My Brilliant Friend

My Brilliant Friend

by

Elena Ferrante

Elena’s Father Character Analysis

Elena’s father, a porter who works at city hall, is a simple, honest man who wants the best for his family. Lenù’s father is supportive of his daughter obtaining an education, yet he is often unenthusiastic about her academic successes. Since Lenù’s mother refuses to beat her, she often enlists Lenù’s father to dole out the physical punishments that she feels Lenù’s infractions at home and in school necessitate. He does so begrudgingly, revealing his hatred of the violent culture in which his family lives.

Elena’s Father Quotes in My Brilliant Friend

The My Brilliant Friend quotes below are all either spoken by Elena’s Father or refer to Elena’s Father. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Female Friendship Theme Icon
).
Childhood: Chapter 16 Quotes

"All they did was beat you?"

"What should they have done?"

"They're still sending you to study Latin?"

I looked at her in bewilderment.

Was it possible? She had taken me with her hoping that as a punishment my parents would not send me to middle school? Or had she brought me back in such a hurry so that I would avoid that punishment? Or—I wonder today—did she want at different moments both things?

Related Characters: Elena “Lenù” Greco (speaker), Rafaella “Lila” Cerullo (speaker), Fernando Cerullo, Nunzia Cerullo, Elena’s Mother, Elena’s Father
Related Symbols: Language, Literature, and Writing
Page Number: 79
Explanation and Analysis:
Adolescence: Chapter 8 Quotes

I said no because if my father found out that I had gone in that car, even though he was a good and loving man, even though he loved me very much, he would have beat me to death, while at the same time my little brothers, Peppe and Gianni, young as they were, would feel obliged, now and in the future, to try to kill the Solara brothers. There were no written rules, everyone knew that was how it was.

Related Characters: Elena “Lenù” Greco (speaker), Marcello Solara, Elena’s Father, Michele Solara
Page Number: 113
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire My Brilliant Friend LitChart as a printable PDF.
My Brilliant Friend PDF

Elena’s Father Quotes in My Brilliant Friend

The My Brilliant Friend quotes below are all either spoken by Elena’s Father or refer to Elena’s Father. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Female Friendship Theme Icon
).
Childhood: Chapter 16 Quotes

"All they did was beat you?"

"What should they have done?"

"They're still sending you to study Latin?"

I looked at her in bewilderment.

Was it possible? She had taken me with her hoping that as a punishment my parents would not send me to middle school? Or had she brought me back in such a hurry so that I would avoid that punishment? Or—I wonder today—did she want at different moments both things?

Related Characters: Elena “Lenù” Greco (speaker), Rafaella “Lila” Cerullo (speaker), Fernando Cerullo, Nunzia Cerullo, Elena’s Mother, Elena’s Father
Related Symbols: Language, Literature, and Writing
Page Number: 79
Explanation and Analysis:
Adolescence: Chapter 8 Quotes

I said no because if my father found out that I had gone in that car, even though he was a good and loving man, even though he loved me very much, he would have beat me to death, while at the same time my little brothers, Peppe and Gianni, young as they were, would feel obliged, now and in the future, to try to kill the Solara brothers. There were no written rules, everyone knew that was how it was.

Related Characters: Elena “Lenù” Greco (speaker), Marcello Solara, Elena’s Father, Michele Solara
Page Number: 113
Explanation and Analysis: