Invisible Cities

In what ways does Calvino seek to encourage multiple and conflicting interpretations of cities and his text? Refer to at least three specific examples in your answer.

How would you describe the relationship between Marco Polo and Kublai Khan? To what extent do you think their dynamic is one of equals?

How does the text present the contrast between theory and experience? Why is traveling to the cities different from contemplating them from the distance of a map?

How do notions of utopia and dystopia play out in Calvino’s text? To what extent does he show that dystopia is the inevitable result of any utopian endeavor?

What role does the city of Venice play in the text? Why is it an important barometer for describing and evaluating the other cities Polo encounters on his travels?

How does the book’s structure contribute to its meaning? To what extent can the reader derive meaning from following the narrative thread of different themes? You should refer to at least two specific themes in your answer.

What does the city itself symbolize in the text? What does the construction of a city tell you about human desire and ambition?

What perspective does the text have on empire? Why is embarking on a colonial project ultimately an unsatisfactory endeavor?