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Old World Sexism Transplanted

"Test of the Sheet"

Department of Criminal Justice, Seton Hall University, South Orange, New Jersey, athenslo{at}shu.edu

When Nick visits the café of his brother-in-law, Lombros, they become embroiled in a heated discussion over who is and who is not genuinely Greek. Nick takes the position that to be a true Greek you must not only have been born and raised in Greece but also speak Greek perfectly. On the other hand, Lombros takes the position that being Greek depends only on how much you love Hellenic culture and thereby what is in your heart. The conversation then turns into the real reason for Nick's visit. He wants to arrange a marriage between their sister-in-law, Penelope, and Yiannos, an older Greek man who owns a thriving restaurant. Yiannos's demand for a virgin bride threatens to doom any possibility of his marrying Penelope, until Lombros's cook, Josephine, saves the day with a fool-proof plan for Penelope to pass the "test of the sheet."

Key Words: creative nonfiction • ethnic prejudice • Greek immigrants • marginal groups • sexism

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