As a young child, I remember listening to stories about Angelo Pagano, my great-grandfather who emigrated from Italy to the United States in the early 1900s. I had always envisioned him traveling on a ship like the Titanic, sailing across the Atlantic in a luxury liner to his new home in America.

Those fanciful images faded one warm autumn day when, as I was cleaning out the attic, I uncovered a collection of old letters tied together with a worn green ribbon. The paper was yellow and dry and started to crumble as I touched it. As I carefully untied the ribbon and unfolded the top letter, I realized the writing was Italian. My knowledge of the language is limited to spaghetti and espresso, but from the greeting at the beginning of the letter and the signature at the end, I could tell that the letter was written by my great-grandfather to Sofia, his beloved wife and my great-grandmother. Immediately, I decided to have the letters translated into English so that I could learn more about Angelo and the rest of my family.

What is the cultural context of this passage?


The reading takes place in modern times. The narrator can speak English and Italian and translates letters for people who are interested in their genealogy.


The reading takes place in the twentieth century. The narrator is an Italian grandmother who wrote letters to her grandchildren about her experience immigrating to America.


The reading takes place in modern times. The narrator is the great-grandchild of a man who moved from Italy to America in the 1900s.


The reading takes place in the 1900s. The narrator is an Italian man who perished on the Titanic.