We're diving into section three with the understanding Marco Polo has recurred to symbols and signs in his description to Kahn. The words are no longer sufficient to fill the void created around each city so its up to him to recur to other methods in order to transmit his sole message.
"So, for each city, after the fundamental information given in precise words, he followed with a mute commentary, holding up his hands, palms out, or backs, or sideways, in straight or oblique movements, spasmodic or slow. A new kind of dialogue was established: the Great Khan's white hands, heavy with rings, answered with stately movements the sinewy, agile hands of the merchant. "
The images the Kahn had first assimilated with the cities when Polo was unable to speak are now filling his mind and becoming necessary tools in his descriptions. Its interesting to see how the return to the basic and primitive somehow produces better understanding for the Kahn. Calvino's idea is full of irony but indeed, makes a lot of sense to the reader. Kahn assimilates to what he considers known and is distant to detailed descriptions serving no meaning what so ever. Remembering Cities & Signs I couldn't help thinking about the symbolism that every sign meant something it didn't mean. Could we connect this idea with the images Marco portrays to Kahn or are these completely separate events?
"Kublai Khan had noticed that Marco Polo's cities resembled one another, as if the passage from one to another involved not a journey but a change of elements."
There is now a distinct connection between the cities that even Kahn is assimilating. We have clear resemblenzes in which physical characteristics amongst cities find themselves repeated, but the philosophical ideas seem to shift in between each city. I now see that for Kahn to understand the essence of his whole empire, or for us to understand the book, we need to connect these elements and form a conclusion Marco, or Calvino is leading us to.
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