Original scientific paper
Calvino – Desai, On Freedom and Alienation. Rules and Boundaries of Life on a Tree
Katja Radoš-Perković
Abstract
Both Italo Calvino (The Baron in the Trees) and, much later, Kiran Desai (Hullabaloo
in the Guava Orchard) created an alternative life-space above ground, on the trees. In
case of Calvino’s character Cosimo, it is a life-long experience, we follow Cosimo
from childhood to maturity in the new environment as he takes an active part in the
important historical events of his new surroundings. Desai’s Sampath ends up on a
guava tree almost by accident, in his adult age, and does not control the repercussions
of this choice. The paper will discuss the similarities and diff erences between the two
diff erent concepts of freedom advocated by the characters, along with the inevitable
rules and boundaries att ached to these utopias.
Keywords
Italo Calvino; Kiran Desai; freedom; boundaries; fairy tale; life on trees
Hrčak ID:
112260
URI
Publication date:
9.5.2013.
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