Generalization, Miniaturization and the case of Italo Calvino Essay

Generalization, Miniaturization and the case of Italo Calvino - Essay Example With the nexus of focus on Valdrada concentric upon the â€Å"eyes†, Calvino goes to great lengths to illustrate just what Marco Polo â€Å"saw† within the place and how he understood/interpreted this. Whereas Marco Polo was of a relatively high social class and his level of education was above that of the average individual during Renaissance Italy, Calvino illustrates that he was not inclined to attempt to use the scientific method; instead, Polo relates complex and instrinsicly nuanced facets of Valdrada in a matter of fact way. This matter of fact detail and the pedagogical nature in which he discusses these aspects lends the reader to engage with these facets of Valdrada as nothing short of fact. Yet, by comparing the quote of Susan Stewart, provided in the introduction, the reader is cautioned as to the ramifications of not objectively considering what details might be overlooked within such a cursory approach. The visual representation that is reflected within Calvino’s section on Valdrada denotes, among many other things, the following: â€Å"The ancients built Valdrada on the shores of a lake, with houses all verandas one above the other, and high streets whose railed parapets look out over the water. Thus the traveler, arriving, sees two cities: one erect above the lake, and the other reflected, upside down† (Calvino 123). Within this literary statement of fact, the reader is represented with a picturesque landscape that can easily be miniaturized to reflect a greater understanding for the region and people in question.