Language and Meaning

Structure

Naples '44 is a diary. As such, it has no chapters; instead, the book covers the period from Lewis's arrival in Italy in 1943, to his departure from Naples in October 1944. Each entry covers the events of a single day and sometimes longer. Each month is mentioned, but more happens during some months than others and therefore he writes more in those time periods. Naples '44 is a diary so does not have a main plot line. The diary functions as a portrait of the struggles of the Neapolitan people and the resident Allies during the period leading up to the end of World War II. While various events pop up here and there, they rarely last longer than a few days.

Dramatic events are not the main focus of the book anyway; instead, it is focused on characters and their struggles. Thus, when Lewis...