Michele Says, 'I Wished I Could Turn Back The Clock.'(P.136) What Things Would He Change If He Had This Opportunity?

Michele's innocence as a nine year old crumbles as he discovers the underlying evil that exists in the world around him. His naпve outlook on life changes and he learns who his real friends are, and most importantly the real identities of the people closest to him. His loyalty and love for his parents undermine his attempts to help the emaciated Filippo.

Michele's carefree world of games and fun is changed for good with the discovery of a kidnapped boy being kept hostage in a hole. His faith and trust in his life-long friend Salvatore Scardaccione had compelled him to share his secret. Without knowing that the demise of his plan to rescue the boy would be Salvatore himself. As Michele finds out that 'Salvatore Scardaccione had sold him out for a driving lesson,' he is very regretful with his decision to share his secret saying, 'I was worse than Judas who had bartered Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.'

Pino was Michele's idol, he was everything to him. Michele looked up to his father, loved him and never taught of him in a bad way, he always believed "Papa was the boss of Acqua Traverse." That is why he instinctively tries to justify his discovery of the boy and the collapse of his world as he had known it by saying 'Maybe the boy in the hole was my brother, and he had been born mad like Nunzio and papa had hidden him there, so as not to frighten my sister and me..Maybe he and I were twins.' As he finds out that 'Papa was the bogeyman' and that 'It had been papa and the others who had taken the boy away from that lady on television' he wished that it was all a dream and that it wasn't happening. He wished that his explanation was the truth, that he was right and that his life could return to what it had been like before he had discovered Filippo.

Michele's loyalty towards his parents and especially his father compromise his attempts to save Filippo and put him in danger. His oath to his father which he tries

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