Final Comprehensive Outline

The Comprehensive Outline

I. Overall Story Image:



II. Title of Story: A Letter From Nonna



III. Author: Bikerider



IV. Characters - Sketches/Synopsis

A. Central Character: Severino Cuzelli

1. Image:

2. Character Sketch Profile: "Character Sketch: Severino Cuzelli" 

3. Prose Synopsis:

Severino's served in the Austrian army on a cold, brutal mountain top during WW I. The brutality of war made him a hard, tough man. He lived in a part of Austria that was annexed by Italy following the war, and so when he returned home following the war his home was now a country he had fought against.

Severino marries a woman who is close to her family and the land. His father's business goes under and with it goes his job. His opportunity to work for his father in law is also lost when a fire ruins the business and his father in law dies.

Severino immigrates to America where he works on the construction of the New York City subway. It is hard, dangerous work. He makes friends on his job and is disappointed when one friend becomes involved with the Mafia. Severino has a fight with the owner of the boarding house where he lives and during a fight the man falls off the roof and dies. Soon after Severino has an affair with the dead man's wife.

Severino buys a grocery store and when his wife, Angela, visits America he has to hide his affair. His mistress, Antonia, doesn't like that he denies her. Severino struggles with the inability to send money to his family in Italy because the U.S. has imposed sanctions on Italy for aligning itself with Germany.



B. First Supporting Character: Angela Fauri Cuzelli

Image: ** Image ID #1840800 Unavailable **

Character Sketch Profile: "Character Sketch, Angela" 

3. Prose Synopsis:

Angela has lost at love once when she is prohibited from marrying her childhood sweetheart. She becomes very involved in her father's business. She meets and marries Severino but refused to immigrate to America. While her husband is in America Italy becomes part of the Axis Powers and her husband is prohibited from sending her support. Angela and her five children are soon in dire financial straits.

There is a fire in Angela's home while she is in church. It is believed that she set the fire to kill her children to end their suffering. Under an archaic law in force in 1937, she is locked away in an asylum. Her husband can obtain her release but he is prevented from traveling to Italy because of the sanctions the U.S. has placed on Italy.

By the time Severino can travel to Italy following the war, Angela has died.



C. Second Supporting Character: Antonia Pasella

1. Image:

2. Character Sketch Profile:

3. Prose Synopsis:

Antonia is married to a jealous and abusive man. Together they own and run a boarding house. Antonia likes Severino while he lives in her boarding house and shows preferential treatment. Her husband becomes jealous and assaults her. Severino accidently kills her husband and shortly afterward she has an affair with Severino. Her hope that the affair will become something more becomes a disappointment when Severino's wife, Angela, comes to America to visit and she can see how much Severino loves his wife.

The affair lasts many years but never amounts to much more than a sexual one.



V. Synopsis of Overall Story:

A man immigrates to America in pursuit of a better life. He works hard, sends money to his family in Italy until he is prohibited from doing so during WW II. His family struggles with poverty. The man's wife is put into an asylum after being accused of setting her house on fire in an attempt to kill her children. By wars end she has died.

A. Illustration

B. Synopsis



VI. List the Dramatic Ingredients

A. Life Changing Event: A fire destroys Severino's father-in-laws business which destroys his ability to earn a living in Italy. He decides to immigrate to America.

B. CC's Want-Need-Desire: Severino wants to become affluent. He believes in hard work. He wants his family to join him in America.

C. The Dramatic Premise:

D. The Themes

E. Crisis #1: The fire that destroys the business of Angela's father, which results in Severino immigrating to America.

F. Crisis #2: World War II begins and Severino is unable to support his family in Italy.

G. Crisis #3: Angela is locked away in an asylum following a fire at her home.

H. Foreshadowing

I. Symbols

J. Repitition

K. Humor

L. Anguish



VII. If a novel, show the chapters from 1 to however many you are going to have. (At least twenty.)

If a screen or stage play, show the Acts and Scenes. In a One Act Play there will be at least three scenes

A. Chapter One. Title: Only Poor Men Serve

World War I at Mount Pasubio.

Severino serves in the Austrian army in one of the most brutal mountain tops along the Austrian/Italian border. Avalanches take as many lives as battle does. Conditions are extreme, especially in winter. The dead cannot be buried and at one point the bodies are stacked to provide protection from attacking forces. Severino, while on patrol, encounters an enemy soldier and has to fight him at close quarters. In battle, killing is anonymous, but this time Severino knows he killed this man and struggles with the concept of war. "Only poor men serve."

B. Chapter Two Title: A Meeting in the Mountains.

Severino and Angela meet.

Severino returns home after the war, but the home he left was Austria, it is now Italy. The Italian soldier he killed begins to haunt him again. Following the war, Italy has annexed the region of Severino's birth.

C. Chapter Three title: Devastation.

After the failure of Severino's family business he agrees to work for Angela's father. A fire destroys the business as well as Severino's plans for work. He now considers immigrating to America.

D. Chapter Four. The wedding

There is a traditional wedding for Severino and Angela.

E. Chapter Five: Immigrating to America.

Severino arrives in New York on June 21, 1921. A month later his first son, Giuseppe, is born. He takes up residence in a boarding house where the owner's wife seems to pay too much attention to him, causing her husband to dislike Severino.

F. Chapter Six. Life in America.

Severino is employed in the construction pits and tunnels of the New York City subway. The work is hard, there is graft to be paid for the opportunity to work. There is also the influence of the Mafia. Severino rebuffs efforts made by his friends to join in some of the illegal activity. One friend does become a member of the Mafia and Severino separates himself from this man.

G. Chapter Seven. A fight on the roof.

Severino and the boarding house owner have a confrontation on the roof of the boarding house. In the fight, the man falls from the roof and dies. Severino must now contact the friend who joined the Mafia for help. He pays dearly for the things he said to this man but is ultimately helped.

H. Chapter Eight. An Affair Begins.

Severino begins to assist in the running of the boarding house. The widow of the man Severino killed, Antonia, is now free from an abusive husband and is enamored by the tender way Severino treats her. An affair begins. Antonia is soon hoping the affair will lead to marriage.

I. Chapter Nine. Angela's First Visit to America.

Angela arrives in New York with her son. Antonia is openly jealous and won't allow Angela to stay with Severino at the boarding house. Angela does not like living in America and returns home in 3 weeks. Antonia takes this as a sign that Severino will tire of being without a wife.

J. Chapter Ten. Angela returns home and has an affair

Angela returns home and is discouraged about her trip. She doesn't think she'll ever move to America permanently and begins an affair with Dario, her first love—the love she was prohibited from pursuing because Dario was required to marry another woman.

K. Chapter Eleven. Severino Visits Italy and learns of Angela's affair.

Severino visits Italy and is told that Angela has been having an affair with Dario. There is a huge fight and Severino returns to America angry with his wife's having had an affair. He tells Antonia about the affair and this makes her bolder in her attempts to have Severino divorce Angela...an unheard of thing at the time.

L. Chapter Twelve. Stirrings of War (A year before WW II)

Italy aligns itself with Germany. America talks about sanctions. Germany is invading the countries of Europe. There is much talk of war, which worries Severino. Antonia notices his worry and it makes her jealous.

M. Chapter Thirteen. American Sanctions.

Mussolini declares Italy an empire and sends Italian troops to Germany to assist with the invasions of European countries. America threatens to impose severe sanctions. Public opinion against Italy is open and blatant in America. Severino buys a grocery store.

N. Chapter Fourteen. Destitute in Italy.

Angela struggles with Five Children and very little money coming from Severino. He has spent most of his money on the store and sends less.

O. Chapter Fifteen. The Complications of an Affair.

{Antonia wants to marry) Antonia wants to join Severino in the grocery store, but she wants him to divorce Angela first. He refuses. By now he has 5 children with Angela.

P. Chapter Sixteen. World War II begins.

Q. Chapter Seventeen. Hunger at Home.

Severino can no longer send money to his family in Italy due to the sanctions America has imposed on Italy. He thinks of his children going hungry. "Surrounded by food in this store, and my children go hungry."

R. Chapter Eighteen. The House Fire

Angela is in church while her 5 children sleep. A fire brings everyone from the village to douse the flames. Angela is accused of setting the fire to kill her children rather than see them suffer. The authorities are called.

S. Chapter Nineteen. The Law of Pelagra.

Under the law, anyone who displays unusual behavior is deemed to be unable to care for themselves, the law is also applied to people living in extreme poverty. Angela is locked away in an asylum, (the same one that houses Mussolini's wife). Her children are divided among her relatives.

Angela writes a letter to Severino asking him to come to Italy to obtain her release from the hospital. Because she is married only her husband can sign, taking responsibility for her. But travel to Italy is prohibited. Severino can't answer the letter he received from his wife, nor can he go to Italy to help her.

T. Chapter Twenty. Aftermath of War.

Severino travels to Italy and learns that Angela has died.

U. Chapter Twenty-One. Many Years Later. Severino is now a grandfather.