needs to face. Therefore, Ginzburg writes the truth in plain sight creating stories that every reader can place themselves into.
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