Inception

On Friday, we discussed invisible cities in class. My previous assumptions were not really correct. I learned that this book is an example of Meta literature. This term refers to literature that talks about itself. With this idea in mind, I read the dialogues between Marco Polo and Kublai Khan all over again.  It all made so much sense now. The very first dialogue between them starts like this:  " Kublai Khan does not necessarily believe everything Marco Polo says when he describes the cities visited in his expeditions, but the emperor of the Tartars does continue listening to the young venetian with greater attention and curiosity than he shows any other messenger or explorer of his." Who are the only two people involved in the reading of a book? The author and the reader. Therefore, we may conclude that Marco Polo stands for Calvino and Kublai Khan stands for us.  For example, the phrase I quote above, in a meta-literary way, would be telling us that we may not really believe or understand what Calvino wrote. But he assures us that we will keep reading out of curiosity and that we will pay close attention to the writing.

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The whole idea reminds me of a movie called inception. In the movie, a group of people has discovered how to extract information from other people by using their dreams. They create a dream within a dream to go deeper into the person's mind.  Just like that, Invisible cities is a story about a story. Here are some of the phrases that caught my attention and my meta-literary explanation for each:

“Marco Polo could express himself only with gestures, leaps, cries of wonder and of horror, animal barkings or hootings, or with objects he took from his knapsacks…” –Pg.21 Calvino has trouble expressing his ideas to us. He does it as good as he can, describing each city perfectly and trying to send a message.

He doesn’t expect us to make the connections right away, “The Great Khan deciphered the signs, but the connection between them and the places visited remained uncertain..”-Pg.22

 Calvino also assures us that his message will be clearer as we keep on reading the book. “As the seasons passed and his missions continued, Marco mastered the Tartar language and the national idioms and tribal dialects.”

“ “On the day when I know all the emblems,” he asked Marco, “shall I be able to possess my empire, at last?”

And the Venetian answered: “Sire, do not believe it. On that day you will be an emblem among emblems.” ” – Pg.23

Calvino clarifies that even if we manage to understand all the symbols and connections of this book, we will never conquer it. We will only be another symbol within the book. But if we think about it, Kublai Khan already symbolizes us in the book.

“The other ambassadors warn me of famines, extortions, conspiracies, or else they inform me of newly discovered turquoise mines, advantageous prices in marten furs, suggestions for supplying damascened blades. And you?” the Great Khan asked Polo “you return from lands equally distant and you can tell me only the thoughts that come to a man who sits on his doorstep at evening to enjoy the cool air. What is the use, then, of all your travelling?” Calvino understands that the reader will compare him with other authors. We will naturally question the purpose of a book like Invisible Cities. It is different from everything we have ever read. And Calvino was right to assume the reader would have this question. I myself keep wondering what all there cities will finally lead to.