Lili Gilpin 11/18/10 A Pochi Metri Su In the book Baron in the Trees by Italo Calvino, the protagonist, Cosimo,

is a experience severe independence from everyone else that he was formally dependent. The book is filled with instances that demonstrate Cosimo's lack of dependence. Cosimo was independent from everyone, especially his parents from a young age and therefore he had to hunt for himself in order to get food, make his own clothing and shelter, and chose whether or not to continue his education. The decisions that he made while encountering these problems shaped his character and lead him farther away from relying on others. At a time when the average person is most dependent, when they are children, Cosimo was living on his own and fending for himself. When we begin reading this book, the first experience of Cosimo's that we are exposed to, was the day he rebelled against his parents. It all began when his parents tried to force him to eat the escargot that his sister made for dinner. This enraged young Cosimo to the point where he just got up and left, and never came back. From the day he rebelled and went to that old holm oak when he was 12, to the day of his death, he lived alone. When he rebelled he cut himself off from his family, making it impossible for him to depend on them like he had before. In the middle of the book, after Cosimo had adjusted to his new lifestyle, the following exchange occurred between him and his father.

 'No, my Lord Father, I'm on my own, and each acts for himself,' said Cosimo firmly. 'I ask you to come down to earth,' said the Baron in a calm, rather faint voice, 'and take up the duties of your station!' 'I have no intention of obeying you, my Lord Father,' said Cosimo. 'I am very sorry' (Page 59, Baron in the Trees)

This small section from the book is an example of how the connection that he had before with his family no longer existed. He had made himself completely separate from them. Before climbing up into that old holm oak he depended on his parents very heavily, not only provide him with food, but also a place to sleep, and clothing. Getting food was a problem that Cosimo faced many times while living on his own. When he rebelled, he pushed himself away from the support of his family, forcing himself to be independent from the people around him. Many of Cosimo's hunting stories are told in Calvino's book, such as the time he killed the wild cat. An example in the book were Cosimo was forced to be independent and get food for himself was, The dachshund chased the fox back again to Cosimo's tree. Cosimo shot it and hit it. The dachshund was his dog; he called him Ottimo Massimo (Page 75, Baron in the Trees). Soon after he rebelled Cosimo encountered many other situations and circumstances throughout the book in which his newfound independence got in the way of his survival. Luckily, as we see in the quote he adjusted quickly to living on his own

and providing for himself without the help of others. Cosimo faced many changes in his lifestyle when after he rebelled. Before the incident with the snail, he was also reliant on his family for supplying him with clothes. This was an issue that didn't come up until later, because for a the first few weeks, he wore the clothes he had on his back when he left home. After that time, he began to make cloths out of the skins of the animals that he killed for food. He fished up the dead cat from the oliver tree over Ondariva's compost pile[where he threw it]. He skinned it, cured the fur as best he could, and made a cap of it. It was the first of the fur caps which we were to see him wear his whole life. (Page 53, Baron in the Trees). Many times he got more then one important task done at a time when it came to doing things on his own. As we see in the quote, Cosimo not only used the animals that he hunted for food, but also for clothing for himself. A few months after Cosimo rebelled and began living up in the trees surrounding their villa, he made many important lifestyle choices. The final point is about how he asserted his independence through his decision and desire to continue to learn and pursue his education. The lesson took place. They sat, my brother astride an oak branch, his legs dangling, and the Abb on the grass beneath, on a stool, intoning hexameters in chorus. I played around for a while

and when I got back Abb was in the tree... My brother seemed to be showing great diligence. (Page 63, Baron in the Trees) This decision was completely life-changing. It helped Cosimo to be a more thoughtful person and to get more out of his life along with helping other people such as the Gian dei Brughi. Although Cosimo helped many people such as the Gian dei Brughi, all of fruit tree growers, and the people that were taking care of Viola (because he kept her entertained when she was younger) he did not go to others for help with survival in his early life, he had to figure things out for himself. A very important part of his survival was to have a place to sleep and to stay out of the cold. Building a place to live, was not only essential to staying away from the cold in the winter, but also gave him a homey feeling of security and comfort. As a result of him building his shelters alone, without the help of others, he was able to comfort himself independently. In the following quote from the book, Biagio, his brother, describes his first visit to Cosimo shelter. [It was] a little room, covered and enclosed on every side by curtains and carpets, crossed by the trunks of the beech tree, with a floor of stakes all propped on thick branches. At that moment it seemed a palace to me. (Page 61, Baron in the Trees) Although I strongly believe that Cosimo is self-sufficient, there are several arguments that he is dependent. When Cosimo first when up in the tree, Biagio brought him a gun. This helped Cosimo out a lot, and he

depended on the gun many times later in the book for hunting. The following quote is another example of when Cosimo was dependent on on his brother, or when Biagio helped him out. Loaded with parcels I went out into the rain, under an enormous green umbrella, holding under my arm another umbrella, shut, for Cosimo." He also relied very strongly on Viola to keep him satisfied and happy. A third instance when Cosimo showed dependence was when he was sick toward the end of the book and could not live on his own anymore. During this short time of his life he depended on many people such as Biagio, his father, and the doctors that came to make him better. If anything, Cosimo's family was dependent on him. Biagio looked up to him as a role model when they were younger, and Cosimo's father, the Baron, was dependent on his oldest son to take over his property and title once he had passed away. Cosimo tried very hard to veer away from this duty. This also helps to counteract the points that the dependent side of the argument has. When a person does not rely on anyone to acquire food, makes their own clothing, makes important decisions without the advice of others, and lives away from their family from a very young age, they are widely considered and believed to be an independent person. Teenagers in the United States strive to be independent. We run away from home, break the law, and get piecing and tattoos to convince their parents that we aren't dependent on them anymore. These instances

are similar to the story of Cosimo because he left home to prove a point to his parents, to be independent from them. I believe the reason for this need of independence is instilled in us from our founding fathers. We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. People all around the world seek out independence and democracy. It gives us a sense of control over out lives, and lets us really live without hovering under someone else's shadow.