Vendetta and The School Teachers Guest are both linked by the same theme retribution; this is defined in the dictionary as "deserved punishment".
This is seen in both stories by the reactions of the mothers of the two sons as they want to get there own back and want justice for their sons deaths. Although apart from this theme which runs through the stories the settings are very different. Vendetta is set on the barren coast of Sardinia. In the Sardinian village the old woman is isolated physically and mentally . The old widow is all alone and has no contact with the outside world.Her house is set on a 'barren coast, stripped of all but a scanty covering of grass.
'The house is set on a rocky cliff over looking the sea. School Teachers Guest is set in Chile in a village called Ague Santa in the appearance of being on an 'insufficient backwater' on the edge of the jungle. On the edge of the jungle anything could happen. Also the laws are not the same as are own and don't really have strict rules.
However there is much more of a community sprit in the School Teachers Guest. Both stories are set in different areas, Vendetta was set in 1880's and School teachers guest was set in the resent past.This is reflected in the style of writing in vendetta it is more wordy and old fashioned, the style in School teachers Guest is more modern. Both stories Start of differently Vendetta starts in a detailed description on which creates a harsh and isolated atmosphere and serene 'low lying coasts'. The stories both show an under viding love for there child. Both mothers deal with their sons' death differently.
The deaths of the boys do not play a part on the people conscious. So they have little regards concerning the barbaric sports, that they play a part in, like cockfighting and bullfighting.The reason why the two women took revenge was due to their sons' death. In Vendetta the old women was so distraught 'no tears but she glazed long and silently at her dead son' the women was so overcome by her son's death that 'she promised him the vendetta'.
The death of the widow's son was intentional. Bonifacio is known for its blood feuds, also taking the law into their own hands. You know this because of the 'bandits taking their refuge when thinks got a little hot'. In the School Teachers Guest her sons' death was totally different to Vendetta.In Vendetta the killing was intentional whereas in the school teachers guest the killing was a boyish prank gone wrong, in the school teachers Guest the death was an accident. The boy only went to pick up a fallen mango from a field 'whom no one really knew' a warning shot to scare the boy away, but it went horridly wrong, and the bullet went straight though the boys for head.
'Drilling a black hole in the middle of the boys head". Whereas in Vendetta the crime was no accident. 'Antonie Saverinie was treacherously stabbed..
. ' He was stabbed by Nicolas Ravoloti.Who fled that same night to Sardinia. In the School Teachers Guest the community helps to hide the crime, whereas in Vendetta there is no community involved.
It is just the old widow and her dog 'Semillante' to seek justice. The stories show that both countries have similar determination to seek revenge. By their own hands and the authorities are not involved. The community in the School Teacher's Guest respected Ines greatly; she had thought the children for many years. She 'Intervened in all their lives..
. ' In Vendetta the old woman was all alone, so there was no community to help her.In the School Teachers Guest Ines felt great sadness, but she managed with the help of Turk to move on with her life. However her son's death was never far away from her life and mind.
When the chance came she took her revenge. Whereas in Vendetta the old widow can not get on with her life until she has taken her revenge on the man that killed her son. In school Teacher Guest we fell closer as a reader unlike the widow who we don't really know, and don't feel drawn to her. In conclusion revenge is represented by both mothers showing love. In Vendetta the mother is old and frail.
This does not stop her. She promised him the Vendetta. This is her determination to seek revenge for her son. The mother was devastated with the death off her only son.
She was determined to seek revenge. My over all opinion on the too stories are that I prefer Vendetta better than the School Teachers Guest My reason for this is that I like how the old widow thinks and plans the death of the man. Also how she trains the dog to become the killer, so there for if any one did find out she could blame the death of the man onto the dog 'Semillante'.
