Im Not Scared

I'm Not Scared explores the playful and volatile world of childhood through the eyes of nine-year-old Michele, who is forced, again and again, to make the hard choices that will define his character. As the book opens, he must choose between helping his younger sister or winning a race. Later, he must choose between letting his friend Barbara be humiliated or taking the punishment himself. And as the novel approaches its stunning climax, he must choose between obeying his father and fulfilling the oath he swore to him, or following his conscience and keeping his promise to Filippo, the boy who has been kidnapped. But the choices he makes bring him into serious danger, not from the monsters of his childish imagination but from the adults around him who are capable of violence and monstrosities that are all too real.

Fear has brought its way into a little town called Aqua traverse, motivating them into cold-blooded kidnappers. The role of fear appears in many of the villagers in particular Michele, Felice and Pino as they show numerous areas of fear throughout the novel I'm not scared

The small rural town of Aqua Traverse is described as a desolate wasteland full of poverty and desperation. Pino Amitrano and his family are among the select few families who live in the town. Growing up in Aqua Traverse becomes weary, as they are unable to rise above the poverty of their position.

In trying to escape the grinding poverty of rural Italy, Michele's father precipitated disaster for his family. Is he the loser Michele believes him to be? "He had lost as usual". Michele believes this as his dad was drawing straws to decide on who fetches the wine. Michele believes his father to be an unlucky, unfortunate man with high hopes of later success. Although he works for his family and spends most of his time away from their hometown in search of work, Pino ultimately struggles to provide for his family and himself. Throughout Pino's attempts to help his family escape their dusty, repetitive existence in Aqua Traverse, Pino plans a kidnapping which lands him and his family in more strife.

The villagers have all shown there fear which lead them to there motivation and the reasons which lead them to kidnapping an innocent young 9 year old boy. Pino had to face all fears and had the job of killing the boy showing that Sergio the barber and