With Pride, From Scampia
Stories of existential peripheries and social redemption
Reviewed by Maria Teresa De Donato
Naples, Scampia district: a reality defined by peripheral hardship and
marginality. It is well-known, often identified and analyzed, but never
resolved. The State, its institutions, and "polite society" in Naples
seem intent on ignoring it. Scampia is treated as a burden, a nuisance, or a
stain to be concealed, as if it were dirt to sweep under the rug.
The State and its institutions have failed to intervene promptly or
consistently. This absence has left a vast void and given carte blanche for the
birth and growth of the "Anti-State": a State within a State.
If decent work is out of reach and the State doesn’t care about your future,
leaving you in isolation and insecurity, what options remain? Where can you
find hope in such darkness?
If the State ignores you—if it deems you “invisible” or treats you as such, and
offers no support—WE will help you. If you end up in prison or suffer a violent
end, WE will take care of your family. This sums up the message and promise,
conveyed verbally or implicitly, that organized crime delivers to Scampia’s
residents.
What, then, is one to do? Which path should one take—assuming, of course, that
a genuine alternative truly exists?
Gennarino and Marco have each found their own answer.
Gennarino believes no true alternative exists to Scampia’s harsh living and
working conditions. He has chosen the ‘broad and easy’ path. This path offers
everything immediately, whatever the cost. He has opted for illegality. As a
result, he has fine clothes, a luxury car, abundant money, and is surrounded by
young women. They admire his social standing as a man who is both respected and
feared, and vie for his attention.
Marco is the protagonist of the novel and Gennarino’s best friend. Gennarino
feels deeply attached to Marco, almost as if Marco were a younger brother.
Marco has chosen a different path: that of civic and moral ethics. His parents
set an example in this regard. His mother, who raised him alone after losing
her husband to illness when Marco was still a baby, instilled this integrity in
him.
The lesson remained clear over time. Never agree to the ‘broad and easy’ path,
because it promises everything immediately, though its profits come from drug
dealing and crime. Seek a job that may demand sacrifice but is at least honest.
Never allow anything or anyone to tarnish your integrity and dignity.
Guided by these teachings, Marco faces a bleak and hostile destiny. He works
fourteen-hour days for a pittance. His wage is so meager that he eats only
because the owner, for whom he works ‘off the book,’ lets him take leftover
food home—food that would otherwise be thrown away.
“Will my life ever change? Will my circumstances eventually improve? Will I,
sooner or later, manage to redeem myself from this prison—this poverty in every
conceivable sense—to finally see the light, and to begin living a life truly
worthy of being lived?” These remain the questions he asks himself every day,
whether he is getting ready to leave for work or returning home, utterly
exhausted, in the evening.
A used but reliable phone and laptop, gifts from Antonio—a caring
neighbor—don’t change Marco’s life, but do brighten his days.
The mobile phone makes Marco feel less alone. The social network he joins via
the PC also helps. Through it, he meets new friends and discovers new
opportunities.
Perhaps not all is lost. Perhaps Life is about to open an unexpected
door. Something different and better may be just around the corner, poised to
reveal itself!
Life will grant him this opportunity. His faith will, in the end, be rewarded.
Life in Scampia is highly complex. The reality there is equally intricate. In
this neighborhood, “an army of young men between the ages of sixteen and
thirty-five... engaged in absolutely nothing” (G. Storti, 2024, p. 8) hangs by
a thread.
The young people of Scampia sometimes cross paths, or have lives that run
parallel or diverge entirely. They have known each other since childhood. They
grew up, went to school, and played together. They know almost everything about
one another and each other’s families.
Scampia is not only dominated by criminality. It is also a vast community, a
kind of extended family. Scampia has its own soul: the one of the people who
live there.
Despite their shared suffering and their different choices—right or wrong—they
remain united. Solidarity and affection exist even for those who have chosen
different paths—including those who turned to lawlessness instead of facing
unemployment, precarious work, slave-like conditions, poverty-level wages, and
no retirement contributions.
Choices may differ completely, but they are always “painful” (p. 8).
Con orgoglio, da Scampia (With Pride, from Scampia) is more than a
social commentary; it is a call to recognize our civic duty and individual
responsibility to effect change starting in neglected neighborhoods. The novel
urges readers to move beyond awareness to practical action, reinforcing the
idea that real transformation begins with each of us.
While the State and its institutions certainly bear responsibility for the
well-being of these neighborhoods, so too do all of us—both as individuals and
as members of the collective community.
Writing in a style that is direct, fluid, and deeply moving, the author,
Giuseppe Storti, who aptly describes himself as a “Jurist by profession, Writer
by passion,” employs this novel as a catalyst for a “Great Awakening of
Conscience.” He draws the reader’s attention to “burning issues”—topics that
the majority of us do not experience firsthand, but merely hear about or read
about in the crime sections of the media—and which, in any case, we often
prefer to ignore. He compels the reader to analyze these realities and to
reflect—not only upon their full implications but also upon the specific role
that every citizen ought to play in helping to resolve such problems, thereby
contributing to the creation of a more just, healthy, and balanced society—in
short, a better world.
Con orgoglio, da Scampia is a book filled
with love. This is not just romantic or erotic love, like that between Marco
and Mara. Above all, it is Agape: unconditional, universal Love. You see it
between Marco and Gennarino and in the volunteers who help Marco and Mara
through social initiatives.
This unconditional, universal Love not only renders us empathetic and enables
us to walk in others’ shoes, but also inspires, motivates, and spurs us to
action.
Con orgoglio, da Scampia is, at its heart, a
novel advocating Universal Love, Awareness, and an Awakening of Conscience,
culminating in a Call to Action. This message is not just about kindness; it
asks readers to offer practical, proactive support, illustrating that everyone
has the agency to effect change—without waiting for explicit requests for help.
Each of us can help or support another. We can all improve someone’s life,
depending on our readiness. Our readiness is our ability to show love,
solidarity, and empathy.
Above all, the message is spiritual: Love and Faith are essential for
individual and collective fulfillment, and together, they form the foundation
for transforming society through responsible action.
Show love! Persevere! Never cease to hope! Visualize your goals and objectives!
Have faith! Woe to those who lack it! Meanwhile, take steps forward, look
around, and search for new opportunities through constructive action.
A single step forward each day—even a small one—represents progress. It can
improve your condition and others’.
Con orgoglio, da Scampia is a wonderful
novel I recommend to everyone. I
strongly suggest it as educational reading for schools at every level.
Enjoy the reading!