“Money gave even more force to the impression that what I lacked she had, and vice versa, in a continuous game of exchanges and reversals that, now happily, now painfully, made us indispensable to each other. She has Stefano, I said to myself after the episode of the glasses. She snaps her fingers and immediately has my repaired. What do I have? I answered that I had school, a privilege she had lost forever. That is my wealth, I tried to convince myself. And in fact that year all the teachers began to praise me again….I displayed my successes as if they were my mother’s silver bracelet, and yet I didn’t know what to do with that virtuosity. (Ferrante 259)”

Not only does this passage give insight to Lila and Lenu’s relationship, it also brings up the question of what people truly consider valuable when they are living in poverty or any other unfortunate circumstance. Benjamin’s piece on Naples puts emphasis on the poverty that the residents live under. Often times it is seen that individuals that live under unfortunate circumstances often find something to make them feel grateful for the livelihood they do have. In this case, Lenu does not have money so she attempts to find virtue in scholarly praise, chance at education, and good grades. When examining all the things she listed, you can clearly see that what she considers wealth is her education and the experience that comes along with it. Ultimately, while it is a great thing to find the good in everything despite adversity you may face, Lenu is stuck wondering what to do with what she considers her wealth.