Calvino- Emotion/Logic

Quesiton #8

Many essays elicit a reaction from their audience that is either emotional or logical. “Why We Read the Classics” is a very logical essay. Its information is presented without great metaphors, too many descriptive phrases, or unnecessary fluff. Nearly the entire essay is devoted to a sequence of definitions that describe the good qualities in a classic work of literature. The information is presented in a perfectly logical manner. However, somehow, my reaction to the essay is a mix of logic and emotion. Interwoven somewhere in between the fine threads of fact and reason is an emotional appeal. All voracious readers have experienced the feeling of “a book to which you cannot remain indifferent.”

Throughout the course of the essay, Calvino takes the opportunity to pinpoint exactly how a reader feels towards his or her classic to which he or she cannot remain indifferent. Calvino uses fact and sound reasoning to arrive at his conclusion. For the majority of the essay, I spent my time smiling and nodding my head, for I could relate to the definitions that he presented. However, there are parts of the essay that appeal more to feeling than to logic. When Calvino references “your classic,” it almost triggers an emotional response that works alongside the logical appeal, for I doubt my love of literature could be the same without “my classic.”

Calvino, Italo. "Why Read the Classics." Lecture.