'Il-Maximus'

Authors: Alfred Massa and Lana Ellul Pirotta

Publisher: Horizons / 2025

Pages: 309

Tereża, an elderly woman who used to live next door to us, was not afraid of insects. Not only that, but whenever one of these critters seemed to climb the mosaic plinth during the summer, she would dash after it and catch it with her bare hands. My mother and I would run to the street's centre and join the others still there. During that time, many neighbours would "take out a chair" and recite the rosary in the open air. As a young child, I would cling to my mother's neck, listening to the Hail Marys rise from her chest, in rhythm with the beating of her heart. Meanwhile, youngsters would be playing hide-and-seek or ħarba or driving a rubber hoop along the street at a distance. Then, on Saturday afternoons, boys and girls as neat as pins, dressed in starched garments, would attend confession. We couldn't see a priest strolling down the street without racing up and asking for a blessing. Whenever the Viaticum passed, we would kneel with our heads bowed.

That's how life was back in the 1950s, and those of my generation will undoubtedly remember it. Today, in some villages, one can still observe an isolated scenario like this: people sitting close to their door during summer evenings. Even in Malta at that time, permissiveness was still in its infancy. After WWII, people all across the world sought enjoyment. In their opinion, they had had enough of starvation, scarcity, and disease and they yearned for a different world. In other words they had a renewed feeling of joie de vivre. All of this was mirrored not only in the liberalisation and democratisation of the family but also in art, literature and architecture. Clearly, the level of permissiveness was far higher in countries like England and America compared to Malta.

However, a closer examination of the factors that contributed to Malta's permissiveness reveals the War Damage Commission, British political influence, and other elements including fashion, gender equality and the media.

The tale by Massa and Ellul Pirotta centres on a "modern" Maltese family. The protagonist's moniker is Maximus, which is derived from the Latin term for "biggest" or "largest". The authors characterise Stefan as an attractive middle-aged man who works for the Department of Agriculture. He is depicted as a womanizer and an alcoholic who seems to take advantage of any opportunity for sexual encounters. Veronika, his wife, is characterised as a viperous woman who seeks to fan the flames of conflict, rather than serve as the family's bastun, as is typically expected. Veronika's harsh tongue eventually led to her downfall.

Stefan and Veronika had two children. Marika, who finally quits the family home, and Alex, who is cast out by his father for being gay. As a result, they are held to the same societal standards. Veronika was so envious of her spouse that she planned to exact revenge.

In their work, Massa and Ellul Pirotta accurately depict this permissiveness in contemporary society. In a nation where chattering permeates the populace and where, according to tradition, moral standards are allegedly higher: "Veronika and Stefan were stunned. They couldn't comprehend their daughter's behaviour, despite Stefan's accurate observation that (in Italy), his daughter felt free of the social constraints that existed in Malta." (p. 138).

Marriages, parent-child relationships, and interpersonal bonds with the general public all exhibit this permissiveness: social connections characterised by a democratic and free spirit, where traditional power roles have given way to more contemporary ones. This new sociological model, in contrast to the patriarchal one, has given women more autonomy and independence while allowing children to participate in family decision-making. Deference to authority has also evolved in this way. "I observed that the younger one hasn't even come to see me since I arrived," Stefan told his wife. (p. 146) "His father was the last person that came to mind." (p. 150-1).

Nevertheless, the values of shame and family honour endure in spite of this laxity. They continue to be swift-cutting factors. No one wants to lose their reputation, no matter what, even if they behave very differently in private. "Why, Alex?" his father asked him. "Did you realize you have shamed the family? We have a really excellent reputation among the people, and you wrecked it? Listen to what I'm saying, pack your belongings, and leave the house immediately!" (p. 162).

Another phenomena that is widely accepted in today's society is the liberalisation of sexual relations. "Last time I asked him if he was seeing anyone, he said nothing! Is it possible that he got a girl in trouble?" (p. 160) "But is this my fault? Wasn't it nature that led me this way? "I have no attraction to girls," he told himself, his eyes welling up with tears. "I feel like I can't live without Martin. God forbid we part ways because I wouldn't know what to do!" (p. 150)

All of this slackness has contributed to the progressive fragmentation of the family.

Marx had explored the abolition of the family from an economic standpoint, claiming that the nuclear family fulfills ideological duties of capitalism (The Marxist Perspective on the Family, Revise Sociology). More modern academics, such as Ernest Burgess and Andrew J. Cherin, have described the family as going through a process of deinstitutionalisation, which is a deterioration of social norms that dictate how partners behave (The Deinstitutionalisation of American Marriage, Research Gate https:/www. researchgate.net, November, 2004, Journal of Marriage and Family). Ulrich Beck, on the other hand, has referred to the family as "zombie category": it appears to be living while actually being dead (A Zombie Existence: Exploring Ulrich Beck's zombie categories and construction, Management Research - Research Gate). People want it to be a sanctuary of security in an uncertain world, but today's family cannot give this because of its volatility. However, it is the principles of honour and shame, which are ironically firmly upheld by the family's male member, in our case Stefan, that provide this seeming stability.

The work of Massa and Ellul Pirotta reveals various evidence that the Maltese family is also dissolving. Its members either want to commit suicide "At one point she took a piece of paper and scrawled a few sentences on it with a nervous hand. Then she drank the first bottle she found, ingested six tranquilizers, and threw herself lengthwise on the sofa, hoping not to wake up again". (p. 245) or have opted to leave their family home "Listen, so you know, I too, have fled home..." replied Stefan. (p. 244) or are concerned about being disgraced in their society "Furthermore, he sought assistance on how to prevent David from tarnishing his family's reputation in front of everyone." (p. 240,9).

However, in the end of the work, the authors try to bring the main characters together in an atmosphere of apparent love and camaraderie. Nevertheless, cohabitation rather than family values prevails because the previously existing trust has been shattered "When you are ready, I ask you to come live with me. Don't rush anything. I'll leave it in your capable hands." (p. 257). As a result, even at this point, the authors do not believe in restoring the old essential structure of the family, preferring to retain tenuous ties, particularly between spouses, as one attempts to benefit the other "I wouldn't say no," the woman seized the opportunity, delighted by his remarks. She didn't want to abandon his assistance." (p. 279) (see also p. 282-3). In the story, the wedding is primarily a formality with considerable costs. "Weddings are expensive," Veronika continued. "I remember when we got married, that awful day, we spent roughly eight thousand pounds in all. Today, getting married costs the same as purchasing a garage." (p. 295). Rather than a long-term bond founded on love, trust and understanding, marriage is a contract that can be severed at any time although happiness may be found in other forms of marriage. "However, as time passed, all had been lost, correct? The roses that life handed us wilted because we did not water them enough, resulting in everything drying up and leaving us with just thorns." (p. 278-9)

Within this materialistic framework, the reader cannot help but notice the authors' absence of reference to God, as well as the novel's inability to discuss marriage as a sacrament. What the Church has profited from for centuries claiming that marriage is a covenant to which God bears witness (e.g., Mal. 2:14) the authors, simply reject the notion that when a man and a woman marry, they are bound together by God (for example, Mark 10:8,9). The lack of reference to Christianity and religion enhances the story's veracity and relevance to our time. Times marked by secularisation trends in which the absence of God is prevalent. The Church's involvement at the wedding is described in the same way as the hairdresser, photographer and make-up artist prepare for the service and reception. In other words the Church's function, is merely a formality designed to protect the family's honour in public and prevent it from being disgraced.

The Permissive Society significantly shaped Maltese society, representing a pivotal era in modern Malta. This cultural shift challenged established beliefs, offered a platform for marginalised voices, and laid the groundwork for future societal advancements. Later movements advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, gender equality and personal autonomy arose as a result of the relaxing of social constraints, promotion of individual freedoms and celebration of diversity. Massa and Ellul Pirotta's work is primarily an avant-garde social investigation. The authors analyse significant issues that have affected our civilization. In the end, this book's compelling sequence of events should make us re-evaluate our way of life and to regard conscience as the final frontier that should enable us to make moral decisions.

The quotes included in the text have been translated by the author of this review