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Q: Why might a travel account like this one have influenced an explorer like Columbus? What does this tell us about European explorers’ motivations and goals?
A: Both Marco Polo and Christopher Columbus came from modest upbringings that wanted to bring fame and wealth to themselves as well their families by tapping into the riches of the far east. This excerpt shows how much emphasis europeans put on gold, wealth, and extravagance. Since this was a source directly from Marco Polo himself we can assume that what he saw is what he saw rather than a hand me down piece of gossip whose factual basis dilutes on every retelling. However, it seems as if he either exaggerated the opulence of the palace or simply neglected any detail not relating to wealth and prestige. Notice how this account did not bother to mention any details about the mannerisms of the people living or working within the palace or any details about what kind of literature, religion or cuisine circulating in the palace. Polo’s description seems to have ignored everything within a culture that makes it unique and stripped it down to what Europe wanted to hear; a land of fortunes waiting to be had.
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