Analysis of Can-can by Arturo Vivante

The story under the title “Can-can” was written by Arturo Vivante. Born in Rome in 1923, Arturo Vivante graduated in 1949 and practiced medicine in Rome until 1958 when he ended his medical career and moved to America to pursue a career as a professional writer. Vivante has since been on the faculty of several American universities and is now retired and living in Wellfleet, Massachusetts. Though Vivante writes in English and has lived in America for much of the last 35 years, his Italian heritage has an undeniable presence in his fiction.

His short stories often read like reflections or memories of a distant and foreign past that a reader of Vivante cannot help but link to the life of the transplanted author himself. The plot of the story under the discussion is quite interesting and I dare say close to our reality. A man is going to the secret meeting with the other woman, leaving his house, wife and children. Suddenly it occurs to him that he wants to stay, but the date is already arranged.

So, having arrived to the summer cottage he finds himself thinking of his wife and that surprises him greatly. The problem raised by the author is quite clear: the husband intends to have a love affair and is already unfaithful to his wife. However some feeling of upset, comprehension of the fact his wife is still a sweet cherry, not broken by a small stuff, a woman able to give him love and firmness – doesn’t let him stay calm.

Awaiting the woman at the cafe he hopes she wouldn’t come and he would return home easily and happily: “How strange he should be hoping for her absence. ” Even spending time with the lover he misses his wife and thinks of her. How is that possible? Let’s characterize the wife. First of all we should say she is fairly a wise woman. We see she loves her husband and wants to have a happy family as any woman does: “she felt safer with him at home, and he helped look after the children, especially the baby. “