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Pamela asked this question about My Brilliant Friend (Neapolitan Novels, #1):
the main character's father's occupation is "porter". i know what that means in the States, but what did that mean in 1950s Italy? does anyone know?
Joao Miranda He works at the city hall. He was probably the person that received people at the door and announced them to his superiors or indicated the way to the…moreHe works at the city hall. He was probably the person that received people at the door and announced them to his superiors or indicated the way to the different services. My interpretation is that he had relatively important position. He had a for life job in a public service (guaranteed payment, which was not the case in the private sector for people with similar background) with access to important people, both from inside the services and from businesses that needed to interact with the municipal services. So he could use his position to do business with different people, probably involving exchange of favours, since he could "sell" access to important people, solve small bureaucratic problems and give inside information. He probably received extra money in the form of tips. This is not explicitly said in the novel, but it is hinted several times. We also know that the Italian society of the time, especially in mafia territory like Naples, worked like that.(less)
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My Brilliant Friend
by Elena Ferrante
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