Adaptation from the page to the big screen was an all encompassing theme for most of the posts this week. The keen attention to detail to ensure that the emotional expressiveness of the novels are preserved is an arduous task that requires an understanding of the in-numerous threads that hold Lila and Elena’s relationship together. As Ariana describes this admirable endeavor, “The amount of detail put into creating the scene is fascinating. It makes me want to re-watch and analyze the series.” Although I was unable to attend the series, the highlights of Professor Lombardi’s lecture also sparks my curiosity to rewatch the show with shrewd attention to its parallel symbolism to the show. 

On the other hand, other posts remained focused on the interview with Ferrante that gave a fascinating insight into her characters’ developments, their inability to escape the instability of the neighborhood and even the symbolism of some overlooked characters who, nevertheless, have spontaneous appearances throughout Elena and Lila’s lives. Subtle details such as Lila’s effortless ability to teach Elena a simpler way of learning Latin, as Jacqueline points out, and the use of Italian versus the Neapolitan dialect, as Paraskevi discusses, are notable because their importance may escape the readers upon first reading. Irini alludes to Ferrante’s words that particularly reflects the importance of the theme of writing: “Writing is an act of pride.” As she goes on to analyze this quote, she focuses on the advancement or lack thereof that the protagonists experience in different aspects of their lives in relation to the act of learning and engaging in active writing. Meanwhile, Julie’s post takes on the natural instability that attacks the lives of Elena and Lila. Julie points out, “And every time Elena resolves to break with Lila- and she’s done this 3-4 times so far- she can’t.” The truth of this statement ties together the other themes, reflecting the protagonists’ inability to escape one another and not just the neighborhood, itself. All these posts, although they discuss different points of the interview, have one thing in common: they highlight Ferrante’s un-accidental process of choosing details as she laid out the lives of our protagonists, knowing that there would be a precarious thread to hold it all together in a delicate yet elegant manner.