Poletti’s ambition
The narrator using the sense of sight, better explains Poletti's childhood preferences. The author says, "From the earliest days, she was drawn towards the outer reaches of the house: the attic, the balcony, the back window touched by the branches of a pine tree." The author uses this imagery to show readers that Poletti was not an ordinary female child who was born to follow the patriarchal system that was dominant in the 1880s. The imagery is significant because it shows readers that Poletti started exploring her potential life when she was still a toddler. Therefore, because she knew her purpose, Poletti could not be restricted by misogyny later in life. Later in life, Poletti went against the restrictions of the patriarchal system to become a successful feminist and poet who inspired the young generation of women who wanted to be independent and successful in life.
Wordless warning
Rina's mother knows that her daughter is working in a dangerous environment surrounded by men, and she uses gestures and body language to warn her. The author writes, "Then suddenly, her mother went out the window. She plummeted, her dress trailing like a scrap of paper. Her body landed two floors down, bent into a bad shape. That was what Rina Faccio's mother had to say to her." The imagery is a classic pictogram of a warning, and it is important in the text because it shows a mother's concern for her daughter's safety. However, Rina does not understand this warning, and while working at the factory, she is raped, which is the point at which she remembers why her mother had died. The imagery presents women's oppression because they could be raped and forcefully married by the same sex offenders.
Climbing a tree to see tombs
Sight imagery is depicted when Poletti climbs a tree to watch over the tombs of poets. The author writes, "From the heaven of leaves she looked out over the cemetery. The tombs of poets were wreathed in laurel and etched in glorious verses, while the graces of the ordinary listed as their only accomplishments the names of children produced or spouse bereaved." This sight imagery is significant because it depicts the ambition of Poletti to shake the ordinary. Poletti is ambitious and wants nothing less than to be a famous poet to help her voice her opinions concerning women's rights.
Consequently, Poletti overcomes misogyny and goes against her family's will to explore her ambition. For instance, she goes to university and graduates like men. She fights for her rights and those of fellow women. At last, Poletti became an icon of feminism, shaking the world and showing that women have rights that must be respected to give them space to prosper and exploit their potential.
