I'm Not Scared

"I'm not scared explores the notion that only the strong will thrive." Discuss.

Thrive v.i. grow well; flourish, prosper. The characters in 'I'm not scared' are living, not thriving. They're all weak in different ways and their strength is dying slowly. All of the characters have an individual battle with weakness. Many of the characters appear to be strong but are really just helpless beings, existing in a place where the strength comes from violence and abuse. Often the truly strong characters are the innocent children, who are forced to grow up because of the adult irresponsibility that surrounds them and the burdens placed upon them by the people they trust.

Michele Amitrano is a young Italian boy, who is taken advantage of, mentally and emotionally, by the people he loves and trusts. He is bullied by the local children, especially Skull, a troubled boy that follows in the footsteps of his misfit brother Felice. Michele is betrayed by his father and faced with one of the hardest decisions he would ever have to make. Although Michele deals with his situation well, he is the most vulnerable character in the novel because his family's shame is placed upon him. When Michele's father Pino, tells Michele that he must stand by his family and remain silent about their involvement in a kidnapping, Michele is plagued by guilt, especially since he developed a friendship with the kidnapped Prince Filippo. It is inevitable that Michele will burst inside because of the burden that has been handed to him.

Filippo is the weakest character in the novel. Although he is Michele's age, Filippo has not been exposed to the conditions that Michele has, and is not as emotionally and mentally stable as Michele. Filippo was once thriving, in his rich lifestyle, surrounded with love and money, but he is now suffering amongst the others in Acqua Traverse.

Teresa Amitrano, mother to Michele and younger sister Maria, is an underdeveloped character, who is often emotionally mistreated by her husband, Pino. She is emotionally strong, but gives in to the gender role she has involuntarily accepted. Teresa lives in a patriarchal society, which has forced her to undergo many personal changes and give in to the men in the town, who believe they are superior. Teresa desperately loves her children, but when her husband asks her to play a large part in Filippo's