On Fenoglio's La Paga del Sabato

The Partisan as Veteran

Résumé

In this article I explore three aspects of Beppe Fenoglio’s La Paga del Sabato that are crucial for the understanding of the author’s immediate post-war treatment of the Resistenza. Through a close reading of selected passages and taking into consideration the early criticism posed by the editor of “I Gettoni” Elio Vittorini (and Fenoglio’s response to it), I investigate the cinematic writing style of the novel, the literary model offered by the Italian translation of Hemingway’s short story Soldier’s Home, and the author’s rejection of the official memorialization of the Resistance. I argue that in this text Fenoglio draws a self-representing portrayal of the “imperfect” partisan - a survivor who has not fulfilled the experience of war. The main character Ettore, suffering from PTSD, is incapable of reintegrating into civilian society after the existential rift of wartime. He and his fellow partisan Palmo are not given the honor of a valorous death in battle, and therefore never enter the realm of what Saccone called the “perfect” partisan, rather emerging as unique literary examples of partisan-veteran figures.