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Rats
Birds, and specifically swallows, often appear in opposition to rats—thus, while the rats symbolize corruption and doom, the birds represent hope for a better future. Some cities, such as Marozia, use the dichotomy of the rats and the swallows to speak to the cyclical nature of revolt and rebellion, suggesting that corruption and hope are locked in an endless battle in which one may win temporarily, but the other will eventually also see its day on top. In other cities, such as in Raissa and Esmeralda, Marco Polo links the birds directly to hope and makes the point that it’s important to focus on the beautiful, hopeful moments in life, as they make the ugly easier to bear.
Birds (Swallows) Quotes in Invisible Cities
The Invisible Cities quotes below all refer to the symbol of Birds (Swallows). For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 9
Quotes
Was the oracle mistaken? Not necessarily. I interpret it in this way: Marozia consists of two cities, the rat’s and the swallow’s; both change with time, but their relationship does not change; the second is the one about to free itself from the first.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
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Birds (Swallows) Symbol Timeline in Invisible Cities
The timeline below shows where the symbol Birds (Swallows) appears in Invisible Cities. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 6
...include all of these routes. More difficult, however, is to record the routes of the swallows that swoop overhead and dominate the city.
(full context)
Chapter 7
...Decadence gives way to plagues and slowly, survivors emerge like rats to loot but, like birds, want to nest. People take things to use them differently, such as using curtains as...
(full context)
Chapter 9
...at men on horseback whose horses are thrilled to be flying over jumps. There are birds in the sky, having been freed by painters. The painter’s picture of the bird will...
(full context)
...that there are two cities in Marozia: one of the rat and one of the swallow. Today, vicious, fighting rats swarm Marozia. A new century is about to start, however, and...
(full context)
