Marta Buzatti's The Falling Girl

When I read the story of “The Falling Girl,” I instantly fell in love with its obscurity and direct human content. Since I, too, have an Italian heritage, I feel that this author and I were meant to get to know one another. I was glad to be introduced to this major writer.

Upon further research of Buzatti, I found him to be quite a renaissance man. He worked as journalist for Corriere Della Sera in Milan from the age twenty-two. These experiences as a journalist aided in his insightful knowledge of human nature and stories that deal with life. When asked about his fiction he explained that “fantasy should be as close as possible to journalism.” Perhaps he gained some insight for this story that involved young women and Italian society.
She was greedy and self indulgent, forgetting what is truly important in her life. She eagerly bypasses friends, love, and career all for a pipe dream. This story was not written as a means to discourage young women from setting the bar high, but as a reminder that too much drive can blind you to the aspects of life that mean the most. Marta’s escape from her true path is one that is common to many teen girls. Once freed from the burdens of high school, a young woman may feel the pressure from society to fit a certain mold of achievement. This model can lead young women on the wrong path to the beliefs of what life and success is. Media can play a large role in the false realities that these girls are striving for in life. Young women are too often portrayed as vindictive, obsessive, and shrewd when it comes to the path to success. What many women like Marta don’t realize is that they are harming the very relationships that they need in order to be successful. People and careers are not mere stepping-stones for someone to ascend in life; these people are the backbone that gives us the strength to meet these