The Political Prisoner

Synopsis

Inspired by the author's own arrest and imprisonment in Calabria for his writings in the anti-fascist magazine, La Cultura, the title novella describes the day-to-day life of Stefano, an anti-fascist who has served a prison sentence and is banished to a remote southern Italian seaside resort where he awaits an official pardon. The monotony, grimness, and sensuality of life in the village is depicted through the eyes of a man who realizes his habits have been broken. When the summer ends, Stefano can no longer kill the days by swimming and lying on the seashore.