“Ludmilla, now you are being read. Your body is being subjected to a systematic reading, through channels of tactile information, visual, olfactory, and not without some intervention of the taste buds. Hearing also has its role, alert to your gasps and your trills. It is not only the body that is, in you, the object of raeding: the body matters insofar as it is part of a complex of elaborate elements, not all visible and not all present, but manifested in visible and present events: the clouding of your eyes, your laughing, the words you speak, your way of gathering and spreading your hair, your initiatives and your reticences, and all the signs that are on the frontier between you and usage and habits and memory and prehistory and fashion, all codes, all the poor alphabets by which one human being believes at certain moments that he is reading another human being.”
Example of Usage:
In his novel "If on a winter's night a traveler," Italo Calvino beautifully illustrates the concept of reading a person through their body in this passage. Calvino's poetic language perfectly captures the intricacies of human interaction and the layers of meaning that can be found in simple gestures and behaviors.
Quote Analysis
In this quote by Italo Calvino, the concept of reading is applied to the human body, specifically Ludmilla's. Calvino suggests that every aspect of Ludmilla's body, from physical sensations to gestures to spoken words, is being "read" by those around her. He states that everything about her, visible or not, present or not, is part of a complex web of elements that contribute to how others interpret and understand her. Calvino emphasizes the importance of paying attention to these details in order to truly comprehend and connect with another person.
Modern Relevance
In this passage from Italo Calvino's work, the concept of reading someone's body through various sensory channels is explored. In today's digitally-driven world, where social media and technology play a significant role in communication and relationships, the idea of reading someone goes beyond just physical presence. It now includes interpreting their online presence, interactions, and expressions in a virtual space. The complexity of human communication and interaction, as described by Calvino, remains relevant in understanding and connecting with others in the modern age.
Reflection Questions
In this passage, Italo Calvino delves into the act of reading another human being, beyond just their physical presence. As you reflect on this passage, consider the following questions:
- How do you feel about the idea of being "read" by others in such a detailed and multidimensional way?
- In what ways do you think your actions, gestures, and expressions communicate information about you that may not be obvious at first glance?
- Have you ever experienced someone truly understanding you in a way that goes beyond surface-level interactions? If so, how did that make you feel?
- How does this passage make you consider the complexities of human communication and understanding in your own relationships and interactions?
- What are some ways you can be more mindful of the signals you are sending to others and more attentive to the signals they are sending to you in your daily interactions?
Similar quotes
“Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”
“Be careful who you choose as your hero or who you choose to deify, be it Clay Aiken or Barack Obama. You put all you're hope and all your dreams and all your ideas about stuff into one human being. They're a human being they're going to let you down. You can't make someone your hero because of something you read on the internet. The internet is not a source of information it is a source of disinformation.”
“If you abandon your two glasses of wine, it is to show your children, your friends, and your society that your life is not only for yourself. Your life is for your ancestors, future generations, and also your society. To stop drinking two glasses of wine every week is a very deep practice, even if it has not brought you any harm. That is the insight of a bodhisattva who knows that everything she does is done for all her ancestors and future generations... In modern life, people think that their body belongs to them and they can do anything they want to it... This is one of the manifestations of individualism. But, according to the teaching of emptiness, your body is not yours. Your body belongs to your ancestors, your parents, and future generations. It also belongs to society and to all other living beings. All of them have come together to bring about the presence of this body--the trees, clouds, everything. Keeping your body healthy is to express gratitude to the whole cosmos, to all ancestors, and also not to betray the future generations," (64-65).”
“If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all generations of your ancestors. All of them are alive in this moment. Each is present in your body. You are the continuation of each of these people.”
“It is a mistake to think that the past is dead. Nothing that has ever happened is quite without influence at this moment. The present is merely the past rolled up and concentrated in this second of time. You, too, are your past; often your face is your autobiography; you are what you are because of what you have been; because of your heredity stretching back into forgotten generations; because of every element of environment that has affected you, every man or woman that has met you, every book that you have read, every experience that you have had; all these are accumulated in your memory, your body, your character, your soul. So with a city, a country, and a race; it is its past, and cannot be understood without it.”