Writing Assignments #7 and #8

"The most loathsome nest of human caterpillars I was ever forced to stay in--a hell with all the devils imbecile in it."
-John Ruskin

"...it reveals itself only to the simpatici." -Peter Gunn

"Like the twin masks of tragedy and comedy, Naples constantly shifts between splendour and misery, beauty and squalor" (2) In the Shadow of Vesuvius.

"Naples is in Southern Italy." - student

"Romantic guitar and mandolin originated in Naples." - student

"In Italia Naples is said 'Napoli'"- student

"Naples was the most bombed Italian city in WWII." -student

"Naples has 248 churches" -student

"Neapolitan ice cream flavor = chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry." - student

Yes, Naples gave the world pizza and spaghetti and ice cream (although not Neapolitan, that originated in the U.S.). The city, as you noticed as soon as you walked out of the train station on Friday morning, is Italy's best and Italy's worst, but the combination leads to a feeling that it is neither. It is hard to define. It is truly a city of ambiguity and contradiction.

The combination is dynamic and exhilarating . The combination is also exhausting and can be terrifying. It's one of the most densely populated cities in Italy (or the MOST densely populated in Europe even). It's the gateway to Southern Italy and showcases the many stereotypes that Italy's north has about the south. Yet, Naples is famous for its intellectuals, dramatists, and musicians. It also has the Camorra and Vesuvius.

For writing assignment #7, consider the Images of the South reading and the short readings from the Naples reading packet. Also, remember Greg Smith's discussion on Naples and the techniques of seeing a city, really observing the details. Consider also the images that are constantly being shown to you in Naples. It is a visual city. A city of the senses. Finally, consider the looming threat of an active volcano, the Camorra, and The Church. What is it like to live in a city that has all of these elements. What is it like to visit?

Write about Naples and the paradoxes and the contradictions. You will know Naples differently than just through the myths now that you have experienced it first hand.

Some ideas for your Napoli writing assignment:
Write about your arrival in Naples and how the images of arrival in Naples are different from the images of your arrival in Rome. Rome gates vs. Naples skyline. What borders do you see in Naples?

Write about the paradox of Naples. Is there anything you would call ethereal about being in Naples?

What about fear? What is it that you feared about your visit to Naples and entering into the unknown. Has the fear melted away now that you've seen so many aspects of the city, now that you have met the people of Naples?

People in Naples have their own dialect (just as Romans do). Learn a phrase that is distinctly Napoli. Write about the sounds in Naples. Language, cars, markets, etc.

Writing assignment #8--What did you feel when you arrived back in Rome? What did you notice about Rome that you didn't notice before (and how was it that being in Naples made you see Rome differently)? How do the Romans seem to you now that you have returned. Again, consider all the materials that you have to inform your writing assignment: course readings, discussions, excursions, your personal observations of the city.

Due by next Friday, March 5.