▁Ga et ano ▁Cast iglia , ▁aged ▁thirty - n ine ▁is ▁a ▁doctor ▁of ▁good ▁stock ▁who ▁studied ▁in ▁Boston ▁but ▁isn ' t ▁pract ising . ▁He ▁lives ▁with ▁his ▁mother ▁M add al ena ▁in ▁Montr one , ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁near ▁Av ell ino , ▁while ▁V inc en zo , ▁his ▁father , ▁died ▁a ▁long ▁time ▁before . ▁Ga et ano ▁falls ▁in ▁love ▁with ▁Sab ina , ▁a ▁bare ly ▁sevent een - year - old ▁girl ▁after ▁they ▁meet ▁each ▁other ▁by ▁chance ▁during ▁a ▁process ion . ▁His ▁mother ▁is ▁against ▁their ▁marriage , ▁because ▁Sab ina ▁is ▁a ▁poor , ▁un c ult ured ▁or phan ▁who ▁has ▁worked ▁in ▁a ▁ta vern ▁run ▁by ▁an ▁a unt . ▁Ga et ano ▁becomes ▁hard head ed ▁and ▁does ▁everything ▁he ▁can ▁to ▁persu ade ▁his ▁mother ▁to ▁accept ▁Sab ina . ▁He ▁is ▁very ▁je alous ▁and ▁is ▁wor ried ▁about ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁Sab ina ▁can ▁make ▁bad ▁experiences ▁at ▁the ▁inn , ▁frequ ented ▁by ▁ ▁far mers ▁and ▁dr unk ards . ▁To ▁prepare ▁for ▁the ▁marriage , ▁he ▁forces ▁Sab ina ▁to ▁move ▁to ▁another ▁a unt ' s ▁house ▁in ▁At rip al da , ▁a ▁nearby ▁town , ▁to ▁learn ▁to ▁read ▁and ▁write ▁and ▁to ▁behave ▁in ▁a ▁more ▁dign ified ▁way ▁because ▁he ▁doesn ' t ▁want ▁her ▁to ▁have ▁relationships ▁with ▁other ▁people ▁of ▁lower ▁class . ▁Second ▁part ▁The ▁marriage ▁is ▁celebrated .