One thing that Fante's protagonists have in common is that they all come from a proletarian background. Their way of life is chaotic, and in the broadest and most endearing sense, they are also political anarchists. Even though Fante occasionally speaks condescendingly about them, the focus of his stories is on the "Itaker from the street," who wants to be American but fails to achieve it—much like Fante himself. What distinguishes his heroes, however, is their boundless curiosity, their willingness to take risks, and their unbroken will to live. Yet, they are all dominated by the values and dogmas of Catholicism that they bring with them.