I'm Not Scared Essay

Katie Lopes-Raftery
Ms. Clapp
AP Literature and Composition
15 December 2008

A Dark Secret

In Niccolo Ammaniti's novel I'm Not Scared Michele journeys from a joyful innocent child into a perceptive and wiser youth, entering the adult part of society. When Michele accidentally discovers a dark secret, it is his responsibility in being alive and a good person to bring justice to the situation. In his discovery of the dark side in society, Michele matures and is courageous enough to do something.

The dark side of human nature prompts Michele to struggle between his conscience and loyalty. When first finding Filippo in a covered hole near an abandoned house, Michele is frightened, and doesn’t know what to do. He returns often to see if the boy is still there, until someone catches him. When Michele finds out that his own father is part of the kidnappers, he is left frozen in thought and in action. He realizes that the adults are cruel and is astounded when he notices his father stating "two ears we'll cut off. Two!" (127). Towards the end of the book, Michele describes his father as a boogeyman saying: “By day he was good, but at night he was bad” (80). This comment shows the true nature of some of the characters not only in this book but in life. The “Pino” that Michele sees isn’t the same one as his partners in crime see. Michele’s realization that adults may have hidden intentions prompted his courage to surface and help save Filippo.

In this short novel, Michele learns that the temptation to do wrong doesn’t discriminate upon ages. His discovery of evil roots in the one he loved the most prompted him to forget fear and hold tight onto the goodness in living for justice.