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At Daybreak

“At Daybreak” is one of Italo Calvino’s Cosmicomics short stories, and while it’s a bit difficult at times to visualize what is going on in this particular tale, the story is unique and open to individual interpretation.

Of course, this Cosmicomic takes place in space, and it follows a family being disrupted from their routine life on the rings of a nebula. It is never disclosed what exactly the family is, species-wise. I assume they are particle-based, seeing as how the main character’s brother marries an algae at one point, but the topic is kept vague. While I typically prefer having character descriptions, the ambiguousness does make them seem more alien. These particle people live in the galactic matter of some space rings, blindly moving through endless time and simply, well, living. No activity, no progress, just talking to one another and playing sightlessly. Then, what I believe was either the creation of a Sun or just the introduction of the Sun to their world, heat is brought into their life. In fact, they actually catch fire- something initially alarming but actually joyous and new for them.

Calvino’s choice to personify these matter-based characters was incredibly unique. It’s one thing to tell a story from the point of view of an amoeba (or the space-matter people these characters are), but the addition of family takes the short story to a new level. I love the family atmosphere. Even in the short length of “At Daybreak,” we get a good look at their relationships and quickly understand their dynamics. Had there only been one character, the situation would have felt too metaphorical and unrelatable. But, by adding the family dynamic, the audience can connect more with the story, even though the situation itself is so odd and out of this world.

Out of the two Calvino shorts I read, this one was the lesser, but that does not mean it wasn't good. It was just a little hard to understand, which disrupts the flow of the tale. Even so, it was worth the read and stands out as a distinctive short story.

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