Arturo Bandini's Ask The Dust

Prerequisites Arturo Bandini, a young Italian-American writer from Boulder, Colorado has an arrogantly optimistic vision for his future. With one semi-successful publication, he left home for Los Angeles, a city of endless opportunity— “opportunity” being the operative term that is often mistaken to carry only a positive connotation. Bandini, like many, is naive to this paradox, and his talent and potential only make it more difficult for him to discover this truth. But even with this handicap, through trials and experiences with the city, its people, and himself, Bandini develops as a writer and a person— two separate identities with a symbiotic relationship. “I was twenty then. What the hell, I used to say, take your time, Bandini … so take it easy, get out and learn about life, walk the streets. That’s your trouble: your ignorance of life” (Fante 18). In the early stages of Ask the Dust, Bandini displays a wise, mature attitude towards his development as a writer. Nevertheless, his blind ambition and eagerness push him to rush this endeavor, and ignore the fact that time is …show more content…
While she is introduced rather suddenly and graces the story with her presence only briefly, she serves as the catalyst to Bandini’s personal development. Following a humiliating rejection by Camilla, an emasculated Bandini returns to his room to find an unknown visitor. The “not beautiful, but attractive and mature” (79) Vera Rivkin welcomes herself into the room, grabs a page of Bandini’s work and immediately challenges his writing. She recites a poem from Edna St. Vincent Milay and proclaims, “That’s literature! You don’t know anything about literature. You’re a fool!” (80-81). For the first time in the novel, the usually insecure, defensive Bandini refrains from attacking her and her criticism. Instead, he is intrigued by the woman and indulges