Pride can Lead to a Person's Final Resolution

In "The Dinosaurs" by Italo Calvino, it reveals that Q is a proud and self-centered character, and that these characteristics lead him to form a inner conflict within him and eventually a deep understanding of himself.

After many years of being alone, Q finally comes out of hiding and finds himself in a completely different world. This new world creates an atmosphere of fear within him causing him to feel nervous when he first meets the species that came after the dinosaurs. It surprises him with the way the New Ones interacted with him, "I would never have imagined it possible to talk like that with non-dinosaurs, and I was tense and mostly silent." (Page 96) This opens a feeling of security and acceptance around him and this lead him to feel happy and safe to stay with the "New ones" because he don't have to be alone anymore.

As the story progresses, a inner conflict begins to rampage within him like a storm. After awhile of staying with the New Ones, Q listens to the many stories that the New Ones interpreted the dinosaurs as. These stories changes many times reflecting on Q's action throughout the experience he had with them. The interpretations from the New Ones starts out as a fear, then to admiration, then to silliness, then to pity, and finally to no interest. What Q thought of all this is "I had to feel imposed on me, and by them, a kind of sacred respect for my species which I myself never felt!" (Page 104) This shows that Q is confused of who he wants to be. He don't know if he should just continue to live the peaceful life with the New ones and not be lonely while at the same time having to accept the ridiculous images that the New Ones "painted" for the dinosaurs that stumbles upon his pride as being one.

In the final part of the story, Q realizes the importance of accepting who he is. His inner pride overcomes his self-centered side. He understands now that "from the semi-darkness of fears and doubts of now ignorant generations, the dinosaurs continued to extend their necks, to raise their taloned hoofs, and when the last shadow of their image had been erased, their name went on, superimposed on all meanings, perpetuating their presence in relations among living things." (Page 111) He believes that the dinosaurs are not actually "extinct", but live on through the different stories that the New Ones gave out. Being satisfied with this, Q came up with a conclusion that he doesn't belong with the New Ones anymore since he is a dinosaur and so he left the village and went on the rest of his life as nothing else other than what he was born as: a dinosaur.