47 pages • 1 hour read
Playing For Pizza
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Symbols & Motifs
Livvy’s Visa
Rick’s final love interest, Livvy Galloway, is in Italy on a temporary student visa. The question of Livvy’s visa appears throughout the final part of the novel as a symbol of Livvy and Rick’s immaturity and their uncertain future. When Rick meets Livvy she is at the end of her time as an exchange student in Florence and is “worried about her visa because she wanted to stay in Italy for some vague period of time” (202). Livvy approaches her visa “with a cool detachment that Rick found admirable” (202). The use of the words “vague” and “cool detachment” in these passages suggests that Livvy does not take the visa seriously, or understand the importance of maintaining a legal visa while traveling abroad.
Later, Livvy’s father offers to resolve her visa issues with no questions asked, but Livvy rejects the offer, insisting that “she could never use the ticket sent by her father because […] if she returned to the United States it would be on her own terms” (243). Livvy’s desire to remain in Italy invokes the possible long-term future she and Rick could have together. In the novel’s final pages, Rick tells Sam that he and Livvy are “not worried” about the “visa thing” (256), suggesting that he has adopted her casual attitude. The fact that the visa issue is not fully resolved symbolizes how Rick and Livvy are now at a crossroads as to whether they wish to go back to their old lives or forge new ones in Italy.
Opera
Opera, a distinctly Italian art form, appears across the novel as a symbol of Italian culture, with Rick’s changing relationship with opera reflecting his gradual acclimation to his new home. The people of Parma believe that their opera house is “the finest in the world, and they also consider opera their birthright” as Italians (114). The first opera performance Rick sees in Parma is by Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi. At the beginning of the novel, Rick is dismissive of opera, sarcastically asking, “[W]hy would I go to an opera?” (32). Rick’s lack of interest in opera reflects his early reluctance to engage with Italian culture.
Later, the performance and beauty of Italian soprano Gabriella Ballini spark Rick’s interest, leading him to the “unthinkable” decision to “sneak into another performance of Otello” (119). Rick’s attraction to Gabriella leads him to research Otello and Italian opera until he knows the subject “inside and out” (132). Rick’s willingness to learn more about opera reflects his growing assimilation into Italian culture.
Cheerleaders
References to cheerleaders appear throughout the novel as a sign of Rick’s immature perspective on his career and women. In the novel’s opening chapters, Arnie tries to convince Rick to take the position with the Parma Panthers by telling him the team has “gorgeous cheerleaders.” This strategy suggests that easy access to cheerleaders is an important perk of the job for Rick. Rick is severely disappointed when he learns that the Panthers have no cheerleaders, and he “cursed Arnie many times for that lie” during his time in Italy (100). The first time Livvy watches his game, Rick pretends she is a cheerleader, imagining that he is “in high school, anxious to play for the love of the game, for the glory of winning, but also for a very cute girl up in the stands” (189). The reference to high school and cute girls suggests that Rick may maintain an immature perspective on his game.
Rick’s primary love interest Livvy “had been a cheerleader in high school,” and when they first meet Rick expresses relief at finally finding “a cheerleader in Italy” (175). Although Rick likes and admires Livvy, the novel suggests that he might not respect cheerleaders in general. Rick describes cheerleaders as “cute, easy, available” (72), and implies that he has been with many cheerleaders on the teams he’s belonged to. Rick’s preference for cheerleaders, the stereotypical girlfriends of young football players, suggests that he has an immature attitude toward women.
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