Literary Speculation

For this week I read The Aquatic Uncle by Italo Calvino. While remaining vague about specific characteristics and details, the story describes family drama in a family of creatures that recently evolved to be able to live on land, rather than in the water.

            The story follows the protagonist (I think his name is Qfwfq?), who has decided along with most of his family to live on land rather than in the water. The author implies that these creatures have decided to evolve, and that they change and adapt to their environment based on these decisions.

            One of the interesting parts of this story is that we never get a clear description of the main characters. This is made apparent at the end of the story, when the protagonist gives clear descriptions and names of creatures such as crocodiles and platypuses, but never defines what he himself is. I find this intriguing because the main character actually states that he never defined himself, never became ‘somebody’. This makes you speculate as to what kind of creature the protagonist actually is, if he is an actual creature that we know of today, or if he is an imaginary creature made by the author. Even the great uncle and the fiancée are described vaguely, having a few characteristics such as fins and fast paws, but never clearly defined as a specific animal. This vagueness leaves a great deal to the imagination, which helps make the story richer in a way.

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            Amidst the talk of evolution and the debate of the ways to survive, there is an element of almost absurd family drama. While the setting is unusual, the actual story could come out of a Spanish drama. ‘The great uncle whom everyone thought was absurd and had a backwards way of thinking ends up eloping with the nephew’s fiancée.’

I find it amusing how the author combines these elements, making the plot ridiculous while also speculating about early evolution. The story is very interesting, remaining vague enough that the audience is engaged and uses their imagination, while providing drama elements that supply interesting entertainment.