Blood is a dominant motif in the novel, functioning both literally and symbolically. Blood is most commonly shed in instances of the violence required by life in the Mafia; Luca repeatedly appears covered in blood, revealing that he has been engaging in gruesome acts as part of his role. However, a woman’s initiation into sexuality is also portrayed as marked by blood: Aria learns that the bloody sheets will be displayed after her wedding night, and Grace taunts her at the wedding by telling her, “[Luca] will fuck you bloody” (76). The motif of blood reveals the conflation of sexuality and violence, in a world where a woman’s pleasure and consent are not valued. Aria initially views Luca as a man who sheds blood (confirmed by the scene where she watches him mutilate her cousin, Raffaele) and therefore assumes that he will also brutally shed her blood when he forcefully consummates their wedding.

However, the motif of blood encompasses intimacy and vulnerability as well as violence. Rather than forcing her, Luca protects Aria on their wedding night by shedding his own blood. Instead of patriarchal dominance, the bloodstained sheets represent a fragile collaboration in which Luca and Aria begin to trust one another. This motif continues when they do finally consummate their marriage, choosing to do so only when Aria freely consents. She still bleeds when they have sex for the first time, but this blood is shed because she feels safe to trust Luca. Blood also features prominently in the memories Luca eventually shares with her: He recounts finding his mother’s body after she died by suicide, and how he bled copiously when his father denied him medical attention to protect the security of the family.

In addition to literal bloodshed during violence and intimate moments, blood functions symbolically to represent the ties of loyalty between members of the Mafia. This is most clearly articulated in the Famiglia’s motto, “Born in blood. Sworn in blood” (8). For characters like Aria and Luca, blood is the element that binds them to their families and to each other, a permanent stain that dictates the violent course of their lives from birth until death, leaving no room for personal desires or escape.