The Aquatic Uncle

Within this short story, The Aquatic Uncle, by Italo Calvino as analyzed has its own symbols that parallel that directly compares to modern life in every way which I find to be fascinating. I also found out that "Tadpoles" symbolize not just a beginning to a new life, but forms of immaturity, someone that does not fully understand the world yet. An interesting part of the story could be said of the involvement of the scientific elements behind the "Carboniferous period, abandoned part of aquatic life for terrestrial". This is based on a society moving forward into modern times while abandoning the old way of life. A main idea that I found interesting was the use of symbolism and how it can relate to modernism and society. The "paws' of the story directly relates to a form of creatures that have lived on land long enough to be fully developed and they are a symbol of the highest status within the story.  I also found out through the use of observation that "tadpoles", "paws"s , “N'ba N'ga” along with "edges" can be seen as symbols within the environment and how each of them is represented in my opinion. The narrator, Qfwfq, also speaks of how his terrestrial girlfriend's "paws" is in a kind of reverence. The narrator represents her on a pedestal as symbolized being greater than him because of it in my opinion. This would be found as Qfwfq's belief of everything being fish, instead of understanding that the two worlds should join and connect with each other. I saw that Great-uncle N'ba N'ga symbolizes how the ages gone by and the idea that what was once considered old and ancient will one day become a new age again. A birth of fresh ideas and life. This is observed and saw when Qfwfq's terrestrial girlfriend decides to join him and turn into a fish, because that is where she sees a part of the future. Finally, "edges" symbolize a divide in society and how playing along the edge of an issue can result in falling to one side or the other.