The Father

Carolyn Ryder was Humanities Librarian at Calgary Public Library.

The Father is a sensitive, poignant portrayal of an Italian immigrant family’s adjustment to the North American world. F.G. Paci explores the universal themes of the conflict between generations and between values and traditions. This novel is written in a deceptively simple style. Paci makes excellent use of metaphor and parable to provide the reader with psychological insights into the motivations and beliefs of the Mancuso family.

The main point of view is that of Stephen Mancuso, a teacher of philosophy who is currently unhappy with his life. The story is told in a series of flashbacks to Stephen’s youth and adolescence in Sault Sainte Marie. Oreste, the father, is an Italian baker who prides himself on baking excellent bread for his family and customers, and who does his best to pass on his traditional values to his sons. Oreste is undoubtedly the central influential figure of the novel. Michael, Stephen’s brother, emulates the father in emphasizing emotion more than reason and it is ironically he who brings about Oreste’s physical death. Stephen, on the other hand, takes after his rationalist mother. Maddelene’s great business skills eventually lead to the expansion and automation of the firm of Mancuso and sons. This North American success story ultimately leads to Oreste’s downfall by eroding his self-respect, values, and eventually his life. The flashbacks also serve to recount Stephen’s struggle to cope with a deformed hand, which mirrors his own internal struggles with religion, life, and values.

Paci’s intimate depiction of one family’s experiences is told from a more objective third-person narration. The effect is emotionally very powerful and serves to highlight Paci’s excellent description of the breakdown and reconstruction of values.