Essay Sample on Calvino, a Plunge Into Real Estate

Introduction

Calvino's plunge into the real estate is a fine piece of literature work that depicts Quinto as the protagonist with several contradictions in his thoughts, intrigues, historical moments, and nostalgia amid modernization in Riviera. Reading Calvino's Plunge into Real Estate acquaints readers with the attained economic success resulting from real estate development while sharply pointing out the environmental and human injustice that result from such actions. Through Calvino's eyes, I felt the radical changes in the physical landscape and a constant reminder of a dynamic society where change is inevitable.

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Contradictions

In this review, I will try to clearly show the contradictions surrounding Quinto's decisions, the choices he makes, and the consequences of such decisions on both family and the entire Riviera region. Even though Quinto had always lived in Riviera, he still yearned for something new and different. For a long time, Quinto's absence from home was enough to ensure that his town was wholly replaced from a scenery landscape to a towering modern building town. "The town he once lived was surrounded by shady gardens of eucalyptus trees and magnolias." Although Quinto remembers his former town with nostalgia, the fact is that he had always longed to see the change.

Furthermore, we can see a constant reminder by his mother of what had changed since he left town and how she did not know the differences. A glaring contradiction evident from this literature is that, even though Quinto was offended by the changes in his landscape being overwhelmed by cement, he was prepared to damage his landscape. The protagonist's mother's melancholic statements did not support his contradictory feelings and the urge to take action instead of just being passive (Calvino 31). The fact of the matter is that Quinto was hurt by what was happening because he had been displaced from his place, and the only thing he had was nostalgia and did not have any view claim.

Developments

All these developments affected Quinto's mother, and she was constantly worried about her garden and the scenery she always enjoyed seeing. The towering buildings had curtailed the early morning sun that she used to enjoy, and now she would have to wait for an extra one hour for the sun. Further analysis of the book shows that the environmental damage the development had caused was of concern to Riviera's territory. In as much Quinto held so dearly to the idea that life will give as much as it takes, therefore, whatever is destroyed will be recovered is a contradiction to the understanding of how mistaken the cruelty of youthful life is.

Quinto's indifference towards the damage is noticeable through the answer he gives when his mother expresses her concerns about the destruction of the environment. He could only grunt and chuckle and did not go beyond that but only a pessimistic statement that no one can do anything about it. When he perceived that the damage was beyond control, he was overcome by a desire or an assumption that fighting against history is always futile. We can acknowledge that Quinto got disturbed about the landscape's appearance before he possessed the land himself.

Family Land

The decision to build a house on the family land was motivated by Quinto's desire to start making money. In that regard, he focused on the possibility of putting the best use a family land that had not been exploited yet. The land provided a perfect site for a small building meant for an apartment. After selling a portion of the family land to Caisotti, the implementation was structured so that Quinto contemplated a partnership agreement with Caisotti to build it jointly. Quinto regarded the family land as a marginal addition to their property and had no childhood memories that bound him to him; simultaneously, the necessity of a flower garden had eventually reduced. It is noteworthy that Quinto had considered the land as a good building site.

The relationship between Quinto and Caisotti was not that good (Calvino 12). Quinto did not trust Caisotti at all in his business dealings, and he termed him a dishonest person. On the other hand, Caisotti did not trust Quinto too. He was always slow and hesitated on everything that Quinto told him. Calvino's literature work helps us to identify the natural relationship between Quinto and Caisotti. It is emphasized that this kind of relationship is suitable for people who are keen on looking after their interests. Quinto had been influenced by what was happening around them and thought that if people were putting significant buildings around his home, nothing could stop him from doing the same.

While talking with his brother Ampelio, Quinto mentioned getting into real estate investment, and the remark elicited a lot of discussions, negotiations, and inquiries. The result was that Quinto was planning to come home to invest in the real estate business. When Quinto was on the train coming home, he took some time to think about the issue while reflecting on his mother's words. According to Calvino, his mother was nostalgic about something she would lose and not get it again (22). The feeling of bitterness by the older generation that the injuries that meet them adversely affect their personal lives. Quinto was not confident enough to tell his mother what he was planning, which was the main reason for coming home. The idea was his own because he did not even discuss it with his brother Ampelio and, until lately, he thought it could not be urgently done. Selling a part of the garden was the only issue that they had agreed with her. The bad relationship between Caisotti and Quinto was fueled by the unfavorable reports given about Caisotti. The irony is that Quinto found himself supporting him by claiming that he was a victim of circumstances and that everybody in the town was unfairly against him.

Profitable Business

During a conversation with Caisotti, Quinto is regarded as an educated man and understands how to do a profitable business. In that regard, Quinto's intellectual education plays an essential role in arriving at the minimum amount to sell his family land. In the course of doing business with Caisotti, Quinto uses the advice of his attorney, Canal, to find out whether Caisotti is honest and has money to buy the property.

Having looked closely at Quinto, it is right to say that he was a kind person who preferred making decisions that were moderately controversial but avoided direct disapproval. When he inquired about his new business partners, he was positively and negatively fed feedback. Also, because he needed to suppress a certain self-nervousness, his confidence was restored because he contacted his fellow professional friends.

Quinto believed that he had eventually gone back to the original middle-class ranks, united at defending their self-interest, which was being attacked. Meanwhile, he found out that everything he did helped Caisotti, the new group of middle-class people. In this story, Quinto's turn around, converting his opponents to his friends, is evident. After listening to the two market agents, Quinto resolved to make money through selling property and investing the money since he was convinced that anyone who doesn't make money does not count.

The presence of Quinto's mother and brother in the decision making on the sale of the land and the proposed investment plan greatly influences the overall sale of family land. After informing his brother Ampelio, Quinto and Ampelio went to his attorney for legal advice on the agreement made with Caisotti.

Until the time the building space was being cleared, Quinto had not noticed the flourishing life in the space where the building was to be constructed. When he took a moment to reflect on what the mother always wanted to protect, he was overcome by a sense of sadness to see the destruction of plant life. Quinto had suddenly taken an interest in flowers, which initially did not even notice and only needed to sell the land for construction. This explanation shows the family's influence and especially the mother on Quinto's decisions on flowers and plant life. According to Calvino, Quinto is also depicted to rely on his intelligence when he consistently asked Caisotti professional questions to show himself as well informed in the subject matter (23).

Conclusion

Quinto had a notion that the fair level piece of land that was connected to the one he wanted to sell offered a good size for a small apartment house, but he noted that once Caisotti's house was up, the adjacent land could lose its value since the law did not allow houses to be built on top of another building. Therefore, he resolved that any site they will sell, the value of the remaining piece would be reduced; hence the best option was to enter into a partnership with Caisotti. Consequently, he would have both sites and construct a single large building in that location, and that would allow Quinto to take a given number of houses, and they will be family property. He went ahead to organize a meeting with his brother at their mother's house to discuss the matter. This substantiates the fact that Quinto valued family ideas and consultations before taking any actions.