University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

Magical Realism In Contemporary Argentine Fiction

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Magical Realism In Contemporary Argentine Fiction

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Content This dissertation has been micro film *d exactly as received 66-10,536 CARTER, J r ., Erwin D ale, 1934- MAGIC A L REALISM IN CONTEMPORARY ARGENTINE FICTION. U n iversity of Southern C aliforn ia, P h.D ., 1966 Language and L iterature, m odern University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan . Copyright by Erwin Dale Carter, 1966 M AGICAL REALISM IN C O N TEM PO R A R Y ARGENTINE FICTION by Erwin Dale C a rte r, J r . A D is s e rta tio n P resented to th e FACULTY OF THE G R A D U A TE SCH O O L UNIVERSITY OF SO UTHERN CALIFORNIA In P a r tia l F u lfillm e n t o f the Requirem ents fo r th e Degree D O C TO R OF PHILOSOPHY (S panish) June 1966 UNIVERSITY O F SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA THE GRADUATE 8CHOOL UNIVERSITY PARK LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 9 0 0 0 7 This dissertation, written by E ^ in D ale. C a rte r,. J r .............. under the direction of hi,S....Dissertation Com mittee, and approved by all its members, has been presented to and accepted by the Graduate School, in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of D O C T O R OF P H IL O S O P H Y June 1966 DISSERTATION COMMITTEE Chairman To M y Wife P a tric ia TABLE OF CONTENTS C hapter Page I . INTRODUCTION 1 Statem ent o£ Purpose D e fin itio n o f Terms Used in th e Study J u s tif ic a tio n and Im portance o f the Study O rigins o f M agical Realism O rganization o f the Study I I . JORGE LUIS BORGES......................................................... 11 Combination o f Fantasy and R e a lity T ransform ation of th e Real in to th e U nreal D is to rtio n o f Time and Space Appeal to a R e stric te d Audience Summary I I I . A D O LFO BIOY CASARES.................................................... 86 Combination of Fantasy and R e a lity T ransform ation of th e Real in to the U nreal D is to rtio n of Time and Space Appeal to a R e stric te d Audience Summary IV. SILVINA OCAMPO................................................................. 199 Combination o f Fantasy and R eality T ransform ation o f th e Real in to th e U nreal D isto rtio n of Time and Space Appeal to a R e stric te d Audience Sumnary ii Chapter V. SANTIAGO D A B O V E Page 238 Combination o£ Fantasy and R e a lity T ransform ation o f th e Real in to th e U nreal D is to rtio n o f Time and Space Appeal to a R e stric te d Audience Sumnary VI. ENRIQUE A N D ER SO N IM BERT........................................... 261 Combination o f Fantasy and R e a lity T ransform ation o f th e Real in to th e Unreal D isto rtio n o f Time and Space Appeal to a R e stric te d Audience Sumnary V II. JULIO CORTAZAR................................................................ 311 Combination o f Fantasy and R e a lity T ransform ation of th e Real in to th e U nreal D is to rtio n o f Time and Space Appeal to a R e stric te d Audience Summary V III. CONCLUSIONS 371 BIBLIOGRAPHY 382 CHAPTER I INTRO D U CTIO N StfltCTgnt ofi ftffR O frg In h is a r ti c l e , "Magical Realism in Spanish American F ictio n ,"* ’ Angel F lores s e ts fo rth th e c r i t e r i a fo r what 2 he terms " th is new phase o f L atin American l i te r a t u r e ," and designates the w rite rs who, in h is opinion, are th e p rin c ip a l n o v e lists and c u e n tista s o f the movement. As 3 in i ti a t o r s of m agical realism in L atin America, he p o in ts 1H ispania. XXXVIII (May, 1955), 187-192. 2Ib id .. p. 189. 3 The term "magical realism " was invented by the German a r t c r i t i c , Franz Roh. O rig in ally applied to modern a r t , the expression f i r s t appeared in Roh's Nach-Expressionismis (Magischer R e a lis m s ). (L eipzig: K linkhardt und Blermann, 1925), passim . F lo res, fin d in g in Spanish American f ic tio n a type o f lite r a tu r e fo r which th ere seemed to be no c la s s if ic a tio n , applied the term to th ese works. 1 o u t Jorge Luis Borges, Adolfo Bloy C ssares, and S llv ln a Ocampo. As the most im portant A rgentinian fo llo w ers o f th ese innovators, he m entions, among o th e rs , Santiago * 4 Dabove, Enrique Anderson Im bert, and J u lio C o rtazar. This study, "M agical Realism in Contemporary A rgentine F ic tio n ," undertakes (1) to determ ine through an examina tio n o f the p e rtin e n t f ic tio n o f th e s ix w rite rs li s te d above, whether th ese au th o rs a c tu a lly w rite in th e manner th a t F lo res suggests they do, and to what e x te n t they f i t w ith in h is d e f in itio n o f m agical re alism ; (2) to a s c e rta in whether such a movement r e a lly is p re se n t in A rgentina; and (3) i f th e movement does e x is t In A rgentina, to attem pt to d e fin e , through an a n a ly sis o f the techniques employed by th e au th o rs, the form which m agical re a lism tak es in th a t country. A Besides the th re e authors li s te d above, F lo res a lso m entions E ste la Canto, Carmen Gandara, A lberto C ir r i, Mario L a n c e lo tti, Norah Lange, Manuel Peyrou, and Ernesto Sabato. A fter having read th e com plete f ic tio n a l works o f a l l th ese authors (see Secondary S ources), I chose Dabove, Anderson, and C ortazar fo r exam ination in th is study because only in th e ir works did I encounter s u f f ic ie n t m a te ria l to form a b a s is fo r d iscu ssio n o f th e ir re la tio n s h ip to m agical re a lism . In each o f th e o th e r au th o rs, I found s c a tte re d elem ents which might be p e rtin e n t to th e su b je c t o f th is d is s e r ta tio n , b u t in f a r le s s q u a n tity than in th e works o f th e w rite rs chosen. 3 D e fin itio n o f Terms Used In th e Study Because th e term "m agical r e a l lam" Is n o t a conven tio n a l one, i t re q u ire s r a th e r p re c is e d e f in itio n b e fo re any m eaningful d isc u ssio n o f i t can be u n dertaken. The d e f in itio n which i s employed fo r th e purposes o f th is d i s s e r ta tio n i s based upon th e statem en ts o f Angel F lo re s in th e a r t i c l e c ite d above. As th e p arad o x ical n a tu re o f th e term in d ic a te s , m agical re a lis m i s f i r s t o f a l l th e com b in a tio n o f r e a l i t y and fa n ta s y . Second, i t i s th e tr a n s form ation o f th e r e a l in to th e awesome and u n re a l: Time exists in a kind o f tim e le ss f l u i d i t y and th e u n re a l happens as a p a r t o f r e a l i t y . The tran sfo rm a tio n o f Gregor Samsa [ in F rans K afka's s to ry "The M etam orphosis"] in to a cockroach o r bedbug (Kafka uses th e im p recise "m onstrous verm in") I s n o t a m a tte r o f c o n je c tu re o r d is c u s s io n ; i t happened and i t was accepted by th e o th e r c h a ra c te rs as an alm ost normal ev e n t. Once th e re a d e r ac cep ts th e f a i t accom pli, th e r e s t follow s w ith lo g ic a l p re c is io n . The p r a c t i tio n e rs o f m agical re a lis m c lin g to r e a l i t y as i f to p rev en t " l i t e r a t u r e " from g e ttin g in t h e i r way, as i f to p rev en t t h e i r myth from fly in g o f f , as in f a ir y ta le s , to su p e rn a tu ra l re a lm s .5 T h ird , m agical re a lism i s an a r t o f s u rp ris e s , one which c re a te s a d is to r te d concept o f tim e and sp ace. F ourth, m agical re a lism i s a l i t e r a t u r e d ire c te d to an I n te l l e c t u a l ^ F lo re s, "M agical R ealism ," p. 191* m inority; c h a racteriz ed by a co ld , c e re b ra l alo o fn ess, i t does n o t c a te r to popular ta s te , but ra th e r to th a t o f those so p h istic a te d in d iv id u a ls in s tru c te d in a e s th e tic s u b tle tie s . "Contemporary," fo r the purposes o f th is study, re fe rs to the period between 1940 and 1963; th a t is , th e d ates o f the highly in f lu e n tia l A ntoloafa de la l i te r a t u r a fan ta s tic * compiled by Borges, Bloy C asares, and S ilv in a Ocampo, and J u lio C o rta z a r'8 Ravuela. re sp e c tiv e ly . J u s tif ic a tio n and Impo rtan ce o f the Study In re cen t months th e re has been consid erab le d isc u s sion and sp ecu latio n concerning m agical realism in Spanish America, p a r tic u la r ly among those in te re s te d In the l i t e r a tu re o f A rgentina. To d a te th e re have been no d o c to ra l th eses completed which have been concerned w ith m agical realism , although th e re a re two in progress, one d ealin g w ith m agical realism in th e work o f Miguel Angel A stu rias, and the o th er w ith m agical realism in Mexico.** Of the **R ay A. V erzasconi, "Magical Realism and th e L ite ra ry World o f Miguel Angel A s tu ria s," U niv ersity o f Washington; Arnold C. Vento, "Magical Realism in Mexican L ite ra tu re " [exact t i t l e unknown], U niv ersity o f M issouri. w rite rs w ith whom th is study Is concerned, Jorge Luis Borges Is th e best-known, and numerous s tu d ie s o f h is work, Including a r ti c l e s , books and d o c to ra l d is s e r ta tio n s ,^ have been w ritte n . D espite th is q u a n tity o f m a te ria l, however, che q u estio n o f m agical realism In r e la tio n to h is w ritin g s has not y e t been examined. The o th e r authors are le s s e r - known, and c r i t i c a l works concerning them a re ra th e r Q sca rce. Because o f what I co n sid er to be th e g en e rally ^Works o f c r itic is m d e a lin g w ith Borges w ill be found in the B ibliography. Besides Ana M arla B arrenechea's book, La expresion de l a irre a lld a d en l a obra de Jorge Luis Borges (c ite d ex ten siv ely in Chapter I I o f th is stu d y ), which was o r ig in a lly a d o c to ra l th e s is , two o th er d is s e r ta tio n s on Borges have been com pleted: Cleon W . Capsas, "The Poetry o f Jorge Luis Borges, 1923-1963," U n iv ersity o f New Mexico, 1963; James E. Irb y , "The S tru c tu re of th e S to rie s o f Jorge Luis B orges," U n iv ersity o f M ichigan, 1962. Only th e l a t t e r o f th ese th eses i s r e l e v an t to th is study; i t i s c ite d in C hapter I I . Besides th e two completed d is s e r ta tio n s , two a re p re se n tly in p re p a ra tio n : Jaime A lazrak l, "The N arrativ e Prose o f Jorge Luis B orges," Coluobla U n iv ersity ; Manuel F e rre r, "Temas fundam entales en l a obra de Jorge Luis B orges," U n iv ersity o f W isconsin. Q C r itic a l stu d ie s o f these authors which have been found to be p e rtin e n t to th e su b je c t o f th is d is s e r ta tio n a re lis te d in th e Primary Sources; o th ers a re lo cated in th e Secondary Sources. J u lio C o rtazar is th e only one o f th ese w rite rs , besides Borges, who i s the su b je c t o f a # d o c to ra l d is s e r ta tio n : Hem anl L a rls g o ltla , " J u lio C ortazar y e l neonaturalism o en la A rgentina," U n iv ersity o f Wis consin. This study is p re se n tly in p ro g ress. high c a lib e r o f th e ir l i t e r a r y p ro d u ctio n , I b e lie v e th a t an exam ination o f th e work o f th e se au th o rs is j u s t i f i e d . O rigins o f M agical Realism In th e e a rly p a rt o f th is c e n tu ry , many w rite r s , among them Kafka and P ro u st, becoming d is illu s io n e d w ith photo graphic re a lism as a means o f l i t e r a r y ex p ressio n , turned to m agical re a lism . According to F lo re s, th e ir s was to a la rg e e x te n t a re -d isc o v e ry , sin c e many o f th e s t y l i s t i c and ex p ressiv e u tte ra n c e s found in Kafka, fo r in sta n c e , were a lso to be found in numerous n in e te e n th -c e n tu ry fig u re s : in th e R ussians Gogol and Dostoevsky; in th e Ger man rom antics such as Hoffmann, Amim, and th e Grimm b ro th e rs ; in S trin d b erg ; and to a c e r ta in degree in Poe and M elville* Since th is study i s n o t Intended to be a « h is to ry o f th e developm ent o f m agical re a lism in W estern l i t e r a t u r e , b u t an exam ination o f i t s p re se n t s ta te in A rgentina, I do n o t propose to d isc u ss a l l o f those authors who m ight have had an in flu en ce in th e development o f the movement. I w ill c i t e as an example, however, Franz K afka'8 "The M etam orphosis," a s to ry which is i l l u s t r a tiv e o f what we a re seeking in th e works w ith which th is d is s e r ta tio n d e a ls , and which i s a work "com pletely ty p ic a l o f h is a r t." * "The M etamorphosis" is th e s to ry o f Gregor Samsa, a young conm ercial tr a v e le r who has become th e s o le support o f h is p a re n ts and s i s t e r , and o f th e re a c tio n s o f h is fam ily and acquaintances when he wakes "one morning from uneasy dreams [and fin d s h im self] transform ed in h is bed in to a g ig a n tic in s e c t." * ’ ® I t i s c e r ta in ly n o t by a c c id e n t th a t Kafka made h is p ro ta g o n ist a commercial tr a v e le r , fo r w hile most o f us have experienced th e se n sa tio n o f waking in th e morning to an unknown w orld a f t e r having gone to bed in u n fa m ilia r surroundings, th is i s a common occurrence to a man o f Gregor Sam sa's v o c a tio n . I t i s from "uneasy dreams" th a t Samsa awakes, and thus h is tra n sfo rm a tio n i s alm ost n a tu ra l to him, alm ost som ething th a t he expected to happen. Most o f u s, i f we accep t as r e a l th e world in which o Paul L. Landsberg, "The M etam orphosis," The Kafka PrnMwm ed. Angel F lo re s (New York: Octagon Books, 1963), p. 123. ^ F ra n z Kafka, S elected Short S to rie s , tr a n s . W illa and Edwin Muir (New York: The Modern L ib rary , 1952), p. 19. we liv e , expect a c e rta in coherence in the events of each day. W e expect th a t the fa m ilia r phenomena o f everyday l i f e w ill occur according to a p a r tic u la r sequence. Even though we may not have thought very deeply about the reason fo r th is sequence, we judge r e a l i t y by i t s s im ila rity to p a st and p resen t events—o r a t le a s t by our experience w ith th ese ev en ts. In K afka's sto ry "th e re i s a sin g le in c id e n t fo reig n to the h a b its o f our world, one which shocks our assumed knowledge o f i t . " ^ This occurrence, the transform ation of Gregor Samsa in to some s o rt o f gigan t i c in s e c t, is b ru ta lly and u n h e sita tin g ly Imposed upon our consciousness as an undeniable f a c t from th e o u tse t o f the sto ry , and, as Paul Landsberg p o in ts ou t, alm ost in th e same words as Angel F lo res: "Once th is happening is accepted, a l l th e r e s t of th e sto ry develops w ith a lo g ic , a p ro b a b ility , w ith what I might even c a ll a b a n a lity , 12 c h a ra c te r is tic o f the most everyday w orld." The r e ac tio n s of everyone a ffe c te d by th e metamorphosis, in c lu d ing Gregor Samsa him self, a re the re a c tio n s which we expect of them, given th e ir p e rfe c t m ediocrity. A fter the i n i t i a l X 1The Kafka Problem, p. 123. shock o f seeing th e "new" Gregor Samsa has worn o ff, a l l th e members o f h is household t r e a t th e event as a n a tu ra l one, and go more o r le s s calm ly, i f unhappily, about the b u sin ess o f tak in g c a re o f him, o f feeding him, o f keeping h is room as clean as p o ssib le under the circum stances—and, what i s more im portant, o f becoming s e lf-su p p o rtin g once ag ain . I t is im possible to d if f e r e n tia te G regor's fam ily from thousands o f m id d le-class fa m ilie s, o r to d i f f e r e n t i a te th e i r apartm ent from thousands o f m id d le-class a p a rt m ents. The fa th e r is a ty p ic a l fa th e r; th e mother i s a ty p ic a l mother; th e s i s t e r is a ty p ic a l young woman; every th in g in th e sto ry , in f a c t, is co n stru cted in o rd e r to in flu en ce us to accept th e sin g le f a n ta s tic event as eq u ally tru e . O rganization o f the Study The d is s e r ta tio n c o n s is ts o f e ig h t c h a p te rs, o f which th is In tro d u c tio n is the f i r s t . One c h a p te r is devoted to each of th e au th o rs mentioned above, and th e ir re le v a n t f ic tio n a l works published through 1963 a re examined in o rd er to c a rry out the ends s e t fo rth in the "Statem ent o f Purpose" found a t th e beginning o f th is ch ap ter. The f i n a l c h a p te r i s concerned w ith th e conclusions which have been drawn from th e study. CHAPTER II JORGE LUIS B O R G ES Borges, whom Angel F lo res d esig n ates as th e p rin c ip a l i n i t i a t o r o£ m agical re a lism in Spanish America, is w ithout doubt th e best-known o f the w rite rs who w ill be discussed in th is d is s e r ta tio n . The author o f poems, essays, and sh o rt s to r ie s , he is im portant in both A rgentine and L atin American l e t t e r s .^ I t is the purpose o f th is c h a p te r to examine th e f ic tio n o f Borges in o rd e r to accom plish th e ends s e t fo rth in the " Statem ent o f Purpose" found in C hapter I o f th is ^For d iscu ssio n s o f Borges' l ite r a r y v alu e see Enrique Anderson Im bert, H isto ri^ de la l i t e r a t u r e hispanoam ericana. V o l . I I : Epoca contemporanea (Mexico: Fondo de C u ltu a r Economica, 1961), passim , and p a r tic u la r ly James by, "The S tru c tu re o f the S to rie s o f Jorge Luis B o rg ^ r un published Ph.D. d is s e r ta tio n , U n iv e rsity ,o f M ichigan, 1962); Ana Mar£a B arrenechea, La expres ion de l a irre a lid a d en la obra de Jorge Luis Boraes (Mexico: C oleglo de Mexico, 1957); and M atcial Tamayo and Adolfo Ruiz-Diaz, B orges: enigma v e l m (Buenos A ire s: E d ito ria l N uestro Tiempo, 1955). 11 12 stu d y . The f ic t io n a l works o f Borges published w ith in th e period o f our i n t e r e s t (1940-1963) c o n s is t o f F icciones (1944) and El Aleph (1 9 4 9 ).2 I propose h ere to analyze c e r ta in o f th e se n a r ra tiv e s w ith regard to th e ir r e la tio n sh ip to m agical re a lism as d efin ed above (C hapter I ) , by e x tra c tin g th e elem ents o f th a t d e f in itio n and demon s tr a tin g th e manner in which Borges a p p lie s th e techniques o f m agical re a lism . In a le c tu r e given a t Montevideo in 1949* Borges d i s cusses fo u r methods, p re se n t in l i t e r a t u r e sin c e the e a r l i e s t tim es, which "perm iten a l c read o r d e s tr u ir no * * 3 so lo e l realism o de l a flc c io n sin o la misma r e a lid a d .” These d e v ic e s, o fte n used by Borges to a id in th e c re a tio n o f h is m agical re a lism , a re (1) th e work w ith in a work; (2) th e contam ination o f r e a l i t y by a dream; (3) th e voyage A in tim e; and (4) th e double. None o f th ese techniques is o r ig in a l w ith Borges, as he, h im se lf, i s th e f i r s t to 2 Not considered a re those s to r ie s published in c o l la b o ra tio n w ith o th e r w r ite r s , e ith e r under v ario u s pseudonyms, o r under h is own name. B air Rodriguez Monegal, N arradoree de e s ta America (Montevideo: E d ito ria l A lfa, n .d .) , pp. 82-83. ^Aa c ite d by Rodriguez Monegal, p. 83. 13 p o in t o u t; b u t th e v a ria tio n s which he employs in h is s to r ie s a re profoundly o rig in a l. Combination o f Fantasy and R eality For Borges, th is m ixture of th e r e a l and the fan t a s t i c , th e ju x ta p o s itio n o f extrem ely r e a l i s t i c scenes and d e ta ils w ith com pletely f a n ta s tic s itu a tio n s , is one o f the b asic elem ents o f h is technique, and i s o fte n m anifested through th e use o f the work w ith in a work. Borges has not been co n ten t sim ply to p lace th is an cien t technique w ith in a modem co n tex t; he has added some flo u ris h e s o f h is own. As Rodriguez Monegal p o in ts o u t, "en vez de testim o n ia r la re a lld a d de su cuento por l a p resen cia den tro de e l de l a mlsma obra de a r te , ha in troducido en sus re la to s mas in au d lto s la re a lld a d contemporanea d e l le c to r ." ^ One o f th e commonest methods (a v a ria tio n of th e sto ry w ith in a sto ry ) th a t Borges employs to involve h is re ad ers in h is s to r ie s is to use r e a l persons as minor c h a ra c te rs, o r in fo o tn o tes, a ttr ib u tin g to them apocryphal opinions in o rd er to lend a u th e n tic ity to an u tt e r ly in c re d ib le in cid en t o r ^M arradores. p. 83. 14 s e t o f circ u m stan c es. "La s o la menclon en un cuento de A lfonso Reyes, de C arlo s M astro n ard l, de Bloy rn s a re s , c a s l b a s ta r ia , segun e s te procedlm lento, p a ra co n flrm arlo s en [ la ] r e a lld a d ." 6 In "Funes e l memorloso,'? fo r example, he r e c a lls (th e s to ry Is a f ir s t- p e r s o n n a r r a tiv e ) th a t the f i r s t tim e he met Funes he was w ith h is co u sin , Bernardo Haedo, re tu rn in g from th e fam ily ranch a t San F ran c isc o , and makes use o f th e testim ony (apocryphal) o f Pedro Leandro Ipuche th a t "Funes e ra un p re c u rso r de lo s super-hom bres, 'u n Z ara- th r u s tr a cim arron y v e m a c u lo , . . . ' In o rd e r to make Funes, h im se lf, more b e lie v a b le . And I t Is n o t an easy m a tte r to b e lie v e In th e e x is te n c e o f a man whose memory Is t o t a l , a man who can r e c a l l th e In d iv id u a l h a ir s In th e mane o f a h o rse , o r each o f th e c a t t l e In a h erd , o r th e many fa c e s o f a dead man d u rin g an extended wake. As we a re a b le to p e rc e iv e a t a glan ce a b o t t l e o f wine and two g la ss e s on a ta b le , 6Tamayo and R ulz-D faz, p. 146. ^Jorge Luis Borges, F lcclo n es (2a e d .; Buenos A ires: Bnece, 1958), p. 118. A fte r th e I n i t i a l c it a t io n In each c a se, fu tu re re fe re n c e s to th e works o f Borges w i ll be documented w ith in th e te x t o f th e c h a p te r. 15 Funes, todos los v a s t ago 8 y ra c in o t y fru to s qua com- pranda una p a rra . Sabi* la s formas da la s nubas a u s tr a la s d a l amanacar d a l t r a l n t a da a b r l l da m il och o cian to s ochenta y dos y podia com pararlas an a l recuardo con la s v a ta s da un llb r o an p a s ta espaffola qua so lo h a b ia m lrado una vex y con la s lin e a s da l a aspuma qua un ramo 1evento an a l Rio Negro la v is p e ra da la acclon d a l Quebracho. Esos recuerdos no eran s ia p la s ; cada laagan v is u a l a sta b a lig a d a a sen se- clo n es m uscularas, ta r n ic a s , a te . Podia re c o n s tru lr todos lo s suenos, todos lo s e n tre su a n o s. Dos o tr a s vacas h ab ia ra c o n stru id o un d ia e n te ro ; no h ab ia du- dado nunca, paro cada ra c o n stru c e io n h ab ia req u erld o un d ia e n te ro . ("F unes," F ic c io n a s. p. 123) However d i f f i c u l t I t may be to a c c e p t th e r e a l i t y o f Funes, through B orges' technique he does become c re d ib le , and we a re a b le to adm it th e f a n ta s tic as r e a l. In "La o tr a m u erte," P a tric io Gannon supposedly w rite s th a t he is going to send Borges "una v e rsio n , acaso l a prlm era aspaHola, d e l poema The P a st, de Ralph Waldo Baer- a son, . . . " adding in a p o s ts c r ip t th a t don Pedro Damian (who i s to be th e s u b je c t o f th e s to ry ) has d ied o f a p u l monary co n g estio n . By p la c in g h is f ic t io n a l fig u re s w ith in h is own c i r c l e o f acq u ain tan ces, and u sin g th e apocryphal testim ony o f an o th er r e a l person, he p laces the f i c t i t i o u s c h a ra c te r among th e liv in g as f a r as th e re a d e r is con cerned. o Jorge Luis Borges, El Alenh (2a ad. aum .; Buenos A ires: Bneca, 1961), p . 71. 16 L a te r in th e same s to ry , Borges t e l l s us th a t he has o btained a l e t t e r o f in tro d u c tio n from B air Rodriguez Monegal fo r Colonel D io n isio Tabares (a f i c t io n a l person age in th e s to r y ) . By employing Gannon and Rodriguez Monegal, Borges makes us accep t Damian as r e a l; and once the f i c t i o n a l p ro ta g o n ist i s accepted as a r e a l person, i t is an easy n ex t s te p to accep t th e f a n ta s tic events Which are c e n tr a l to th e s to ry . When Borges goes to speak to Tabares to g a th e r in fo rm atio n fo r a s to ry suggested to him by Damian*8 re c o lle c tio n s o f th e B a ttle o f M asoller, he is to ld th a t Damian had l o s t h is courage d u rin g th e b a t t l e and had run away. That w in te r, s t i l l lack in g one o r two d e ta ils fo r h is s to ry , Borges re tu rn s to ta lk once again w ith th e o ld c o lo n e l. When he a r r iv e s , he fin d s Tabares w ith an o th er e ld e rly gentlem an, Dr. Juan F rancisco Amaro, who had a ls o been p re se n t a t M asoller. The co n v ersatio n tu rn s e a s ily to the b a t t l e , and Amaro r e c a l l s , as though th in k in g a lo u d : —Hlclmos noche en S anta Iren e, me acuerdo, y se nos incorporo alguna g en te. B atre e llo s un v e te r i- n a rio fran co s qua murio la v fsp e ra de l a accio n , y un mozo e sq u lla d o r, de E ntre Rios, un t a l Pedro Damian. Lo interrum p£ con a c ritu d . —Ya se - - l e d i j e - - . El arg e n tin o qua flaqueo a n te la s b a la s . 17 Me d etuve; lo s dos me m ireban per p ie j o t . —Usced se equlvoca, se&or —d ijo , a l f in , Amaro— . Pedro Damian m urlo como q u e rrfa m orlr c u a lq u ia r hombre. S erfan la s c u a tro de la ta rd e . En l a cumbre de l a c u c h illa se habfa hecho f u e r te l a in f a n te r f a c o lo ra d a; lo s n u e stro s l a carg aro n , a lanxa; Damian ib a en la punta, g rita n d o , y una b a la lo a c e rto en pleno pecho. Se paro en lo s e s tr ib o s , co n d u y o e l g r lt o y rod£ por t l e r r a y quedo e n tre la s p atas de lo s c a b a llo s . ("O tra m u e rte ," El Alenh. p. 75) Borges is asto n ish ed a t th i s new v e rsio n o f th e events a t M aso ller, b u t i s even more so when th e o ld c o lo n e l adds, 8In c e re ly p erp lex ed , " —Yo comande esas tro p a s, y ju r a r f a que es l a prlm era vex que olgo h a b la r de un Damian" ("O tra m u erte," El Alenh. p. 75). In Buenos A ire s, th e a s to n is h ment produced by th e fo rg e tfu ln e s s o f Tabares i s compounded when he encounters P a tr ic io Gannon in a bo o k sto re and asks him about h is tr a n s la tio n o f The P a s t. Gannon r e p lie s th a t he has no in te n tio n o f tr a n s la tin g i t , sin c e Spanish l i t e r a t u r e is ted io u s enough w ith o u t th e a d d itio n o f Bner- 8on. Borges reminds him th a t he had prom ised th e tr a n s l a tio n in th e same l e t t e r th a t r e la te d th e news o f Pedro Damian's d e a th ; b u t Gannon does n o t know anyone o f th a t name. F in a lly , in A p ril, Borges re c e iv e s a l e t t e r from Tabares who now remeofcers Damian (th e h ero ) very w e ll. By now com pletely confused, Borges can only c o n je c tu re about 1 8 Che r e a lit y o f th e s itu a tio n : "La mas f a c i l, pero tasnbien la menos s a tis f a c to r ia , p o stu la dos Dsmianes: e l cobarde que murio en E ntre Rios h acia 1946, e l v a lle n te , qua murio en M asoller en 1904" ("O tra m uerte," El Alenh. p. 76). But th is co n jectu re is unacceptable, because i t does not ex p la in th e curious lapses in memory o f Tabares and Gannon. Employing a v a ria tio n in h is technique o f giving as evidence o f r e a lity th e apocryphal testim ony o f r e a l p e r sons, Borges p resen ts the so lu tio n to th e rid d le (apocry phal) p o stu lated by U lrike von Kiihlmann (an imaginary c r i t i c ) : ^ Mas c u rio sa es la co n je tu ra so b ren atu ral que ideo U lrike von Kiihlmann. Pedro Damian, dec (a U lrik e, porecio en la b a ta lla , y en la hora de su m uerte su- p llco a Dios qua lo h ic ie ra volver a E ntre Rios. Dios v a c ilo un segundo an tes de o to rg ar esa g ra c la , y quien la habia pedido ya estab a m uerto, y qlgunos hombres lo hablan v is to c a e r. Dios, que no puede cambiar e l pasado, pero s i la s lmagenes d e l pasado, q E a rlie r in the same c o lle c tio n , he has fu rth e r b lu rre d the fin e lin e between r e a lity and fan tasy by d ed i c a tin g "H isto ria d e l guerrero y de la cau tiv a" to th is earn U lrike von Kiihlmann. In so doing, von Kiihlmann has been imbued w ith r e a lity so simply and so m a tte r-o f-fa c tly , th a t when he is encountered in the l a te r sto ry giving h is opinion about a f ic tio n a l c h a ra c te r, the re ad er accepts w ith l i t t l e d if f ic u lty not only the r e a l i t y o f Dssiian, but a lso , by extension, th a t o f th e fa n ta s tic events s u r rounding him. 19 cambio la lmagen da la m uarta an l a de un d e s f a lle c i- m iento, y la sombra d a l a n tra rrla n o v o lv io a au t l a r r a . ("O tra m u erte," El Alaph. pp. 76-77) Evan though Borgas co n sid ers th is hypothasis to be in c o rre c t, i t n e v e rth e le ss in d ic a te s to him what ha con s id e rs to be th e c o rre c t one. discovered "da un modo c a s i magico . . . " ("O tra m u arta." El Alanh. p. 77). as ha was reading f^wUP° te n tia by th e elev en th -cen tu ry I ta lia n e c c le s ia s tic . P ie r Dasiiani. who m ain tain s, according to Borges, th a t God has th e a b i l i ty to change events alread y p a s t. Borges fe e ls th a t Damian r e a lly was a coward a t M asoller. then d ed icated th e rem aining y ears o f h is l i f e to overcoming th e shame o f th a t moment o f weakness, th in k ing always th a t i f d e stin y were to b rin g him an other b a t t l e , he would know how to behave as a man. F in a lly , a t th e moment o f h is d eath , d e s tin y d id b rin g Pedro Damian h is second chance. In h is d eath agony, in h is d eliriu m , Damian re liv e d the b a t t l e a t M asoller, and conducted him self h e ro ic a lly , leading th e f in a l charge and dying w ith a b u lle t in h is c h e st. This is a lo g ic a l ex p lan atio n , but s t i l l i t does n o t s a tis f y Borges, fo r i t i s n o t c o n s is te n t w ith th e r e s t o f th e events in th e s to ry . There must be some o th e r ex p lan atio n , some o th e r reason fo r th is 20 d is to r tio n o f r e a l i t y because . . . nada se d ic e de l a in trin c a d a co n c aten atio n de causas y e fe c to s , qua es ta n v a s ta y ta n £ntim a que acaso no cabr£a a n u la r un so lo hecho rem oto, por in s ig n if ic a n t e que fu e ra , s in ln v a lid a r e l p re se n te . M odlficar e l pas ado no as m o d lficar un so lo hecho; es an u lar sus consecuencias, que tlen d en a s e r i n f i n i te s . Dicho sea con o tra s p a la b ra s; es c r e a r dos h is to r ie s u n lv e rs a le s . En l a prim era (digam os), Pedro Damian murio en E ntre Rfos, en 1946; en l a segunda, en Maso l l e r , en 1904. E sta es la que vivlm os ahora, pero l a supresion de a q u e lla no fu e immediate y produjo la s incoherencias qua he re fe rid o . En e l co ro n al D lonisio Tabares se cum plieron la s d lv e rsa s e ta p a s: a l p r in c i- plo recordo que Damian obro como un cobarde; luego, lo o lv id o to talm en te; luego, recordo su im petuosa m uerte. ("O tra m u erte," El Aleoh. pp. 78-79) In "TIOn, Uqbar, Orbis T e rtiu s ," th e d e s c rip tio n o f a world invented by a group o f s c h o la rs —an im aginary world possessin g i t s own languages, l i t e r a t u r e s , sc ie n c e s, r e l i gio n s, and even m etals--w hich u ltim a te ly is s u b s titu te d fo r our own p la n e t, Borges, who appears as a c h a ra c te r in th e s to ry , a ls o makes g re a t use o f apocryphal comment by both r e a l and im aginary persons as a device fo r making th e fa n ta sy of h is sto ry r e a l i s t i c . To e s ta b lis h im m ediately th e a u th e n tic ity o f an a r t i c l e in a c e r ta in encyclopedia, Borges has h is frie n d Adolfo Bioy C ssares c i t e a passage from i t : " . . . uno de lo s h e re s ia rc a s de Uqbar hab£a dec la - rado que lo s espejos y la copula son abom inables, porque 21 m u ltlp llcan e l numero de los hombres" ("T lttn," Flcclones p. 13). Asking the source o f so memorable a quo tatio n , Borges Is to ld th a t I t comes from the Anglo-American Cyclopaedia in i t s a r t i c l e on Uqbar. Since the v i l la , which Borges had rented furnished, contains a copy o f th e encyclopedia, they decide to look up th e a r ti c l e to obtain the exact quote. But the a r ti c l e is not th e re . Before leaving, Bloy informs h is frie n d th a t Uqbar is a region e ith e r in Iraq o r Asia Minor. Borges acknowledges the statem ent a l i t t l e un e a s ily , supposing th a t Bioy had d e lib e ra te ly invented the undocumented country and i t s anonymous h ereslarch to sub s ta n tia te a p h rase.10 The next day, Bloy telephones from Buenos A ires w ith the in te re s tin g news th a t he has in fro n t o f him the a r t i c l e on Uqbar, in volume XLVI of the encyclopedia. When, a few days la te r , the two men compare the volumes, B loy's copy has 921 pages in stead o f 917. The e x tra four pages contain the a r t i c l e on Uqbar. There is even a 10Here, of course, Borges is making an iro n ic a l a ll u sion to h is own p ra c tic e of using apocryphal evidence to support one o r another o f h is in c re d ib le Inventions. 22 b ib lio g ra p h y which l i s t s fo u r sources o f in fo rm atio n , a l l apocryphal, on th e re g io n o f Uqbar; in o rd e r to s u b s ta n ti a te t h e i r e x iste n c e , Borges p o in ts o u t th a t they appear in v a rio u s b ib lio g ra p h ic a l c a ta lo g s , and th a t he has seen one o f them m entioned in th e th ir te e n th volume o f De Q ulncey's writings- A fte r read in g th e a r t i c l e c a r e f u lly , and d isc o v e rin g som ething o f th e c h a ra c te r o f th e im aginary land o f Uqbar, th e two v i s i t th e N atio n al L ib rary and u n dertake a f r u i t le s s search through a tla s e s , c a ta lo g s , and yearbooks o f g eo g rap h ical s o c ie tie s . A pparently, no one has ev er been in Uqbar. The fo llo w in g day, C arlos M astro n ard i, to whom Borges has r e la te d th e e n tir e in c id e n t, d isc o v e rs a copy o f th e encyclopedia in a bookshop. Looking up volume XLVI, he fin d s no m ention in it. o f Uqbar. Many months l a t e r , in th e b a r o f th e h o te l a t Androgue, Borges makes a rem arkable d isc o v e ry . An old acqu ain tan ce o f h is f a th e r , an E nglish en g in eer named H erbert Ashe (an apocryphal f ig u r e ) , had l e f t a package th e re , and then had d ied b e fo re being a b le to re c la im i t . Borges r e c a l l s : Era un lib ro en octavo mayor. Me puse a h o je a rlo y sen t£ un v e rtig o asombrado y lig e ro que no d e s c r ib ir e , 23 porque e s ta no es la h is to r ia de mis emoclones sln o de Uqbar y ^Tlfln y OrbIs T e rtlu s . El llb ro estab a redactado en in g les y lo lntegraban 1001 p£ginas. En e l am arlllo lomo de cuero l e i e s ta s cu rlo ses palab ras qua la f a ls a c a ra tu la re p e tia : A F i r s t Encyclopaedia o f Tl«n. Yol. XI. H laer to Jan ar. No h abia in d icaclo n de fecha n i de lu g a r. En la prlm era pagina y en una h o ja de papel de seda que cu b ria una de la s lam inas en co lo res habia es- tampado un ovalo azul con e s ta ln sc rip c lo n : Orbia T ar- t i u s . Hacia dos anos que yo habia d escu b ierto en un tomo de c ie r ta enciclopedia p ir a tic a una somera d escrip cio n de un fa ls o p a is; ahora me deparaba e l az ar algo mas p re d o so y mas azduo. Ahora te n ia en la s manos un v asto fragmento metodlco de l a h is to r ia to ta l de un p lan eta deaconocido, con sus a ra u lte c tu ra s y sus b ara ja s , con e l pavor de sus m ltologias y e l rumor de sus lenguas, con sus emperadores y sus mares, con sus m inerales y sus pajaros y sus peces, con su alg eb ra y su fuego, con su c on tro v e r s ia teo lo g ica y. m e ta flslc a . Todo e llo a r tic u - lado, coherente, sin v is ib le proposito d o c trin a l o tono parodico. En e l "onceno tomo" de que hablo hay alu slo n es a tomos u lte r lo r e s y precedentes. ("T ld n ," F iccionea. pp. 18-19) Because he intends la t e r to p resen t h is Imaginary p lan et as r e a l, Borges i s content fo r now w ith having us accept the mere p o s s ib ility o f i t s ex isten ce . To th is end, he again employs the device o f p resen tin g apocryphal t e s t i mony by re a l people which r e la te s to h is f a n ta s tic o r un re a l hypothesis, in th is case the ex isten ce o f an encyclo pedia belonging to an im aginary p la n e t. For example, Nestor Ib a rra w rites an a r t i c l e in a learned jo u rn a l deny ing the ex isten ce o f the c o ro lla ry volumes o f the ency clopedia; b u t Ezequlel M artfnez E strada and Drieu La 24 R ochelle w rite s t i l l o th e r a r t i c l e s to re £ u te I b a r r a 's d o u b ts• * Having e s ta b lis h e d fo r us th e p o s s i b i li ty , o r even th e p ro b a b ility , o f h is p la n e t's e x iste n c e , Borges now b egins to essay doubts o f h is own; he and h is frie n d s b eg in to c o n je c tu re th a t " e s te brave new w orld es obra de una socledad s e c r e ta de astronom os, de b io lo g o s, de In g e n le ro s, de m e ta fls lc o s , de p o e ta s, de qu£mlcos, de a lg e b r ls ta s , de m o ra lIs ta s , de p in to re s , de g eo n e tras . . . d lrlg ld o s por un oscuro hoobre de genlo" (" T ld n ," F le e to n e s, p. 1 9 ). But p ara lxapregnar a la re a lld a d , Borges a c la r a que e l nundo de Tlfln se m odlflco; sus cread o res atenuaron l a f a n ta s ia de algunos d e s a rro llo s p ara que no d lsc re p a ra n e x c eslv a- n en te d e l mundo que p re te n d fan s u p la n ta r. Por eso in te - re s a co n slg n ar que s i b le n l a re a lld a d se p lle g a a la s Invenclones de l a in te llg e n c la , de l a l i t e r a t u r e , e s ta procede p ara f a c l l l t a r su ta r e a In v aso ra aceptando tin c le r to mimetlsmo, una tenue co p la de l a re a lld a d inmo- d l f i c a b l e .11 The r e s t o f th is s e c tio n o f th e s to ry Is concerned w ith a d e ta ile d d e s c rip tio n o f th e m ajor a s p e c ts o f Tlttn which a re s e t f o r th In th e E leventh Volume. In a p o s ts c r ip t to th e s to ry d ated 1947, Borges d e c la re s th a t he Is reproducing " e l a r tf c u lo a n te r io r t a l 1 Tamayo and Rnlz-D£az, p. 144. « como aparecio en l a A ntoloafa de la l i te r a t u r e fa n ta a tic a . 12 # 1940, s in o tr a e sc isio n que algunas m etaforas y que una esp ecie de resumen burIon que ahora r e s u lta frfv o lo " ("T18n," F lee to n e s. p. 2 9 ). Here he gives th e so lu tio n to th e m ystery o f T18n. The p la n e t was, Indeed, th e Invention o f the members o f a s e c re t s o c ie ty , who, in th e e a rly seventeenth century, jo in ed fo rc es to Invent a country. R ealizing th a t a s in g le g en e ratio n would n o t be s u f f ic ie n t to d efin e a country, they made a re so lu tio n th a t each o f th e m aster-sch o lars was to e le c t a d is c ip le to c a rry on th e work. A fter a lap se o f two c e n tu rie s , th e s o c ie ty r e appeared In th e U nited S ta te s . In a co n v ersatio n w ith Ezra Buckley, an e c c e n tric American m illio n a ire , one o f th e members o f th e so c ie ty had o u tlin e d th e p lan . L iste n ing d is d a in fu lly as th e o th e r man ta lk e d , Buckley f in a lly b u rs t out laughing, d e c la rin g th a t in America i t would be rid ic u lo u s to invent a mere co u n try . He proposed the 12 This i s a "fu tu re p o s ts c r ip t," sin ce th e e n tir e sto ry , Including th e so -c a lle d "p o s tsc rip t,* ' appears in ta c t in the A ntoloafa. I t i s an other v a r ia tio n o f th e device p re se n tly under d isc u ssio n ; th is tim e, Borges h im self i s th e w itness who makes c re d ib le th e f a n ta s tic t a l e . See Jorge Luis Borges, Adolfo Bloy C asares, and S llv ln a Ocampo, A pt9l9g(f l i t i F i W f t ftm W tiS A (Buenos A ires: E d ito ria l Sudamericana, 1940), pp. 71-88. 26 in v en t ion o f a com plete p la n e t, vowing to back th e p ro je c t w ith h is e n tir e fo rtu n e . Since th e Encyclopaedia B rita n - n ic e was then in c ir c u la tio n , i t was n a tu ra l to w rite a sy stem atic encyclopedia o f th e im aginary p la n e t. I t was decided to keep the enormous u n d ertak in g a s e c r e t. But in 1942 (according to th e " p o s ts c r ip t" ) , th e fa n t a s t i c begins to impose i t s e l f upon r e a l i t y : La p rin c e ss de Faucigny Lucinge h ab ia re c ib id o de Poi t i e r s su v a j i l l a de p la ta . Del v a sto fondo de un cajo n ' ru b ricad o de s e llo s in te m a c io n a le s ib an sa lie n d o fin a s cosas inm oviles. . . . E htre e l l a s —con un p e rc e p tib le y tenue tem blor de p a ja ro dormido— l a t i a m is te rlo s a - mente una b ru ju la . La p rin c e sa no l a reco n o clo . La aguja a z u l anhelaba e l n o rte m agnetico; l a c a ja de m etal e ra concave; la s l e t r a s de la e s fe ra co rrespondian a uno de lo s a lfa b e to s de Tltin. T al fue la p rla e ra i n t r u sio n d e l mundo fa n ta s tic o en e l mundo r e a l . ("T lttn ," F lccio n es, p. 31) Some months l a t e r , Borges i s re tu rn in g w ith Ehrique Amorim from Sant'A nna, when they a re forced to rem ain o v er n ig h t in a country g en eral s to r e . They a re kept awake u n t i l dawn by the drunken sin g in g o f a gaucho who i s found dead th e n ex t m orning. From h is b e l t have s p ille d . . . unas cuantas monedas y un cono de m etal re lu c ie n te , d e l diam etro de un dado. En vano un chico t r a t o de reco g er ese cono. Un hombre apenas a c e rto a le v a n ta rlo . Yo lo tuve en la mano algunos m inutos; recuerdo que su peso e ra in to le r a b le . . . . Esa ev id en c ia de un o b jeto muy chico y a la vez pesadisim o d ejab a una im presion desagradable de asco y de miedo. Esos conos pequefios 27 y muy pesados (hechos de un m etal que no es de e s te mundo) son imagen de l a d lv in ld a d , en c l e r ta s r e l i - glones de Tltfn. ("T lfln," F lc c lo n e s. p . 32) Through th e s u b tle In te rv e n tio n o f r e a l persons in h is f ic t i o n s , as in v ,Funes e l memorioso" and "La o tr a m u erte," Borges has prepared th e re a d e r to a c c e p t th e u ltim a te com pounding o f fa n ta sy and r e a l i t y when e l c o n ta c to y e l h a b ito de Tlttn han d e sln te g ra d o e s te mundo. Ya ha penetrado en la s e sc u e la s e l (c o n je tu ra l) "idiom s p rlm ltiv o " de Tlbn; ya l a enseilanza de su h i s t o r i a arm onlosa . . . ha o b lite ra d o a l a que p re s id io ml nifiez; ya en la s memories un pasado f i c t i c i o ocupa e l s i t i o de o tro , d e l que nada sabemos con certidum bre —n i s lq u ie ra que es f a ls o . Una d is p e rs a d ln a st£ a de s o l i ta r l o s ha cambiado l a fa z d e l mundo. ("T lfln," P- 34) In an o th er v a r ia tio n o f th i s w ork-w ithin-a-w ork te c h n iq u e, Borges i s somewhat more c o n v e n tio n al. In " P ie rre Menard, a u to r d e l Q u ilo te" and "Bxaroen de l a obra de H erbert Q ualn," in ste a d o f p re se n tin g th e n a r r a tiv e as a work o f f ic tio n , Borges c r e a te s a pseudo-essay, com plete w ith apocryphal fo o tn o te s, in which he p reten d s to comment upon th e work o f an o th er a u th o r. In " P ie rre Menard, a u to r d e l Q u ilo te ." fo r example, th e au th o r in q u e stio n , a French sy m b o list p o et, d ecid es to w rite Don Q u ilo te : he does n o t mean to copy C erv a n te s' n o v el, b u t to w rite i t , w ith o u t re fe re n c e to th e o r ig in a l. 28 C oncluding th a t "conocer b ie n e l espaifol, re c u p e ra r l a £e c a to lic a , g u e rre a r c o n tra lo s moros o c o n tra e l tu rc o , o lv id a r l a h i s t o r i a de Europe e n tre lo s aSos de 1602 y 1918, s e r M iguel de C ervantes" ("M enard," F lc c io n e s. p. 50), would be to o easy, he d ecid es t h a t i t would be more c h a lle n g in g and more in te r e s tin g to rem ain P ie rre Menard and c r e a t e th e Q u ilo te through th e ex p erien ces o f P ie rre Menard. As th e poet p o in ts o u t, "componer e l Q u ilo te a p rin c ip io s d e l s ig lo d i e c i s i e t e e ra una empresa razo n ab le, n e c e s a ria , acaso f a t a l ; a p rin c ip io s d e l v e in te , es c a s i im posible" ("M enard," F ic c io n e s. p. 5 2 ). C le a rly , to u n d ertak e a l i t e r a l d u p lic a tio n o f a work as r ic h and com plicated as th e Q u iio te —o r o f any work, fo r th a t m a tte r—w ith o u t re fe re n c e to th e o r ig in a l, i s n o t som ething th a t is done every day. I f i t i s n o t an Impos s ib le ta s k , i t is a t l e a s t n o t a v ery l ik e ly one. But th e m agical r e a l i s t does n o t re q u ire t h a t an event be p ro b ab le; only th a t i t n o t be im p o ssib le. Borges p re se n ts M enard's fragm entary Q u ilo te (he com pleted only th e n in th and th ir ty - e ig h th c h a p te rs , and a p a r t o f th e tw enty-second c h a p te r, o f P a rt I) as a r e a l i t y , and in o rd e r to have th e re a d e r accep t i t as such, he employs n o t only th e supposed 29 testim ony o f b oth r e e l and im aginary persons, b u t a lso gives a com plete, d e ta ile d b ib lio g rap h y o f M enard's works, a b ib lio g rap h y which c o n s titu te s a diagram o f h is m ental h is to ry . "Examen de l a obra de H erbert Q uain," lik e " P ie rre Menard, a u to r d e l Q u ljo te ," i s a pseudo-essay w ith f i c t i tio u s fo o tn o tes and b ib lio g ra p h ic a l re fe re n c e s . Here, Borges comments upon th e work o f an im aginary au th o r, uses th e commentary o f r e a l c r i t i c s to Im part r e a l i t y to h is in v en tio n , then proceeds to e ra se th e boundary between fa n ta sy and r e a l i t y by p o in tin g out th a t he, h im self, has been in flu en ced by one o f Q uain's s to r ie s : "Del te rc e ro , The ro se o f y esterd ay , yo comet£ l a lngenuidad de e x tra e r Las ru in a s c ir c u la r e s . que es una de la s n arracio n es d e l lib ro El 1ard£n de senderos que se b ifu rc a n ." By in tr o ducing in to th e se s to r ie s an ir r e f u ta b le b i t o f tru th , Borges makes th e most o u tla n d ish fa n ta sy c a rry th e rin g 13 F iccio n es. p. 83. I t i s in te r e s tin g to n o te th a t "Examen de la obra de H erbert Quain" is a ls o one o f th e s to r ie s in El 1ard£n de senderos que se b ifu rc a n . which com prises th e f i r s t p a r t o f F ic c io n e s. A lso, lik e S ta te ments in which Q uain's "The Rose o f Y esterday" appears, El Ja rd fn co n tain s e ig h t s to r ie s . Obviously, Borges equates h im self w ith Quain. 30 of r e a lity . As Ana Marla Barrenechea poin ts out "[Borges] ha in s i8 tid o en que [lo s cuentos fa n ta s tic o s ] n ec eslta n * 14 algun d e ta lle concreto que le s p re ste re a lid a d ." B arrenechea'8 statem ent suggests another device com monly employed by Borges to combine fan tasy and r e a lity : the in tro d u c tio n o f a la rg e number o f every-day d e ta ils in to h is fic tio n s , thereby making more c re d ib le th e fa n t a s t i c s itu a tio n s presented in them. To attem pt to catalo g a l l the examples o f th is technique would be q u ite u se le ss, since they are b a s ic a lly th e same throughout B orges' work, but a few ty p ic a l examples w ill be used in o rd er to i l l u s tr a te the manner in which th e author ap p lies th is te c h nique. In "Tlfln, Uqbar, Orbis T e rtiu s ," when Borges in tr o duces H erbert Ashe, the owner o f the famous Eleventh Volume, he p resen ts an ex trao rd in ary number o f ro u tin e d e ta ils about the man and h is a c ti v i t ie s : Cada tan to s anos ib a a In g la te rra : a v i s i t a r (juzgo por unas fo to g ra fla s que nos m ostro) un re lo j de so l y unos ro b le s. Ml padre hab£a estrechado con e l (e l verbo es excesivo) una de esas am istades in g lesas que empiezan por e x c lu lr la confidencia y muy pronto omiten e l 14 * La expresion. p. 126. 31 dialogo. Solfan e je rc e r un intercam bio de llb ro s y de perlo d ico s; sol£an b a tlr s e a l ajed rez, tacitum am ente. . . . Lo recuerdo en e l corredor d e l h o te l, con un llb ro de matematleas en la mano, mlrando a veces lo s colores irrecu p erab les d e l c le lo . Una ta rd e , hablamos d e l slstesia duodecimal de numeraclon (en e l cual doce se esc rib e 10). Ashe d ljo que preclsam ente estaba tr a s - ladando no se que ta b le s duodeclmales a sexages lmales (en la s que sesen ta se esc rib e 10). Agrego que ese tra b a jo le habfa sldo encargado por un noruego: en r£o G rande do Sul. En se tle n b re de 1937 . . . H erbert Ashe murlo de la ro tu ra de un aneurlsm a. ("T ldn," F icciones. pp. 17-18) This passage does n o t serve th e usual purpose o f a d e sc rip tio n of a f ic tio n a l c h a ra c te r. In the ordinary novel or sto ry , Ashe's ro le would be considered too minor to deserve so much space, so much d e ta ile d a tte n tio n . But th is Is no ordinary sto ry , and Ashe Is no ordinary c h a ra c te r. He must be b eliev ab le, so th a t th e u ltim ate fan tasy , th e In tru sio n of T10n upon th e r e a l world, w ill a lso be b eliev ab le. Very sim ila r is the case of "Funes e l memorloso." In order fo r the f a n ta s tic events o f the sto ry to be accepted as re a l, Ireneo Funes must f i r s t be portrayed as a re a l fig u re . The apocryphal testim ony o f genuine c r i t i c s is alone in s u ffic ie n t to accomplish th is end; so Borges em ploys ordinary d e ta ils , Imposed upon th e fa n ta s tic back ground of the sto ry , to make Funes as r e a l as one o f our own neighbors. He describes the l e t t e r Ireneo has w ritte n 32 re q u e stin g some L a tin books: "La l e t r a e ra p e rfe c ts , muy p e r f ila d a ; l a o rto g ra f£ a , d e l tip o que Andres B ello p re - conizo: i por £ , i por g" ("F unes," F ic c io n e s. p . 120). And l a t e r he r e la te s th a t he suddenly h ea rs . . . l a a l t a y b u r Iona voz de Ire n e o . Esa voz hablaba en la t£ n ; e s a voz . . . a r tlc u la b a con moroso d e l e i t e un d isc u rso o p le g a ria o in c a ta c lo n . Resonaron la s s £ la - bas romanas en e l p a tio de t i e r r a ; mi temor la s c re £ a in d e 8 c i£ ra b le s, ln te n s in a b le s ; despues, en e l enorme d ialo g o de esa noche, supe que £ormaban e l prim er p a rra fo d e l vigesim ocuarto ca p £ tu lo de l a N atural i s h i a t o r l a . La m a te ria de ese ca p £ tu lo e s l a memoria; la s p a la b ra s u ltim a s £ueron u t n i h i l non ttsdem v e rb is re d d e re tu r a u d itu a . ("F unes," F ta c lo n sg > P- 121) The d e t a i ls o£ th is l a t t e r passage, b e sid e s lending a n o te o£ r e a l i t y to Funes, h im se lf, a ls o p re fig u re s th e f a n ta s tic co n clu sio n o f th e s to ry : th e p ro d ig io u s f e a ts o f memory perform ed by Ireneo Funes. In "Examen de l a obra de H erbert Q uain," and " P ie rre Menard, a u to r d e l Q u ilo te ." t h i s dev ice i s a ls o used to advantage in th e m inute d e s c rip tio n o f th e co n te n ts o f Quain*s works, and in th e d e ta ile d l i s t o f M enard's l i t e r ary e f f o r t s . In "La b ib lio te c a de B ab el," in which an i n f i n i t e lib r a r y l i t e r a l l y re p re s e n ts th e u n iv erse , th e number o f d e t a i l s is a s to n is h in g : . El u n iv erso (que o tro s Hainan la B ib lio te c a ) se compone de un nunero in d e fin ld o , y t a l vez in f i n i to , de g a le r£ a s hexagonales, con v a s to s pozos de v e n tila c lo n en e l medio, 33 cercados por barandas baj£sim as. Desde c u a lq u le r hexa- gono, se yen lo s p iso s in fe rlo re s y su p e rlo re s: In ter* minablemente. La d is trib u c io n de la s galer£ as es In v a ria b le . V elnte anaqueles, a clnco larg o s anaqueles por lado, cubren todos lo s lados menos dos; su a ltu r a que es la de lo s p iso s, excede apenas la de un b lb llo - te c a rlo norm al. Una de la s ca ras llb r e s da a un angosto zaguan, que desemboca en o tra g aler£ a, ld e n tlc a a la prlm era y a to d as. A Izq u lerd a y a derecha d e l zaguan hay dos g ab ln etes m ln£sculos. Uno perm lte dorm lr de p ie ; o tro , s a tls f a c e r la s necesldades £ ecales. A cada uno de lo s muros de cada hexagono correspon- den clnco anaqueles; cada anaquel e n c le rra t r e ln t a y dos llb ro s de form ato uniform e; cada lib r o es de c u a tro - c le n ta s d lez paglnas; cada p£gina, de cu aren ta renglones, cada renglon, de tanas ochenta le tr a s de c o lo r negro. (" B ib lio te c a ," F iccio n es. pp. 85-86) Along w ith a l l th is d e t a i l , which gives th e passage and the sto ry an a i r o f r e a l it y , Borges immediately juxtaposes a c e rta in u n re a lity : "Tambien hay le tr a s en e l dorso de cada lib ro ; esas le tr a s no lndican o p refig u ran lo que d lra n la s paglnas" (" B ib lio te c a ," F iccio n es. p. 86). Obviously, th is u n c e rta in ty tends to cause the realm o f fa n ta sy to In tru d e upon th a t o f r e a l i t y . Transform ation o f the Real in to th e U nreal In h is a p p lic a tio n o f th is second m ajor c h a r a c te r is tic o f m agical re a lism , Borges u t i li z e s v ario u s techniques, some of which he does n o t s e t fo rth In th e le c tu re c ite d above by Rodr£guez Monegal. One device which he does 34 m ention, however, i s th e contam ination o f r e a l i t y by a dream in o rd e r to tran sfo rm th a t r e a l i t y in to fa n ta sy . T his tech n iq u e i s a s o ld as l i t e r a t u r e , b u t B orges' a p p li c a tio n o f i t , and th e r e s u l t s he ac h ie v es, a re ag a in q u ite o r ig in a l. Even when th e dream d ev ice i s p re se n t, i t i s n o t always re a d ily ap p a ren t; th e re a d e r may b e lie v e th a t he i s ob serv in g sim ple r e a l i t y , b u t in th e end th a t r e a l i t y undergoes a m etam orphosis, becoming fa n ta sy o r u n r e a lity . In "El s u r ," f o r example, Borges p re se n ts a s e r ie s o f o rd in a ry e v e n ts, m inutely d e ta ile d , in th e l i f e o f Juan Dahlmann, an extrem ely o rd in a ry man, a c le r k in a m unicipal lib r a r y o f Buenos A ire s. But th en an e x tra o rd in a ry event unexpectedly o c c u rs. H urrying home to examine a newly- acq u ired copy o f The Thousand and On* M ighta. he brushes h is head a g a in s t an open door in th e darkened h a ll, and c o n tra c ts sep ticem ia as th e r e s u l t o f th e a c c id e n t. A fte r a week a t home in bed, Dahlmann has shown so l i t t l e Improvement th a t h is d o c to r d ecid es to have him taken to th e h o s p ita l fo r f u r th e r tre a tm e n t; when he a r riv e s they u n dress him, shave h is head, bind him to a s tr e tc h e r , and s tic k a n eed le in to h is arm. He awakens in a stra n g e room, bandaged, w ith an odd fe e lin g o f n o t being 35 h im se lf. Some tim e l e t e r he Is allow ed to leav e th e h o s p i t a l and go to h is ranch in th e south to convalesce. Throughout h is l i f e he has longed to re tu r n to th e home o f h is childhood, and i s g r a te f u l fo r th is o p p o rtu n ity , d e s p ite th e se rio u s i lln e s s which has brought i t about. As th e t r a i n n e a rs h is d e s tin a tio n , Dahlmann is to ld th a t i t w ill n o t sto p a t h is s ta tio n , and th a t he must disem bark a t an e a r l i e r one. No e x p la n a tio n i s given fo r th is d e p a rtu re from u su a l procedure, b u t Dahlmann accep ts i t w ithout q u e stio n . N oticing a country g e n e ra l s to re nearby, he decides to h ir e someone to tak e him to h is ranch, and to have supper b efo re co n tin u in g h is journey. As he i s fin is h in g h is meal, he i s in s u lte d by a group o f toughs, and challen g ed to a k n ife f ig h t by one o f them. When th e sto rek e ep er p ro te s ts th a t Dahlmann has no k n ife , an old gaucho, pho has been sq u a ttin g in a c o m e r observing the scene, throws a facon a t h is f e e t:. Era como s i e l Sur h u b iera re s u e lto que Dahlmann acep- ta r a e l d u elo . Dahlmann se in c lln o a reco g er l a daga y s i n tio dos co sas. La prim ers, que ese a c to c a s i in s tin tiv o lo comprom etfa a p e le a r. La segunda, que e l arms, en su mano to rp e , no s e rv la para d efen d erlo , sin o p ara j u s t l f i c a r que lo m ataran. No hubieran n e ry itld o Qfl« n asaran e s ta s co sas. penso. S aliero n , y s i en Dahlmann no h ab ia esperanza, tam- poco habia tem or. S in tio , a l a tra v e s a r e l u e b ra l, que m o rir en una p elea a c u c h illo , a c ie lo a b le rto y 36 acom etlendo, h u b iera sid o una lib e ra c io n para e l, una £ e llc ld a d y una f i e s t a , en la prlm era noche d e l sana- to r lo , cuando le clav aro n l a ag u ja. S in tio que a l e l, entonces, h u b iera podldo e le g lr o sonar su m uerte, e s ta es l a m uerte que h u b iera eleg id o o sonado. (" S u r," F iccio n es, p. 195) While th is seems to be a r e a l i s t i c d e sc rip tio n o f ev en ts, th e re a re se v e ra l in d ic a tio n s th a t everything which tak es p lace a f te r th e in je c tio n o f th e se d a tiv e i s a dream, a h a llu c in a tio n which Dahlmann has " ju s t b efo re he d ie s o f septicem ia, a d esp e ra te w ish to d ie in a more honorable w ay."1^ F ir s t, th e re is th e needle i t s e l f , a probable p re fig u ra tio n o f th e dagger in th e f i n a l scene. Second, th e re is th e p a r a lle l w ith th e hackney coach which b rin g s Dahlmann to th e h o s p ita l and which a ls o takes him to the * ra ilro a d s ta tio n . T hird, th e re is th e unexplained d e p a rtu re from ro u tin e when Dahlmann is forced to leave th e tr a in a t a sto p o th e r than h is own. But even unusual events a re accep tab le In dreams; i t i s only In r e a l l i f e th a t we re q u ire ex p lan a tio n . F in a lly , th e re is th e con clu d in g scene, c ite d above, in which Dahlmann th in k s back to the h o s p ita l and decides th a t th is d eath i s in f in ite ly b e tte r than to d ie h e lp le ss in a h o s p ita l bed. I t is 15Irby, p. 197. 37 "una lib e ra c io n , . . . una fe lic ld a d , una f i e s t a , . . . " th e d eath he would have chosen o r dreamed, given th e oppor tu n ity . The use o f th e dream technique is as obvious in "Las ru in a s c irc u la re s " as i t i s subdued in "El s u r ." Here, as in th e o th e r s to ry , r e a l i t y becomes fa n ta sy through th e medium o f dreams, b u t in th is case th e re is no attem pt to d is g u is e th e dream ing. Once th e r e a l i t y of th e s itu a tio n , th e p o s s ib ility o r even th e p ro b a b ility o f th e events in the s to ry , a re e s ta b lis h e d through an enum eration o f d e ta i ls , then ev ery th in g becomes u n re a l. A man, a m agician o r some s o r t o f p r i e s t , wants to dream a son, "so n arlo con in te g rid a d m inuciosa e im ponerlo a l a re a lid a d . Ese proyecto magico hab£a agotado e l espacio en tero de su alma" ("R uinas," F iccio n es. p. 60). His dreams a re a t f i r s t c h a o tic , b u t soon they begin to tak e a re co g n isab le form. He dreams th a t he i s in th e c e n te r o f a c ir c u la r am phitheater, surrounded by t i e r s o f ta c itu r n stu d e n ts whom he le c tu re s on anatomy, cosmography, and m agic. Though th ey l i s t e n a tte n tiv e ly , and attem pt to answer h is q u estio n s w ith u n derstanding, he soon r e a lis e s th a t he can expect n o th in g from th e m a jo rity o f them, those 38 who accept h is d o ctrin es p assiv ely , but th a t he can hope fo r success w ith those who o ccasio n ally dare to question or to oppose h is views, those who have w ithin then th e spark o f in d iv id u a lity . One afternoon he dism isses th is illu s o ry student body, and keeps only one p u p il, the one who most c lo se ly resem bles the dreamer. The s tu d e n t's progress is soon s u ffic ie n t to astound the teach er, but then a catastro p h e occurs: th e dreamer awakens one a fte r* noon to fin d th a t he has n o t dreamed. Beset by insomnia, he wanders through th e fo re s t in a vain attem pt to lo se h is stren g th , to t i r e him self enough so th a t he again may sleep . Unable to sleep , and thus to dream, he re a liz e s th a t " e l empeflo de modelar la m ateria incoherente y v e r ti - ginosa de que se cqmponen lo s suefios es e l mas arduo que puede acometer un varon, aunque penetre todos lo s enigmas d e l orden su p erio r y d e l in fe r io r : mucho mas arduo que t e je r una cuezda de arena o que amonedar e l v ien to sin cara" ("R uinas," F icciones. p. 62), and reso lv es to try another method. A fter a month passed in reg ain in g the stre n g th lo s t during h is delirium , he begins a t l a s t to dream of 39 . . . un corazon que la t£ a . Lo softo a c tiv o , c a lu ro so , s e c re to , d e l grandor de un puxio ce rrad o , c o lo r g ra n a te en l a penumbra de un cuerpo humano aun s in c a ra n l sexo; con m lnucloao amor lo sono, d u ran te c a to rc e lu c ld a s noches. Cada noche, lo p e rc lb fa con mayor ev ld en c la . No lo tocaba: ae lim ita b a a a te s tig u a r lo , a o b se rv a rlo , t a l vez a c o rre - g ir lo con l a m irada. Lo p ercib £ a, lo viv £ a, desde mucha8 d ia ta n c la a y muchos anguloa. La noche c a to r- cena rozo l a a r t e r i a pulmonar con e l £ndice y luego todo e l corazon, desde a fu e ra y a d e n tro . D ellberada- mente no sono d u ra n te una noche: luego retomo e l corazon, invoco e l nombre de un p la n e ta y emprendio la v is io n de o tro de lo s organos p rin c ip a le s . Antes de un ano lle g o a l e sq u e le to , a lo s parpados. El pelo innum erable fue t a l vez l a ta r e a mas d if £ c i l . ("R uinas," F iccio n es. pp. 62-63) By means o f th is d e ta ile d d e s c rip tio n , alm ost a s c ie n t i f i c t r e a t i s e on th e form ation o f a human being, Borges makes c re d ib le th e f a n ta s tic r e s u l t: a man i s born, liv e s , and b re a th e s, engendered by th e dreams o f an o th er man. Having dreamed h is son, th e dream er must now acclim ate him to r e a l it y , th e r e a l i t y o f th e world o u tsid e th e ruin ed tem ple. The id ea o f being sep a rated from h is son is alm ost unbearable, and th e f e a r th a t th e product o f h is dreams w ill le a rn o f h is im m ortality is so g re a t, th a t he prolongs th e p erio d o f in s tr u c tio n fo r two y e a rs. At l a s t he can no lo n g er postpone th e in e v ita b le d e p a rtu re , and sends h is son in to the w orld, rem aining alo n e, w ith no purpose to h is l i f e . 40 A lthough Borges c o n tin u o u sly p o rtra y s th e r e a l w orld, and em phasizes i t s p resen ce ag ain and ag ain , th e dom inant c h a r a c te r is tic o f th e s to ry i s th e dream which re p e a te d ly transform s th e b a s ic r e a l i t y in to fa n ta sy : A1 cabo d e un tiem po que c le r to s n a rra d o re s de su h i s t o r i a p re fle re n com puter en afios y o tro s en lu s tr o s , lo d e sp e rta ro n dos rem eros a medianoche: no pudo v e r sus c a ra s , pero le h ab laro n de un hombre maglco en un templo d e l N orte, capaz de h o lla r e l fuego y de no quemarse. Temlo que su h i jo m ed itara en ese p r iv ile g io anormal y d e sc u b rle ra de algun modo su co n d icio n de mero sim u lacro . No s e r un hombre, s e r l a proyeccion d e l sueno de o tro hombre jque h u m illaclo n incom parable, que v e rtig o ! t El term ino de sus c a v ila c lo n e s fu e b rusco, pero lo prom etieron algunos sig n o s. Prim ero ( a l cabo de una la rg a sequfa) una rem ota nube en un c e rro , liv ia n a como un p a ja ro ; luego h a c ia e l Sur, e l c ie lo ten£a e l c o lo r rosado de la enc£a de lo s leo p ard o s; despues l a fuga p an lca de la s b e s tia s . Porque se r e p i t i o lo aco n tecld o hace muchos s ig lo s . Las ru in a s d e l s a n tu a rio d e l d io s d e l fuego fiieron d e s tru ld a s por e l fuego. Por un in s ta n te , penso re f u g la r s e en la s aguas, pero luego comprendio que l a m uerte ven£a a co ro n er su v e je z y a a b so lv e rlo de sus tr a b a jo s . Camino c o n tra lo s jir o n e s de fuego. Estos no m ordleron su c a m e , e sto s lo a c a r i- c ia ro n y lo inundaron s in c a lo r y s in com bustion. Con a llv lo , con h u m illaclo n , con t e r r o r , comprendio que e l tam blen e r a una a p a rie n c ia , que o tro e sta b a sonandolo. ("R u in as," F ic c io n e s. pp. 65-66) In the case of most authors*, when the dream device is employed as th e framework fo r a s to ry , o r as a tech n iq u e f o r advancing th e a c tio n , r e a l i t y u ltim a te ly e x p la in s th e dream. In La v id e as auaSo. fo r example, Segismundo is c o n s ta n tly confused about what i s r e a l and what is a dream, 41 but h is problem is f in a lly reso lv ed when th e tr u th is rev ealed to him. Borges proposes an o p p o site so lu tio n In "Las ru in a s c lr c u la r e s " : La re a lld a d profunda es suefto: la v i g l l l a es una de sus m an lfestaclo n es. E ste p ro p o slto d is tin to nos lle g a en e l f in a l d e l r e la to y, de acuerdo eon la te c n lc a de Borges, m odifies retro sp ectiv am en te su sen tld o to ta l. No es un hombre que plasma un sueno sln o l a concatena- cion de una s e r le sodada, una lmagen cosmica inmane - ja b le desde a fu e ra y cuyo se c re to lo c o n stltu y e no un plan sln o su e x ls te n c la mlsma. Las ru in as c lrc u la re s d escrib en [s i c ] un cerrado m lste rio m e ta fisic o , una v e rsio n rev elad o ra d e l mundo y e l d e stin o . La voluntad d e l mago e ra c re a r un hombre arrancado a l sueno e in te rp o la rlo en l a re a lld a d . Su plan es una m odificacion, un enriquectm iento de la re a lld a d por medio de un esfu erzo de so sten ld a lu c id e z . ° The double, which Borges a ls o m entions in th e le c tu re c ite d by Rodriguez Monegal, i s an other device by means o f which th e au th o r e f fe c ts the tran sfo rm atio n o f r e a l it y in to u n re a lity . In "Tres v ersio n es de Ju d as," Borges e s ta b lis h e s th e r e a l it y o f h is s to ry through use o f th e pseudo-essay form (copiously documented by im aginary sc h o la rs, some o f whom, such as E rik E rfjo rd and Jarom ir H ladlk, perform th e same fu n ctio n in o th e r o f Borges* s t o r i e s ) . He p re se n ts th e v ario u s th e o rie s concerning th e treaso n o f Judas I s c a r io t, and th e se th e o rie s are then ^Tamayo and Ruiz-D iaz, pp. 142-143. 42 re fu te d in tu rn by N ils Runeberg, a th e o lo g ia n invented by B orges, u n t i l th e fa s c in a tin g co n clu sio n Is reached th a t God d id n o t in c a rn a te H im self in th e person o f C h ris t, b u t in th a t o f Judas: Dios . . . se re b a jo a s e r hombre p a ra l a red en cio n d e l genero humano; cabe c o n je tu ra r que fue p e rfe c to e l 8 a c r if ic io obrado por e l , no in v alid ad o o atenuado por om isiones. L lm itar lo que padecio a l a agon£a de una ta rd e en l a cru z es b la sfe m a to rio . A firm ar que fue hombre y que fu e incapaz de pecado e n c ie rra c o n tra - d ic c io n ; lo s a tr ib u to s de y de no son co m p atib les. Dios to ta lm e n te se h lz o hombre pero hombre h a s ta l a infam la, hombre h a s ta l a rep ro b a- cio n y e l abism o. Para s a lv a m o s, pudo e l e g i r c u a l- q u le ra de lo s destlxios que tram an l a p e rp le ja red de l a h i s to r i a ; pudo s e r A lejandro o P ita g o ras o R urik o Je su s; e lig io un £nfimo d e s tin o : fu e Ju d as. ("V er- s lo n e s ," F ic c io n e s. pp. 173-175) The r e s u l t , then, i s th e id e n tif ic a tio n o f C h rist and Judas, and by e x te n sio n , th e sin g le n e s s o f id e n tity o f a l l men. This id ea i s a c o n s ta n tly re c u rrin g theme in Borges. I t i s im p lic it in " P ie rre Menard, a u to r d e l Q u iio te ." as th e au th o r adds, alm ost as a p o s t- s c r ip t, "E l te x to de C ervantes y e l de Menard son verbalm ente id e n tic o s . . . " ("M enard," F iccio n es. p. 54); "Cuando se p o s tu la l a id ea de que Menard pueda r e - e s c r ib i r e l Q u ilo te y se re la c io n a e s to con l a in m o rtalid a d , se im p lie s in d irectam en te la id en tid e d de personas y mementos, l a m etem psicosis; . . . s i hay id e n tid a d de mementos, de id e a s, de c re a c io n , hay 43 tambien y en consecuencla id entldad de personas: Menard es la reencaraacion de C ervantes."*^ This same idea is e x p lic it in "T18n, Uqbar, Orbis T e rtiu s " : "Todos los hom- b re s, en e l v e rtig in o so in s ta n te d e l c o ito , son e l mismo hombre. Todos lo s hombres que re p ite n una l£nea de Shakespeare, son W illiam Shakespeare" (F iccio n es. p. 25). The same method, the double, is employed in "Tema d e l tra id o r y d e l h ero e," b u t w ith an in te re s tin g v a ria tio n . Here, Borges dem onstrates th a t in order fo r r e a l it y to become fa n ta sy , i t is n o t necessary to have two persons, but m erely to focus upon one fig u re from two d iffe re n t p o in t8 o f view. K ilp a tric k , th e le a d e r o f a group o f I r is h c o n sp ira to rs, b etray s the men under h is command; they le a rn of th is b e tra y a l, and re so lv e to execute him. When he is accused, he fe e ls remorse and im plores h is form er comrades to fin d a means o f carry in g out h is death sentence w ithout weakening the cause. Nolan, one of th e c o n sp ira to rs, knowing th a t K ilp a tric k is a n a tio n a l hero adored by the p u b lic, re a liz e s th a t i f th e t r a i t o r 's death can be made ^M anuel Blanco-G onzilez, Jorge Luis gorges: Anota- c ionas sobre e l tie — d o an su obra (Coleccion Studium, No. 37; Mexico: Edlciones de Andrea, 1963), p. 58. 44 to appear th e work o f th e English, th e I r is h cause w ill be immeasurably strengthened. Consequently, he devises a plan, a daring plan which w ill be . . . e l instrum anto para la emancipacion de l a p a tr ia . S ugirio que e l condenado n u rie ra a manos de un asesino desconocido, en c irc u n sta n c la s deliberadam ente drama t i c as, que se grabaran en l a im aginacion popular y que apresuraran l a re b e lio n . K ilp a tric k ju ro co lab o rar en ese proyecto, que le daba ocas ion de red im irse y que ru b ric ar£ a su m uerte. Asf fue . . . que e l 6 de agosto de 1824, en un palco de fu n e ra ria s c o rtin a a que pre- fig u rab a e l de Lincoln, un balazo anhelado en tro en e l pecho d e l tra id o r y d el heroe, que apenas pudo a r tic u la r , e n tre dos efusiones de brusca sangre, a l- gunas p alabras p re v is ta s . ( ’ ’T ra id o r," F iccio n es. pp. 140-141) In "Los teo lo g o s," which Rodr£guez Monegal c a lls a 1_8 " d e lic io a a recreacio n arq u eo lo g ica," Borges m inutely d escrib es the r iv a lr y o f two theologians who conduct a life -lo n g polemic in th e ir w ritin g s, u n til one brings about the d eath of the o th e r in a f i r e . As in "Tres verslo n es de Judas," r e a l it y is e sta b lish e d through a v a st enum eration o f d e ta ils , and through the opinions o f apocryphal c r i t i c s lik e E ric E rfjo rd ; then i t i s transform ed in to fantasy when we learn th a t El f in a l de la h is to r ia solo es r e f e r ib le en m etafo- ra s , ya que pasa en e l re in o de lo s c ie lo s , donde no hay 18 Warradores de e s ta America, p. 85. 45 ttem po. Tal vez cabr£a d e c ir que A urellano converso con Dios y que Eate se in te re a a tan poco en d lf e r e n d a a re lig lo s a s que lo tomo por Juan de Panonia. E lio , s in embargo, ln sln u a rfa una confusion de l a mente d lv ln a . Mas c o rre c to es d e c ir que en e l para£so, A ureliano supo que para la lnsondable d iv ln id a d , e l y Juan de Panonia ( e l ortodaxo y e l h e re je , e l aborrecedor y e l ab o rre- cldo, e l acuaador y l a v ic tim s) formaban una s o la per* sons. ("T eologos," El Alenh. p. 45) In th is , as In th e o th e r s to r ie s , th e u n re a lity l i e s In th e premise th a t the fu sio n o f two p e rs o n a litie s In to one is not only a p o s s ib ility , but th a t i t in f a c t occurs. Almost th e same s itu a tio n is found in " H isto rla d e l g u errero y de la c a u tlv a ." In th is s to ry Borges n a rra te s the a n tith e tic a l, b u t a t the same time p a r a lle l, h is to r ie s o f D ro c tu lft (documented by Benedetto C roce), a Lombard w arrio r who leaves h is companions during th e sie g e o f Ravenna, and d ie s defending th e c it y he had once attack ed , and o f th e Englishwoman captured by th e Indians (docu mented by Borges' grandm other) who re fu se s to re tu rn to h er own people even when given th e o p p o rtu n ity . U lt i m ately Borges concludes, as in "Los teologos": La fig u ra d e l barbaro que ab rasa la causa de Ravena, l a fig u ra de la u u je r europea que op ta por e l d e s ie rto , pueden p arecer antagonicos. Sin embargo, a lo s dos lo s a rre b a to un £mpetu se c re to , un £mpetu mas hondo que la razon, y lo s dos acataro n ese £mpetu que no hubieran aabldo j u s t l f l c a r . Acaso la s h ls to r la s que he re fe rid o 46 son una s o la h l s t o r l a . El anverso y e l re v erso de e s ta moneda son . . . ig u a le s . ("G u errero ," El Aleph. p. 52) The fo u r s to r ie s j u s t d iscu ssed a re in a sense s im ila r to those now to be examined. Although th e re i s n o t p re se n t in th e l a t t e r any in d ic a tio n o f th e double, th e re i s th e same foundation o f r e a l it y , in th is c a se a m inute and d e ta ile d r e a l it y , which i s u ltim a te ly sh a tte re d and tr a n s formed in to fa n ta sy . This technique can be seen, fo r example, in "La e s p e ra ," a s to ry suggested to Borges by a newspaper crim e re p o rt (El Aleph. p. 172). In an attem pt to escape being murdered by h is form er companions whom he has betray ed to th e p o lic e , a smuggler f le e s to Buenos A ires from Uruguay. The b a s is o f every-day r e a l i t y i s e sta b lish e d from th e o u ts e t in th e d e s c rip tio n o f th e h o te l where th e - f u g itiv e goes to h id e, and o f th e neighborhood in which i t is lo c a te d : El coche lo d ejo en e l c u a tro m il c u a tro de esa c a lle d e l N oroeste. [Note th e sim ultaneous vagueness and e x a c titu d e . ] No hab£an dado la s nueve de l a manana; e l hombre noto con aprobacion lo s manchados p la ta n o s, e l cuadrado de t l e r r a a l p ie de cada uno, la s decentes casas de b a lc o n c ito , l a faxm acia co n tlg u a, lo s d e s- va£dos rombos de l a p in tu re r£ a y f e r r e te r f a . Un la rg o y clego paredon de h o s p ita l c e rrab a l a ac era de en* fr e n te ; e l s o l rev erb erab a, mas le jo s , en unos in v e r- n a c u lo s. 47 El cochero le ayudo a b a ja r e l b a u l; una m ujer de a lr e d is tra fd o o cansado a b rio por f i n l a p u e rta . Precedldo por l a m ujer, atrav eao e l zaguan y e l prim er p a tio . La p ie z a qua l e hablan reservado daba, felizm en te, a l segundo. La cama e ra de h ie rr o , que e l a r t i f i c e h ab la deformado en curvaa f a n ta s tic a s , figurando ramas y pampanoa; h ab la, aslmismo, un a lto ropero de pino, una mesa de lu z , un e s ta n te con lib ro s a ra s d e l su elo , dos s i l l a s d esp arej as y un la v a to rio con su palangana, su ja r r a , su jab o n era, y un b o te llo n de v id rio tu rb io . f'E s p e r a ," El Aleph. pp. 137-138) For months he avoids any change in h is h a b its , fe a rin g t h a t any v a r ia tio n in ro u tin e m ight lead to h is being d i s covered. Day a f t e r day, n ig h t a f te r n ig h t, he s i t s in h is dism al room and im agines th e h o rrib le moment when h is enemies w ill d isc o v e r where he i s h id in g , e n te r h is room, and k i l l him. When they r e a lly do a r riv e , th e man i s in bed; he looks a t them, b u t does n o t b e lie v e in th e i r p resen ce. A fte r so many months o f liv in g w ith th e n ig h t mare o f death , o f im agining a l l th e p o s sib le ways o f dying, he sim ply re fu se s to accep t t h e i r presence, fo r to him they can be no th in g b u t one more v a r ia tio n o f th e fa m ilia r n ig h tm are: Con una sena le s p id io que esp eraran y se d io v u e lta c o n tra la pared, como s i retom ara e l sueno. ^Lo h izo para d e s p e rta r la m is e ric o rd ia de quienes lo m ataron, o porque es menos duro s o b re lle v a r un acontec lm iento espantoso qua im aginarlo y ag u ard arlo s in f in , o —y e sto es q u iza lo mas vero s£ m il— para que lo s ase sin o s 48 fu eran un sueno, como ya lo hab£an aldo ta n ta s vecea, an e l uismo lu g a r, a l a miama hora? En eaa magia eatab a cuando lo b o rro l a d escarg a. ("E ap era," El Aleph. p. 142) A c e r ta in s im ila r ity between "La eapera" and E rneat Hemingway's famous s to ry , "The K ille rs " la re a d ily ap p ar e n t; b u t aa Rodrfguez Monegal has noted: . . . ae puede a p re c la r m ejor l a n a tu ra le z a no r e a l i s t a d e l enfoque borgiano. Hemingway se m antiene d e llb e ra d a - mente en l a s u p e rfic ie d e l r e la to y a trav e a de e l l a , perm ite a l a in tu ic io n d e l le c to r e l acceao a l a an- g u s tia d e l hombre a c o rra la d o que eap era, en lu c id a im potencia, a lo s matones que han de u ltlm a rlo . Borges s e ^ in s ta la en cambio (s in monologo in t e r i o r , s in a n a lis ia p ro u stla n o ) en l a co n cien cia d e l honfcre y v e r if ie s a l l £ que e l h o rro r de l a m uerte r e a l no es peor (n i m ejor) que e l de la s m il m uertes s u frld a s en l a eap era; v e r if ic a (ya en o tro piano que ahora in te - re s a mas) que no hay c a s i manera de d is tin g u ir la m uerte r e a l de esas m uertes p re v ia s,^ s u s borradorea confuaoa, que l a Im aginacion fee H i to . La re a lid a d s o lid s , a p a re n c ia l, aparece d e s tru fd a por au m irada y m u e a tra s u in co h eren cia, su d esg arrad a fa z de pesa- d i l l a . 19 A more obvious example o f th is tra n sfo rm a tio n o f everyday r e a l i t y in to u n r e a lity i s "B iograf£a de Tadeo Isid o re Cruz (1829*1874)." In th e form o f a h is t o r i c a l n a r ra tiv e , th e s to ry r e la te s th e events in th e l i f e o f Tadeo Cruz, an A rgentine s o ld ie r who, upon le a v in g th e m ilita ry s e rv ic e , becomes a r u r a l policem an. Hia l i f e is 19 / N arradores de e a ta America, p. 89. 49 sin g u la rly uneventful: he m arries, has a son, and Is m oderately su ccessfu l in h is c a re e r, becoming in 1869 a sergeant o f p o lic e in comnand o f an is o la te d outpost in th e nampa. On Ju ly 12, 1870, however, th e o rdinary r e a lity o f C ruz'8 ex isten ce suddenly i s transform ed in to fa n ta sy . His detachment has been ordered to hunt down and re tu rn to p riso n "un malevo, que [debe] dos m uertes a la ju s tic ia " ("C ruz," El Aleph. pp. 55-56), and they are not long in cornering th e ir quarry: El crim in al s a lio de la guarlda para p e le a rlo s. Cruz lo e n tre v io , te r r ib le ; la crecid a melena y la barba g rls pareclan com erle la c a ra . . . . El d e se rto r m alh irio o mato a v ario s de lo s hombres de Cruz. E ste, m ientras combatla en la oscuridad (m ientras su cuerpo combatla en la oscuridad) empezo a comprender. Comprendio que un d e stin o no es mejor que o tro , pero que todo hombre debe a c a ta r e l que lle v a adentro. Comprendio que la s jin e ta s y e l uniforme ya le estorbaban. Comprendio que e l o tro e ra e l . Amanecla en la desaforada lla n u ra ; Cruz a rro jo por t i e r r a e l quepis, g rito que no iba a consen- t i r e l d e lito de que se m atara a un v a lie n te y se puso a p e le a r co n tra lo s soldados, ju n to a l d e s e rto r M artin F ie rro .20 ("C ruz," El Aleph. pp. 56-57) A ll th e events o f the sto ry , even the d a te s a ttrib u te d to Tadeo Isid o ro Cruz, are c a lc u la te d to convey the 20 This sto ry is a fu rth e r example of the double tech nique, fo r i t is obvious th a t Cruz id e n tif ie s him self and h is d e stin y w ith th a t o f F ie rro . 50 illu s io n of r e a lity , and " illu s io n " is th e o p erativ e term in th is case, fo r re g ard less o f th is apparent r e a lity , the in tro d u ctio n of the f ic tio n a l fig u re , Mart£n F ie rro , in to the supposed b io g rap h ical sketch, d is in te g ra te s the care* fu lly constructed v e ris im ilitu d e , and reduces i t to fan tasy . One o f Borges' f in e s t s to r ie s , "Bnma Zunz," is another e x c e lle n t example o f the transform ation o f r e a lity in to fantasy through a re v e rsa l o f events. In order to i l l u s t r a te the manner in which th e transform ation occurs, i t w ill be necessary to consider a t some length the p lo t o f the sto ry . The ac tio n begins when Em m a, a young worker in a te x t i l e m ill, re tu rn s to her room to find a l e t t e r inform ing h er o f her f a th e r 's death. Some years before, Bnanuel Zunz had been convicted o f embezzling a larg e sum o f money from the same fa cto ry where E m m a is now employed. J u s t before being taken away to prison, however, Zunz had sworn to h is daughter th a t th e r e a l th ie f was Aaron Loewenthal, the manager, and now one of the owners, of the fa cto ry . Overcome by g r ie f , Bnma resolves to seek revenge ag ain st Loewenthal; a f te r a sle e p le ss n ig h t, her plan is 51 perfected. Having read in La Prensa that a Norwegian ship, the NordstlMman. is to leave that very evening, she goes down to th e w a te rfro n t, observes th e technique o f th e o th e r • women, and picks up one of the sailors from the Nord- El hombre l a condujo a una p u e rta y despues a un tu rb io zaguan y despues a una e s c a le ra to rtu o sa y despues a un v e stfo u lo . . . y despues a un p a s illo y despues a una p u erta que se cerro.^ El hombre, sueco o f in lan d es, no hablaba espanol; fue una herram ien ta para Em m a como e s ta lo fue para e l, pero e l l a s ir v io para e l goce y e l p ara la j u s t i c i a . ("Zunz," El Aleph. pp. 62-63) A fte r th e s a ilo r has l e f t , B m m a g a th e rs h er s tre n g th and goes to Loewenthal*s home, having p re v io u sly made an appointm ent w ith him on th e p re te x t th a t she knows some th in g o f an impending s tr ik e . He adm its h e r, and she t e l l s him j u s t enough to arouse h is c u r io s ity . Pretending to fe e l f a in t, she asks him to b rin g h e r a g la s s o f w ater so th a t she can f in is h h e r s to ry . When he leav es th e room, she removes h is p is to l from h is desk and shoots him when he re tu rn s . As he l i e s dying, she begins to t e l l him why he has been k ille d , b u t he d ie s b efo re she is ab le to f in is h . Knowing th a t she cannot y e t re la x , she d isa rra n g e s the couch, loosens h is c lo th in g , and c a lls th e p o lic e : "Ha o cu rrid o una cosa que es in c re fb le . . . . El senor Loewenthal 52 me h izo v e n ir con e l p re te x to de la .h u e lg a . . . . Abuso de m£, lo m ate" ("Z unz,” El Aleph. p. 6 5 ). When th e s to ry f i r s t appeared in th e A rgentine l i t e r ary jo u rn a l, Sur. Borges c a lle d i t a r e a l i s t i c n a r r a tiv e , and, in f a c t, s t i l l r e f e r s to i t as such (E l Aleph. p. 171). There i s no doubt th a t i t i s r e a l i s t i c in many r e s p e c ts , b u t i t i s a ls o , in much th e same sen se as K afk a's "The M etam orphosis," an o u tsta n d in g example o f m agical re a lism . Rodriguez Monegal has p o in ted o u t th a t . . . su realism o c o n s is te en que ningun d e ta lle (por rebuscado o c a su a l que p arezca) v io la ninguna de la s ley es acep tad as d e l inundo r e a l . No hay nada que sea f a n ta s tic o en su p la n te o o en sus term inos: todo es de una b u ro c ra tic a re a lid a d , aun en sus so rd id e c e s. Y s in embargo, l a re a lid a d profunda que p o stu la e l r e - la to es de l a misma e se n c ia de lo s cu entos f a n t a s t i - co s: es una re a lid a d p e s a d ille s c a , deform ada p o r e l estad o anormal en que se en cu en tra l a p ro ta g o n is ts . 1 But t h i s "abnormal s ta te " is n o t re v ealed u n t i l th e f i n a l paragraph in th e s to ry : La h i s t o r i a e ra in c re fb le , en e fe c to , pero se impuso a todos, porque su stan cialm en te e ra c i e r t a . Verdadero e ra e l tono de Em m a Zunz, verdadero e l pudor, verdadero e l o d io . Verdadero tam blen e ra e l u l t r e j e que h ab la padecido; so lo eran f a ls a s la s d r c u n s ta n c ia s , la h o ra y uno o dos noobres p ro p io s. ("Z unz," El Alenh. p p .' 65-66) 91 Harridnrnfl d« m m t* A m irlea, p. 88. 53 In th is f i n a l paragraph, Borges in fe rs th a t the o u t rag e su ffe re d by Bmna a t th e hands o f th e anonymous s a il o r can be avenged, w ithout a lte r in g th e e s s e n tia l tr u th o f th e 22 s itu a tio n , by Loew enthal' 8 d e a th . These few words a re s u f f ic ie n t to d e stro y th e apparen t coherence and r e a l it y o f Buna's w orld, and to convert th is extrem ely r e a l i s t i c sto ry in to one o f fa n ta sy . D is to rtio n Qf Tip^ anri One o f B orges' fundam ental concerns is th e enigma o f tim e and space; th is preoccupation w ith tem poral and s p a tia l q u estio n s re c u rs c o n sta n tly , and in v ario u s forms, throughout h is f i c ti o n . In h is le c tu r e a t Montevideo (c ite d above, p assim ). Borges m entioned th e voyage in tim e as one o f th e fo u r g re a t devices which enable th e au th o r * to d e s tr o y - r e a lity o r to transform i t in to fa n ta sy . When one th in k s o f a s o -c a lle d "voyage in tim e," i t i s lo g ic a l to r e c a ll Th^ H* G* W ells, and th e 22 Irby observes th a t th e e n tir e episode w ith Loewen th a l is a metonymical tra n s p o s itio n : th e blame f o r Bmna's ravishm ent is tra n s fe rre d from th e s a i l o r to Loewenthal, and becomes th e tru e m otive fo r h e r vengeance. See S tru c tu re , p. 149. Innumerable te le s o f scien ce f i c t i o n to which i t gave b i r th . Everyone is fa m ilia r, fo r example, w ith th e space sh ip which encounters in o u te r space p a r a lle l rin g s o f time in which a re found th e su ccessiv e planes o f th e p a s t o r fu tu re ; o r w ith th e y o u th fu l s p a c e -tra v e le r who re tu rn s to e a rth , a f te r a b r i e f journey, as an old man; o r w ith th e s c i e n t i s t who in v en ts an e le c tro n ic d ev ice which can tra n s p o rt him in to th e p a st o r th e fu tu re . But th e se examples a re n o t ty p ic a l o f B orges' f ic tio n s , fo r w hile he acknowledges h is d eb t to W ells, i t i s apparent th a t the Englishman has c o n trib u te d only th e germ o f an id e a . B orges' voyages in tim e do n o t r e ly upon th e a id o f m achines, nor does h is concern w ith tim e alw ays, o r even u su a lly , involve tra v e l o r movement through tim e. More o fte n , th is concern i s m anifested through a d is ru p tio n , a d is to r tio n , o r a d e s tru c tio n o f th e tim e continuum. In "Funes e l memorioso,” fo r in sta n c e , tim e is d is to r te d because of th e p ro ta g o n is t's g i f t o f t o t a l r e c a l l . Under normal c lrc u n sta n c e s, our thought processes re q u ire con s id e ra b ly le s s tim e than do th e a c tu a l events we th in k about o r remember. I f , fo r example, I wish to r e c a l l a p a r tic u la r c o n v e rsa tio n o r in c id e n t, 1 am a b le to reco n s t r u c t i t in my mind in a f r a c tio n o f th e tim e in which i t o r ig in a lly tra n s p ire d . But Funes does n o t have th is a b i l i t y ; " la memorla e s t r a t l f i c a e l tiem po; n l uno so lo de sus segundos se p ie rd e , todos quedan re g ls tra d o s en la 23 inhumana v i g i l l a d e l m sm orioso." He i s unable to syn th e s iz e o r to form g e n e ra liz a tio n s ; he can only r e c a l l each d e t a i l o f every ex p erien ce: "Dos o t r e s v eces hab£a r e - constru£do un d£a e n te ro ; no hab£a dudado nunca, pero cada re c o n stru c e io n hab£a re q u e rid o un d£a e n te ro " ("F unes," FiCCi2 Rtff> P- 123). A d if f e r e n t s o r t o f d i s to r t io n occurs in "La o tr a m u erte,"' a lre a d y d isc u sse d in a n o th e r s e c tio n o f t h i s chap t e r . Here, through an e x e rtio n o f w il l, Pedro Damian succeeds in b rin g in g about a m ira c le , d e stro y in g th e s e quence o f tim e by l i t e r a l l y changing the p a s t. S im ila r to th i s l a s t s to ry i s "E l m ilag ro s e c r e to ," in which a m an's e x e rc is e o f w ill a ls o e f f e c ts a d is ru p tio n o f te m p o ra lity . In 1939, in th e c i t y o f Prague, Jaro m ir Hlad£k, an au th o r o f j u s t s u f f ic ie n t renown to b rin g h is Jew ish a n c e stry 2^Rodr£guez Monegal, p. 85. 56 to th e a tte n tio n o f th e N azis, is sentenced to d ea th . Like the p ro ta g o n ist o f "La e s p e ra ,M he Ixsagines a l l th e p o s s ib le circum stances o f h is d ea th , b e lie v in g th a t . . . e l acto puro y g en e ral de m orir e ra lo tem ible, no la s c irc u n sta n c ia s c o n c re ta s . No se cansaba de <«i»g-inar esas c irc u n s ta n c ia s : absurdam ente procuraba a g o ta r todas la s v a ria c io n e s. A nticipaba in fin ita m e n te e l proceso, desde e l insomne amanecer h a s ta la m is te rio s a d escarg a. Antes d e l d£a p re fija d o por J u liu s Rothe, murio c e n te - n ares de m uertes, en p a tio s cuyas formas 7 cuyos angulos fa tig a b a n l a geom etr£a, am etrallado por soldados v a r ia b le s , en numero cam biante, que a veces lo ultim aban desde le jo s ; o tra s , desde muy c e rc a . A frontaba con v e r dadero tsm or (quiza con verdadero c o ra je ) esas e je c u - cio n es im ag in arias; cada sixmilacro duraba unos pocos segundos; cerrad o e l c£ rcu lo , Jarom ir interm inablem ente volv£a a la s trem ulas v£speras de su m uerte. Luego re fle x io n o que la re a lld a d no su e le c o ln c id ir con la s p re v is io n e s . (F ieclo n es. p. 161) At l a s t lo sin g h is fe a r, he comes to r e a liz e th a t h is fu tu re fame as an au th o r w ill r e s t w ith h is u n fin ish ed v erse drama, Los enem iaos. He grows obsessed w ith th e d e s ire to f in is h i t , b u t as th e day draws n e a r fo r h is execution, he knows th a t he w ill n o t have s u f f ic ie n t tim e to achieve h is g o al. In d e sp e ra tio n , he ad d resses him s e l f to God, praying f o r one more year o f l i f e , a year in which he w ill be a b le to f in is h h is m asterp iece. He f a l l s a slee p , and toward dawn dreams th a t he is h id in g in th e v a s t Clem entine L ib rary . A lib r a r ia n approaches, and asks 57 him what he i s looking £ o r. When Hlad£k answers, "God," he i s to ld th a t God is to be found in one o f th e l e t t e r s on one o f th e pages o f one o f th e 400,000 volumes in the L ib rary . A re a d e r cornea to re tu rn an a t l a s ; Hlad£k picks i t up, opens i t a t random, and in a surge o f confidence, touches one o f the sm a lle st l e t t e r s on a map o f In d ia . He h e a r8 the ubiquitous v o ice: M E1 tiemno de tu la b o r ha sldo otorgado" ("M ilagro," F iccio n es. p. 164), then awakens. In view o f th e promise made to him, he is somewhat s ta r tle d when two guards come a sh o rt tim e l a t e r and con duct him to a co u rty ard ; p re c is e ly a t n in e on March 29, he i s placed in fro n t o f the firin g -s q u a d : Una pesada gota de llu v ia rozo una de la s sie n e s de H ladik y rodo lentam ente por su m e jilia ; e l sargento v o cife ro l a orden f in a l. El universo f fs ic o s e detuvo. Las armas converg£an sobre Hladfk, pero lo s honbres que iban a m atarlo estaban inm oviles. El b raso d e l sargento e te m iz a b a un ademan inconcluso. En una b a l- dosa d e l p a tio una ab e ja proyectaba una sombra f i j a . Hlad£k ensayo un g r ito , una s fla b a , la to rs io n de una mano. Comprendio que esta b a p a ra liz a d o . No le lleg ab a n i e l mis tenue rumor d e l impedido mundo. Penso estov en e l in fie ro o . esto v m uerto. Penso 9Lt9Z.,l2£9’ p«n« 6 e l timspo sg ha d eten id o . Luego re fle x io n o que en t a l caso, tamblen se h u b iera detenido su pensam iento. Le asombro no s e n tir ninguna f a tig a , n i a iq u ie ra e l v e r tig o de su la rg a inm ovH ided. Durmio, a l cabo de un p laso indeterm inado. Al d e sp e rta r, e l mundo segu£a 58 inm ovil y sordo. En su m e jilla perduraba l a goca da agua; en e l p a tio , l a sombra de l a a b e ja ; e l humo d e l c l g a r l l l o que h ab ia tlr a d o no aeababa nunca de d ia p e rs a rs e . O tro "d ie " peso, a n te s que Hlad£k e n te n - d le r a . Un azfo e n te ro hab£a s o llc lta d o de Dios p ara term in ar su la b o r: un ano le o to rg ab a su o o n lp o ten cla. De la p e rp le jld a d paso a l e stu p o r, d e l e stu p o r a l a re slg n a - c lo n , de l a re slg n a c lo n a l a s u b ita g r a tltu d . No dl8pon£a de o tro documento que l a m aauria; e l a p re n d lz a je de cada hexam etro que agregaba l e impuso un afo rtu n ad o r ig o r que no sospechan qulenes aventuran y o lv ld an p a rra fo s In te rln o s y vagos. No tra b a jo p ara la p o ste rld a d n l sun p ara D ios, de cuyas p re £ eren c ia s l i t e r a r l a s poco sab£a. Rehizo e l te r c e r a c to dos v eces. Borro algun sLsbolo dem asiado e v ld e n te : la s re p e tId a s caapanadas, l a m usica. Dio term lno a su drama; no le £ a lta b a ya re s o lv e r sln o un so lo e p £ te to . Lo encontro; l a g o ta de agua re sb a lo en su m e jilla . In ic io un g r lto enloquecido, movio l a c a re , l a cuadruple d escarg a lo d e rrib o . Jarom lr Hlad£k murlo e l v e in tln u e v e de marzo, a la s nueve y dos m lnutos de l a manana. (F ic c io n a s. pp. 165- 167) This s to ry a t f i r s t appears e a s ily ex p lain ed : Borges is d e a lin g w ith two methods o f m easuring tim e, and sim ul tan eo u sly n eg a tin g th e e x iste n c e o£ an a b so lu te stan d ard o f tem poral com putation. For th e condemned Hlad£k, a year tra n s p ir e s in th e few seconds between th e o rd e r to f i r e and th e d isch arg e o f th e b u lle ts ( r e c a ll th e co u rse o f the ra in d ro p down h is cheek which m ain tain s in us an aw areness o f " r e a l" tim e ); b u t fo r th e ex e cu tio n e rs and th e w it n e sse s, only th o se few seconds p a ss. Not so e a s ily ex p la in e d , however, i s th e e f f e c t th a t th e s to ry produces 59 upon the re a d e r, fo r th e fe e lin g p e r s is ts th a t tim e haa stopped: Sentimos que realm ente fue as£, que Hlad£k tuvo su ano, que re a ln e n te cumplio su tra b a jo de p erfecc lo n de l a obra b ajo l a lu z c ru e l de l a manana; que l a g o ta de agua en l a m e jilla , l a sombra de la ab e ja en e l povi- mento, e l humo d e l c l g e r l l l o en e l a lr e , . . . e l brazo d e l sarg en to que lo sen alab a, esperaron un ano completo para se g u lr su cu rso . Con e s te im n o v illza rse en un g esto de la s fig u re s que componen la escena . . . y con e s ta e te rn id a d que es un in s ta n te , Borges consigue . conmover l a seguridad d e l le c to r en su ritm o tem poral. ^ Even though the m a jo rity o f th e s to r ie s in which Borges concerns h im self w ith tem poral problems do n o t in volve th e s o -c a lle d "voyage in tim e ," one o f h is s to r ie s , "El in m o rta l," i s c h a r a c te r is tic o f h is use o f th is method o f tim e d is to r tio n . As in th e o th e r s to r ie s d iscu ssed in t h i s se c tio n , tim e is d is to r te d in o rd e r to e f f e c t a d i s so lu tio n o f r e a l it y . Somewhat lo n g er than most o f Borges' s to r ie s , "El inm ortal" employs th e s to ry -w ith in -a -s to ry d ev ice as a n a r ra tiv e v e h ic le , thereby adding to th e u n re a lity c re a te d through th e d is to r tio n o f tim e. The "voyage" i t s e l f is achieved by means o f a s e r ie s o f re in c a rn a tio n s o f Homer, who has become in m ortal a f t e r d rin k in g from " e l r£o se c re to 24 Barrenechea, p. 104. 60 que p u rlfic a de l a muerte a lo s hombres" ("Inm ortal,*' El Aleph. p. 8 ). This im m ortality o ffe rs the p ro tag o n ist the opportunity to re a liz e every human experience, and to re p eat th ese experiences u n t i l h is death, which he u l t i m ately comes to seek as fe rv e n tly as he had once sought e te rn a l l i f e . At the same tim e, through h is p ro ta g o n is t's Im m ortality, Borges r e ite r a te s a theme which is p ra c tic a lly omnipresent in h is f ic tio n , the id e n tity o f a l l men: "Nadie es alguien, un solo hombre inm ortal es todos lo s hombres. Como C om elio Agrippa, soy d io s, soy heroe, soy filo s o fo , soy demonio y soy mundo, lo cu al es una fa tig o sa manera de d e c ir que no soy" ("In m o rtal," El Aleph. p. 21). Another technique which Borges uses in th e d is to r tio n o f time is to re p re se n t i t as having innumerable ra m ific a tio n s . Time is conceived as an in f in ite number of paths o r roads which b ifu rc a te re p eated ly , run p a r a lle l, o r cro ss one another, thereby advancing the hypothesis th a t i t is p o ssib le to choose sim ultaneously a l l th e human d e s tin ie s , and th a t th e p a st, p resen t and fu tu re a re synchronic. Although th is theme occurs in minor key in sev e ral o f Borges' s to r ie s , in two o f them, "Examen de la obra de H erbert Quain" and "El ja rd ln de senderos que se b ifu rc a n ," i t i s th e b a s is o f th e e n tir e n a r r a tiv e . T his i s e sp e c i a l l y tr u e in th e l a t t e r c a se , where Borges in tro d u c e s th e concept o f a novel in which each o f th e c h a p te rs exhausts a l l o f th e p o s s ib le a c tio n s th a t th e c h a ra c te rs may e le c t. Even though b oth s to r ie s c o n ta in d e s c rip tio n s o f novels w ith b ifu rc a tin g p lo t lin e s (which re p re s e n t th e v a rio u s p lanes o f tim e ), th e re is a g re a t c o n tra s t in tone between th e two: En e l prim er r e la to Borges p re se n ta la novela separada d e l mundo que f ig u ra s e r r e a l, l a resume en una form ula m atem atica fr£ a e im personal, con l a b u rla c l a s i f i c a - do ra de lo s argumentos en sim b o llco s, p sic o lo g ic o s, p o lic ia le s o com unistas. . . . En e l segundo caso l a f ic c io n desborda su re c in to y c o n ta g ia a la sup u esta re a lid a d que se v u elv e ta n c a o tic a y e x tra n a como e lla T " As in th e n a r ra tiv e s examined a t th e o u ts e t o f t h i s s e c tio n , th e se two s to r ie s a re i l l u s t r a t i v e o f B orges' d is to r tio n o f tim e as a method o f co n v e rtin g r e a l i t y in to fa n ta s y . In th e case o f th e l a t t e r two, however, th e tim e elem ent is a ls o used as a means o f d em onstrating one o f th e a u th o r's th e o rie s about th e n a tu re o f tim e. "El jard £ n " is p a r tic u la r ly e f f e c tiv e in th e e x p o sitio n o f 25 Barrenechea, p. 32. 62 th e p rin c ip le th a t time can e x is t sim ultaneously on sev e ral d iffe re n t le v e ls and in se v e ra l d if f e r e n t p lace s. This sto ry a lso exem plifies m agical realism , even though i t s f a n ta s tic elem ents belong only to th e novel of T s 'u i Ptn, since th e d is to r tio n of tim e is p resen t as an extrem ely im portant asp ect o f the sto ry . F in a lly , n o t s a tis f ie d w ith th e mere d is to rtio n o f tim e, Borges succeeds in elim in a tin g i t a lto g e th e r in h is v ersio n o f the M inotaur legend, "La casa de As t e r io n ." As Manuel Blanco-Gonzalez has observed: « El tlempo no e s ta en ninguna p a rte ; no hay tiempo. El tiempo re c ie n aparece en la s ultim as pocas lfn e a s, desde: "El so l de l a maftana, . . . " h a sta la s palabras de Teseo: " . . . apenas se d efen d io ." Y cuando aparece, de todos modos, no aparece para A sterion, porque e s te ya e s ta m uerto. A sterion ha conseguido, finalm ente, elim in ar a l tiempo. El r e la to es gerfectasm nte atem poral. Creo que puede s e n tirs e en e l una permanencia, una ausencia de d e s a rro llo tem poral, una p resen teeio n de v alo re s inm utables, o sea, inm oviles, o sea, fu era de tiempo, e x tra o rd in a rio s. Esa sensacion de atem poralidad in - m oviliza e sta s paginas.26 Because he re a liz e s th a t a l l r e a l it y is d isso lv ed in the presence o f in f in ity , the d is to r tio n o f space, lik e th e d is to r tio n o f tim e, is a fundamental c h a ra c te r is tic o f 26 Jorae Luis Borges, p. 92 B orges' f ic tio n . Also lik e the d is to r tio n o f tim e, i t appears in se v e ra l g u ise s. Basic among th ese is the a u th o r's concern w ith s p a tia l v astn ess as a re p re se n ta tio n o f in f in ity . For Borges, th e endless pamna o f southern A rgentina and Uruguay is an id e a l lo c a tio n fo r u n re a lity to appear. I t w ill be re c a lle d , fo r example, th a t th e s e ttin g o f th e f a n ta s tic clim ax in "El sur" is th is region; th a t Cruz and h is men encounter M artin F ie rro on th e " v a s ta lla n u ra " ; th a t th e gaucho c a rry in g th e sm all, b u t en o r mously heavy cone which announces the in tru s io n o f Tlttn upon th e r e a l w orld, comes from th is m ysterious se c tio n of th e country. I t is n o t only th e A rgentine and Uruguayan - but a ls o th e v a s t, unknown expanse o f In d ia th a t Borges employs as a metaphor o f in f in ity and o f th e u n iv erse, because of O 7 i t s "doble e lu sio n a lo v asto y a lo c a o tic o ." For in sta n c e , in "El hombre en e l um bral," which he claim s to have s itu a te d in In d ia "para que su in v e ro slm ilitu d fu e ra to le ra b le " ("Hombre," El Aleph. p. 172), he r e c a lls th e proverb which affirm s th a t " la In d ia es mas grande que 27Barrenechea, p. 26. 64 e l nundo" ("Hombre," El Aleph. p. 144). "Por eso y porque la s creen clas re llg lo s a s y f ilo s o f ic a s , la tra d lc io n de l i te r a t u r a f a n ta s tic a , y su r e la tiv a Im precision para lo s o cc ld e n ta le s le perm iten a lo ja r c u a lq u ie r irre a lid a d , . . . [Borges] la e lig e como as le n to m £tlco de algunos de sus 28 cu e n to s." R ep resen tativ e o f th is type o f story- i s "El acercam iento a Almotasim." Another o f Borges* pseudo- essays, com plete w ith apocryphal opinions from both re a l and im aginary c r i t i c s , i t s s u b je c t is th e novel by th e Bombay a tto rn e y (im aginary, o f co u rse) M ir Bahadur A lf, The Approach to Al-Mu* taslm . supposedly " la prim era novela p o lic ia l e s c r ita por un n a tiv o de Bombay C ity" ("A cerca m iento, " F ic c io n e s. p. 35). Although i t i s o s te n s ib ly a d e te c tiv e novel, The Approach to Al-M u'tasim a c tu a lly d esc rib es a young law s tu d e n t's search fo r God, in th e p e r son of "tin hombre de quien procede esa c la rid a d ; en algun punto de l a t i e r r a e s ta e l hombre que es ig u a l a esa c l a r i dad" ("A cercam iento," F iccio n es. p. 39), a f te r, he has come to doubt th e Islam ic f a it h o f h is an c e sto rs: * Ya e l argumento g en eral se en trev e: la in s a c ia b le busca de un alma a trn v es de lo s d elicad o s r e f le jo s » 28 Barrenechea, p. 26. 65 que e s ta ha dejado en o tra s : en e l p rin c lp io , e l tenue r a s tr o de una s o n rls a o de una p a la b ra ; en e l f in , esplendores d iv e rso s y c re c le n te s de l a razon, de l a im agination y d e l b ie n . A mad Ida que lo s hoobres in terro g ad o s han conocido mas de c e rc a a Almotasim, su p o rtio n d iv in a es mayor, pero se en tien d e que son meros e sp e jo s. El teenioism o m atem atlco es a p lita b le : l a cargada novela de Bahadur es una p ro g resio n ascendente, tuyo term ino f in a l es e l p re se n tid o "hombre <jue se llam a Almotasim." El inm ediato a n te c e so r de Almo tasim es un lib r e r o p e rsa de suma c o rte s£ a y f e li ti d a d ; e l que p re te d e a ese lib r e r o es un sa n to . . . . Al cabo de lo s anos, e l e s tu d ia n te lle g a a una g a le r la "en tuyo fondo hay una p u e rta y una e s te r a b a ra ta eon nuchas euentas y a tr a s un re sp la n d o r." El e stu d ia n te golpea la s manos una y dos veees y pregunta por Almotasim. Una voz de hosibre - - l a in e r e lb le voz de Alm otasim-- lo in s ta a p a sa r. El e s tu d ia n te d e se o rre la e o r tln a y avanza. ("A cercam iento," F iccio n es. pp. 39-40) Here, in a d d itio n to th e d evices o f th e s to ry w ith in a s to ry , th e apocryphal q u o ta tio n s, and th e double, Borges has made ample use o f " la v a s ta geograf£a de Indostan" ("A cercam iento," F iccio n es. p. 38), as a means o f d is so lv in g r e a l i t y in to fa n ta sy . Obviously Almotasim (God) is meant to be re p re se n te d by th e many in d iv id u a ls whom th e stu d en t meets in h is p e rig rln a tio n s , and even by th e s tu d ent h im self: "En e l vigeslm o cap £ tu lo , unas p alab ras a tr ib u id a 8 por un lib r e r o p e rsa a Almotasim son, q u lza, la m agniflcacion de o tra s que ha dicho e l heroe; esa y o tra s ambiguas analog£as pueden s lg n if lc a r l a id en tid ad d e l bu8cado y d e l buscador; pueden tamblen s lg n if lc a r que e s te 66 in flu y e en aquel" ("A cercam iento," F ic c io n e s . p. 4 5 ). In h is d is to r tio n o f space and consequent d is s o lu tio n o f r e a l it y , Borges does n o t always employ a seem ingly e n d le ss a re a o f lan d , such as the lla n u ra o f A rgentina, o r th e immense expanse o f In d ia , as th e p h y sic a l re p re s e n ta tio n o f i n f i n i t y . He ach iev es p re c is e ly th e o p p o site e f f e c t in "E l A leph," by com pressing th e u n iv e rse in to a tin y sphere, and making o f i t a l i t e r a l (as opposed to sym bolic) microcosm. Borges obviously in ten d s fo r th e prem ise to be accepted th a t th e Aleph, as he d e sig n a te s th e sp h ere, i s a c tu a lly th e p h y sic a l c o n ta in e r o f th e u n iv e rse : En l a p a rte i n f e r io r d e l esc alo n , h a c la l a derecha, v i una pequena e s fe ra to m a so la d a , de c a s i in to le r a b le fu lg o r. Al p rin c lp io l a cre£ g i r a t o r i a ; luego comprend£ que ese movlmiento e ra una llu s io n producida por lo s v e rtig in o s o s esp e c ta c u lo s que e n c erra b a. El diam etro d e l Aleph se r£ a de dos o tr e s cent£m etros, pero e l esp acio cosmico e sta b a ah£, s in dism inucion de tamano. Cada cosa . . . e ra i n f i n i t a s co sa s, porque yo c la r a - mente la ve£a desde todos lo s puntos d e l u n iv e rso . Vi e l populoso mar, v i e l a lb a y l a ta rd e , v i la s rnuche- dumbres de America, v i una p la te a d a te la ra n a en e l c e n tro de una negra piram ide, v i un la b e rin to ro to (e ra L ondres), v i in term in ab les o jo s inm ediatos escru tan d o se en m£ como en un esp e jo , v i todos lo s esj>ejos d e l p la n e ts y ninguno me r e f l e j o , v i en un tr a s p a tlo de l a c a lle S o ler la s mismas baldoaas que hace t r e i n t a aHos v i en e l zaguan de una ca sa de F rey B entos, v i raclm os, n ie v e , tab aco , v e ta s de m etal, vapor de agua, v i con- vexos d e s ie r to s e c u a to ria le s y cada uno de sus granos de aren a, v i en Inverness a una m ujer que no o lv id a re , v i l a v lo le n ta c a b e lle ra , e l a ltiv o cuerpo, v i un 67 can cer en e l pecho, v l un c£ rcu lo de t l e r r a seca en una vereda, donde a n te s hubo un a rb o l, . . . v l l a noche y e l d£a contemporaneo, v i un ponlen te en Q ueretaro que parec£a r e f l e j a r e l c o lo r de una ro s a en Bengala, v l mi d o rm lto rio s in n ad ie, v l en un g a b ln ete de Alkmaar un globo terraq u eo e n tre dos es^ ejo s que lo m u ltip lic a n 8 In f in , . . . v i l a c irc u la c lo n de ml oacura sangre, v i e l engranaje d e l amor y la m o d lflc a d o n de l a m uerte, v i e l Aleph, desde todos lo s puntos, v l en e l Aleph l a t l e r r a , v i ml c a rs y mis v £ sceras, . . . y sen t£ v e rtig o y l l o r e , porque mis o jo s hab£an v is to ese o b je to se c re to y c o n je tu ra l, cuyo nombre usurpan lo s hombres, pero que ningun honbre ha m irado: e l in co n ceb ib le u n iv erso . ("E l A leph," El Aleoh. pp. 164-166) To make th is e x tra o rd in a ry prem ise ac cep tab le as r e a l i t y , Borges uses th e d ev ice s, p rev io u sly noted in th i s c h a p te r, o f p re se n tin g numerous d e ta i l s In h is d e s c rip tio n s , and o£ m ingling r e a l persons (in clu d in g h im self) and works among h is f i c t i o n a l c re a tio n s . The passage, c ite d above, in which th e g re a t number o f d e ta ils t e s t i f y to th e r e a l i t y o f what th e n a r ra to r se e s, i s an e x c e lle n t i l l u s tr a tio n o f the. foxtner tech n iq u e. This d e s c rip tio n o f th e Aleph, w ith a l l th a t i t c o n ta in s, in v ite s a com parison between th e sphere and th e a sto n ish in g memory o f Ireneo Funes, fo r both a re r e p o s ito r ie s o f d e t a i l . J u s t as Funes is unable to fo rg e t a s in g le o b je c t o r event th a t he has ever seen, th e Aleph is unable to h id e from th e observ er any o f th e o b je c ts o r events (which a re in f i n i te ) th a t i t c o n ta in s. So long as th e beholder co n tin u es to observe 68 th e m arvels o f th e Aleph, and so long as Funes continues to remember, th e d e ta ils w ill contin u e to m u ltip ly . As In most o f B orges' s to r ie s , th e re a re se v e ra l examples of h is use o f th e l a t t e r technique In "El A leph," b u t one of th e se is e s p e c ia lly in te r e s tin g because o f th e com parative o b sc u rity o f th e person m entioned. In h is d i s cu ssio n of a poem by C arlos A rgentino D aneri (th e owner o f th e Aleph, and th e p rin c ip a l fig u re o f th e sto ry , b esid es B orges), th e au th o r compares i t w ith one by M ichael Dray to n , an E nglish poet who liv e d from 1563 to 1 6 3 1 :^ Una so la vez en mi v id a he tenido ocas ion de examiner lo s quince m il dodecas£labos d e l P olvolbion. esa epo- peya to p o g ra fic a en l a que M ichael Drayton r e g is tr o l a fauna, la f lo r a , la h id ro g ra ffa , la o rograf£a, l a h is to r ia m i li t a r y m onastica de In g la te rra ; esto y se- guro de que ese producto co n sid e ra b le , pero lim ltad o , es menos te d io so que l a v a s ta empresa congenere de C arlos A rgentino. E ste se propon£a v e r s if ic a r toda l a redondez d e l p la n e ta ; en 1941 ya hab£a despachado unas h e c ta re a s d e l estado de Queensland, mas de un kllom etro d e l curso d e l Ob, un gasom etro a l n o rte de V eracruz, la s p rln c lp a le s casa de comercio de l a p arro q u ia de la Concepcion, la q u in ta de M ariana Cambaceres de A lvear en l a c a lle Once de Setlem bre, en B elgrano, y un e s ta - blecim ien to de banos tu rco s no le jo s d e l a c red ltad o acu ario de B righton. ("E l A leph," El Alenh. p. 156) This com parison w ith Drayton is n o t in i t s e l f 29 Paul Harvey, The Oxford Companjpn frq Eng lis h L ite r a tu re (Oxford: The Clarendon P ress, 1958), p. 238. s u ffic ie n t to e s ta b lis h the ex isten ce o f the Aleph, but th a t i s not i t s so le purpose. Borges a lso uses th e a l l u sion to the Englishman to dem onstrate the enormity o f the p ro je c t th a t C arlos A rgentine D aneri has begun; he then makes an im plied referen ce to th e comparison, and un deniably proves the r e a l it y o f the Aleph, when he announces th a t C arlos A rgentino has won th e Segundo Premio Nacional de L ite ra tu re w ith h is poem. Since th e p riz e is awarded only s ix months a f te r Borges has f i r s t seen th e poem, then in i t s f i r s t sta g e s, the conclusion is th e re fo re in e s capable th a t th e author was aided by the Aleph, which enabled him to view th e e n tire p la n e t w ithout moving from h is study, fo r such a v a s t undertaking would have been im possible w ithout th is a s s is ta n c e . The s to r ie s previously examined in th is se c tio n demon s t r a te the devices which Borges employs to d is to r t e ith e r time o r space as a means o f d isso lv in g r e a lity ; in some in stan ces, however, he combines the d is to r tio n of both time and space w ith in the same sto ry . This technique is p a r tic u la r ly p rev alen t in th e s to r ie s which employ the laby r in th as a foundation fo r the n a rra tiv e . Enrique Anderson lm bert has observed th a t " e l la b e rin to es e l [aparato] mas s ig n ific a tiv o en toda la obra de Borges. C asl no hay 30 cuento . . . en que no se asome." In most cases, however, th e la b y rin th is a secondary device; th e p resen t d iscu ssio n w ill be lim ite d to those s to r ie s in which th e la b y rin th , in one form o r ano th er, is th e m ajor n a rra tiv e v e h ic le . In th e b r ie f d isc u ssio n above o f "La casa de A ste r i o n ," th e s to ry served as an example o f Borges' com plete neg atio n o f tim e, fo r i t co n tain s no re fere n ces to tem poral concepts, no hours, no d a te s, no y e a rs. But "La casa de A sterion" a lso i l l u s t r a t e s th e a u th o r's technique o f com b in in g th e d is to r tio n o f tim e and space w ith in th e same sto ry to e f f e c t a d e s tru c tio n o f r e a l it y . As s ta te d p rev io u sly , th e sto ry is a v a ria tio n o f the M inotaur legend. In th is v e rsio n o f th e myth i t is A ste- • m rio n (A ste riu s), ra th e r than th e M inotaur, who in h a b its th e la b y rin th . This la b y rin th , th e "casa de A sterio n ," domi n a te s th e e n tire s to ry ; fo r Borges i t is "del tamano d el mundo; m ejor dicho, es e l mundo" ("A sterio n ." El Aleph. p. 69). I t is th e co n crete re p re s e n ta tio n o f a world 30 / "Un cuento de Borges, 'La casa de A s te rio n ,'" R evista iberoam ericana, X X V (1960), 41. 71 (or universe) th a t is i n f i n i te and u n c la s s ifia b le , since a l l the hallw ays and a l l the doors in the house a re capable of in f i n i te com binations: "Todas la s p a rte s de l a casa e8 tan ouchas veces, cu a lq u ier lu g ar es o tro lugar" ("A ste r i o n / ' El Alenh. p. 69)* R afael G u tierrez G lrardot has pointed out th a t . . . e l la b e rin to es in f in ito dentro de lo f in ito , y Borges su g lere e s ta paradoja cuando da e l numero lim i- tado de lo s ^ a ljib e s , de lo s p a tio s, de lo s abrevaderos y e n tre p a re n te sis afirm a su in f in itu d : ” . . . son cato rce (son in f in ito s ) lo s pesebres, abrevaderos, p a tio s , a ljib e s ." Pero sem ejante p re c isio n en lo s numeros y su lim ita - cion e n tre p a re n te sis son algo mas que un juego sim ple. La enumeracion de numeros, que Borges suele h a c e rc o n frecu en cia, lo mismo que la ind icacio n p re c is a de fechas y horas, no sirv e n para s itu a r una cosa en e l tiempo o para p re c is a r su can tid ad . El numero tie n e un c a ra c te r de c lf r a , de formula magica, y su c i t a da a la n a rra - cion e l anbiente magico d el juego. Ademas es un modo de in d lc a r la s in f in ita s combinaciones de que es capaz ese lim itado numero de c if r a s , tr a s la s que se o c u lta e l universo cao tico .3 * The la b y rin th is found in another form in "La b ib lio - teca de B abel," in which an in f i n ite lib ra ry is l i t e r a l l y the universe: El universo (que o tro s llaman la B lb lio teca ) se compone de un numero in d efin id o , y t a l vez in f in ito , de g aler£as hexagonales, con v asto s pozos de v e n tila c io n en e l medio, 31Jorze Luis Borges (Madrid: In su la, 1959), p. 104. 72 cereados por berandas baj£sim as. Desde c u a lq u le r hexa- gono, se ven lo s p lso s In fe rlo re s y su p e rlo re s: i n t e r - m lnablamente. Por ah£ pasa l a e s c a le ra e s p ir a l, que se ablsma y se ele v a h ac la lo remoto. En e l saguan hay un espejo, que fielm en te d u p llc a la s a p a rle n c la s. Los honbres suelen I n f e r l r de ese espejo que l a B lb llo te c a no es i n f l n l t a ( s i lo fu e ra realm ente ja que esa d u p li- caclon llu s o r la ? ) ; yo p re fle ro sonar que la s su p er f ic ie s brunldas fig u ra n y prometen e l in f in ito . Yo afirm o que la B lb llo te c a es In term in ab le. Los i d e a li s t a 8 arguyen que la s s a la s hexagonales son una forma n e c e sa ria d e l espacio ab so lu to o, por lo menos, de n u e stra in tu ic io n d e l esp acio . Razonan que es in - concebible una s a la tria n g u la r o pentagonal. Basteme, por ahora, r e p e tir e l dictam en c la s ic o : La B lb llo te c a CP W C fffm ffttyp. cefttyo gqb#?, qs 9 VUllq\iigr (" B lb llo te c a ," F lccio n es. pp. 85-86) The v a stn ess o f the L ibrary is in I t s e l f an expression o f s p a tia l d is to r tio n ; i t i s , a f te r a l l , a b u ild in g , and a lim itle s s s tru c tu re In th e " re a l" world i s Inconceivable. The d is to r tio n o f tim e occurs im m ediately when th e q u estio n o f i n f in ity is ra is e d , fo r th e presence o f s p a tia l in fin ity - re q u ire s , a p r io r i, th e presence o f tem poral in f in ity . Moreover, th e c y c lic a l n a tu re o f th e L ibrary suggests th e 32 "d o c trin e d e l E tem o R etorno," as Barrenechea term s i t . This theory, w ith i t s concept o f c o n sta n tly re c u rrin g ev en ts, and of th e repeated appearance o f persons a t 32Expresion, p. 42. 73 d if f e r e n t tim es and in d if f e r e n t p la c e s, i s a ls o a m ani f e s ta tio n o f tem poral d is to r tio n . As u su al in Borges* f ic tio n , th ese techniques achieve a d e s tru c tio n o f r e a l i t y # and c re a te an atm osphere o f u n re a lity , a n ecessary co n d i tio n in h is u n iv erse o f chaos. The la b y rin th i s a ls o a s ig n if ic a n t fe a tu re o f "La lo te r£ a en B a b ilo n ia ," but in th i s case i t occurs in an extrem ely a b s tr a c t form. Here th e la b y rin th i s n o t a p alace, n o r is i t an i n f i n i t e lib r a r y ; in s te a d , i t i s m ani fe ste d in th e en d less v a r ia tio n s in th e liv e s o f th e Baby lo n ian s : Como todos lo s hombres de B abilonia, he sido proconsul; como todos, esclav o ; tambien he conocido la om nipoten- c ia , e l oprobio, la s c a rc e le s . M iren: a mi mano derecha le f a l t a e l £ndice. M iren: por e s te desgarron de l a capa se ve en mi estomago un ta tu a je berm ejo: es e l segundo s£mbolo, B eth. E sta l e t r a , en la s noches de luna lle n a , me c o n fie re poder sobre lo s hombres cuya marca es Ghimel, pero me subordina a lo s de Aleph, que en la s noches s in luna deben o b ediencia a lo s de Ghimel. En e l crepusculo d e l a lb a , en un sotano, he yugulado an te una p ie d ra negra to ro s sagrad o s. Durante un ano de l a luna, he sid o declarado in v is ib le : g rita b a y no me respond£an, robaba e l pan y no me d ecap itab an . He conocido lo que ignoran lo s g rie g o s: la incertidum b re. Debo esa varied ad c a s i a tro z a una in s titu c io n que o tra s re p u b lic a s ignoran o que obra en e lla s de modo im perfecto y se c re to : la lo te r£ a . (" L o te rfa ," F icclo n es. pp. 67-68) The lo tte r y , which produces th is la b y rin th in e v a r ie ty o f e x iste n c e s, o r o f d e s tin ie s , i s a d ir e c t a p p lic a tio n 74 o f th e E te rn a l R eturn, th e concept o f th e m u ltip lic ity o f tim e and o f m etem psychosis. B eginning as a sim ple game o f chance f o r th e en terta in m e n t o f th e populace, th e l o t t e r y g ra d u a lly becomes more com plicated, as w e ll as more power f u l, u n t i l i t u ltim a te ly c o n tro ls n o t only who w ill be rewarded (o r punished, fo r punishm ent a ls o becomes an in te g r a l component o f i t s v a s t m achinery), b u t a ls o th e d e s tin ie s o f a l l th e c itiz e n s o f B abylonia. I t i s th e f a n ta s tic re p re s e n ta tio n o f a u n iv e rse com pletely abandoned to th e whims o f f a te : Imagineo»s un prim er s o rte o , que d i c t a l a m uerte de un honfcre. Para su cum plim iento se procede a un o tro so rte o , que propone (digam os) nueve e je c u to re s p o s ib le s . De esos e je c u to re s , c u a tro pueden i n i c i a r un te r c e r so rte o que d i r a e l nombre d e l verdugo, dos pueden r e - em plazar l a orden ad v erse por una orden f e l l s {el en- cu en tro de un te s o ro , digam os), o tro ex acerb ara l a m uerte (e s d e c ir l a h a ra infam e o l a e n riq u e c e ra de t o r tu r e s ) , o tro s pueden n eg arse a c u m p lirla . . . . En l a re a lid a d e l. numero de s o rte o s es Infinito. Ninguna d e c isio n es f i n a l , todas se ra m ific a n en o tr a s . Los ig n o ran tes suponen que i n f i n l to s so rte o s re q u le re n un tiempo i n f i n i to ; en re a lid a d b a s te que e l tiem po sea in fin ita m e n te s u b d iv is ib le , como lo ensena l a famosa p arab o la d e l C ert amen con l a T ortuga. Tambien hay s o rte o s im personales, de p ro p o sito in d e- fin id o : uno d e c re ta que se a r r o je a la s agues d e l E u frates un z a f ir o de Taprobana; o tro , que desde e l techo de una to r r e se s u e lte un p a ja ro ; o tro , que cade s ig lo se r e t i r e (o se aSada) un grano de aren a de lo s in n u n erab les que hay en l a p la y a . Las consecuencias 8on, a v eces, t e r r i b l e s . 75 . . . N uestras co stu ab res e s ta n aatu rad as da a z a r. El comprador da una docena de an fo raa de vino damascene) no aa m a ra v illa ra s i una da e lla a a n c la rra un talism an o una v£bora; a l aacribano que re d a c ta un c o n tra to no d a ja c a a l nunca da in tro d u c ir algun d ato arronao; yo mlsmo, an a a ta apresurada d e c la ra c io n , ha £alaeado a l gun esp lsn d o r, alguna a tro c ld a d . ( ”L o te r£ a ," F ic c io n e s. pp. 73-74) A 8 th e a n a ly a la o f th ese ’'la b y rin th ” s to r ie s has In d i c a te d , th e u n iv erse Is f o r Borges a chaos Im possible to su b ju g ate to any known law o f hum anity. But " a l mlsmo tiempo que s le n te ta n vlvam ente l a In se n sa te s d a l u n lv erso , reconoce qua como hombre no puede a lu d lr a l in te n to de 33 b u sc a rle un s e n tid o ." The la b y rin th la an e x c e lle n t symbol fo r h la concept o f the u n iv erse , fo r w hile I t may seem to be an endless d is o rd e r, Borges Is aware th a t I t has "a s e c re t c e n te r and a sym m etrical o rd e r c y c lic a lly con- 34 ta ln e d ." C onsequently, even though he may view l i f e as a r b itr a r y and d iso rd e re d , a chaos governed by chance and I r r a ti o n a lit y , Borges m aintains th a t th e search fo r o rd e r Is a w orthw hile endeavor: "La im p o sib ilid ad de p e n e tra r e l esquema* d lv ln o d e l unlverso no puede, s in embargo, d isu a - d lm o s de p lan ear esquemas humanos, aunque nos conste que e e ScoresIon, p. 47 3 4 Irby, p. 277. 76 35 e sto s son p ro v iso rio s." Appeal to a R e stric te d Audience Anderson Lnbert has observed th a t Borges, "co n scien te de su o rig in a lid a d , . . . renuncio a s e r popular. Hizo una l i te r a t u r a que ignora a l le c to r comun." This i n t e l l e c tu a l alo o fn ess, th is d isre g a rd fo r th e average man, is everywhere apparent in Borges* f ic tio n . He i s n o t an easy w rite r to re ad . His p rose s ty le , an ad a p ta tio n o f th e L atin ized Baroque s t i l coupe (as p ra c tic e d by Quevedo), is c h a ra c te riz e d by th e use o f an extrem ely e ru d ite vocabulary, th e so -c a lle d "hard" or "philosophic" words, which he o fte n uses in th e ir s t r i c t l y etym ological sense. The e f f e c t o f th is procedure is to re tu rn to the word i t s o b je c tiv ity . Tamayo and Ruiz-Diaz o f f e r an e x c e lle n t example: " S in tio e l f r lo d e l miedo y busco en l a mural la d ila p id a d a un nicho se p u lc ra l y se tapo con h o jas desconocidas." Here th e term "d ilap id ad a" ap p lied to "m uralla" suggests th a t i t is 35 Jorge Luis Borges, O tras in q u isic io n e s (Buenos A ires: E d ito ria l Sur, 1952), p . 124. 3 6H ls to ria . I I , 231. 37 clave, p. 164. being used in a m etaphoric sen se. But th is i s n o t th e a u th o r *8 purpose, as Tamayo and Ruiz-D faz observe: Borges devuelve a l verbo su s e n tid o etim o lo g ico , p re - c is o , co n c reto . El uso ha r e s tr in g id o d lla p id a r a l a acepcion de d e s p ilf a r r o con e l c o n sig u ie n te o lv id o d e l o b je to que envuelve: la p is , p ie d ra . K u ra lla d ila p id a d a . con p re c is io n d e s c r ip tiv e v a le por m u ralla aguj ereada por s u s tra c c io n de la s p ie d ra s . Al c a l i f i c a r de se p u l- c r a l a l n ich o , re s ta b le c e l a am plitud d e l s u s ta n tiv o , hoy lim it ado a nombrar una forma de s e p u ltu r e .3° There a re innum erable o th e r examples in B orges' f i c ti o n , b u t th e fo llo w in g a re ty p ic a l and w ill serv e to i l l u s t r a t e t h i s a sp e c t o f h is s ty le . In "El in m o rta l," a f t e r Rufus-Homer has reached th e C ity o f th e Im m ortals, he d e s c rib e s h is attem p t to fin d an e n tra n c e to one o f th e ru in ed b u ild in g s : "En vano fa tig u e mis pesos: e l negro basamento no descubr£a l a menor irre g u la rid a d , lo s muros In v a ria b le s no p arecfan c o n s e n tir una s o la p u e rta " ("Inm or t a l , " El Aleph. p. 1 3 ). One o f B orges' f a v o r ite words, - f a t i e a r in h is s to r ie s u s u a lly means " to e x h a u st," which i s th e norm al modern m eaning. In t h i s case, however, he w ishes to convey a double meaning, th e u su al one, and th e > s t r i c t l y etym ological one. In th e l a t t e r sen se, f a t i a a r 38 Enigma v c la v e , p. 164. 78 39 d e riv e s from th e L atin f a t i s . c re v ic e . As a consequence, Borges su g g ests n o t o nly th a t th e man i s becoming ex h au sted , b u t a ls o th a t he i s sea rch in g fo r an opening, an id ea re in fo rc e d by th e r e s t o f th e sen ten c e. S h o rtly th e r e a f te r in th e same s to ry , th e p ro ta g o n is t has found an opening: "B aje; por un caos de so rd ld as g a le - r£ as lle g u e a una v a s ta camera c i r c u la r , apenas v is ib le " (" In m o rta l," El Alenh. p. 13). As b e fo re , Borges w ishes to be very ex a ct in h is meaning. S ordida. in th i s sen se, d e riv e s from th e Indo-European sward, b la c k o r dark, obscure4® (c f. German sc h w a rtz ). In "El acercam iento a Almot&slm" a s im ila r s itu a tio n o c c u rs: " . . . e l in a u d ito y no m irado Almotasim d e b e rla . d e ja m o s l a im preslon de un c a r a c te r r e a l, no de un d e so r- den de s u p e rla tiv o s in sip id o s" ("A cercam iento," F ic c io n e s, p. 4 0 ). Here th e te n s " in a u d ito " means, sim ply, "no oido" in analogy w ith "no m irad o ," and not " e x tra n o ," which i s th e u su a l modem co n n o tatio n . Once ag a in , by using* th e % 39 E ric P a rtrid g e , O rig in s: A S hort E tym ological D ictio n ary o f Modem E nglish (New York: The M acmillan Company, 1958), p. 203. 40Ibid.. p. 685. 79 word in i t s s t r i c t e s t etym ological sense, Borges has succeeded in exp ressin g ex a c tly h is d e sire d meaning. "Tldn, Uqbar, O rbis T e rtiu s" su p p lies an o th er s p e c i men: "Quiza lo e s te , pero de acuerdo a ley es d iv in as —trad u z co : a ley es inhumanas- - que no acabamos nunca de p e rc ib lr" ("T lttn," F ic c io n e s. pp. 33-34). This i s an in te r e s tin g use of th e term "inhum ana," which o rd in a rily c a r r ie s th e same meaning as in E nglish: c ru e l, inhumane. But as Borges uses i t in th is passage, i t means m erely "not human." Because i t p re fig u re s th e f i n a l discovery o f the m agician, the clim ax o f "Las ru in a s c ir c u la r e s ," the most in te re s tin g example o f a word used in i t s o rig in a l etymo lo g ic a l sense in o rd er to convey a p re c ise meaning, and in th i s case to im part to th e term a m etaphorical v alu e, is p o ssib ly "unanime" as i t appears in th e follow ing passage: "Nadie lo vio desem barcar en l a unanime noche" ("R uinas," F iccio n es. p. 59). The word, as used in th is s e le c tio n , q u ite l i t e r a l l y means "o f one m ind," from th e L atin unus a n im u s .^ and n o t th e more u su al "u n ited in o p in io n ." 41 Partridge, p. 452. 80 Another in d ic a tio n th a t Borges is p rim arily concerned w ith "the s o p h is tic a te s , those n o t m erely in itia te d in 42 a e s th e tic m ysteries but versed in s u b tle tie s ," is h is se le c tio n o f themes. The universe as a ch ao tic la b y rin th , the enigma o f tim e and space, the E tern al Return, the id e n tity o f a l l men and th e ir d e s tin ie s , a l l co n stan tly recu r in h is fic tio n , and sin ce a l l have been examined a t some len g th in th e o th er se c tio n s o f th is chapter, i t would be re p e titio u s to d iscu ss them fu rth e r a t th is p o in t. Also analyzed previously, as an asp ect o f the sto ry -w ith in -a - sto ry device, is Borges' co n stan t referen ce to o th er w rite rs ; "h is e ru d itio n is not profound," as Andre Maurois p o in ts out, "but i t is v a s t. Borges has read everything, and e sp e c ia lly what nobody reads anymore." A good r e f e r ence lib ra ry is b asic to a re a l tinderstanding o f Borges' f ic tio n , fo r h is s to rie s unquestionably demand considerable knowledge: " . . . un saber de la c u ltu ra (por sus alusio nes a la h is to r ia de la s le tr a s ) , un saber de la filo so f£ a 42 Angel F lo res, "Magical Realism in Spanish American F ic tio n ," H isnania. XXXVIII (May, 1955), 191. 43 Jorge Luis Borges, L abyrinths, ed s. Donald A. Yates and James E. Irby; Preface by Andre Maurois (New York: New D irectio n s, 1962), p. ix . 81 (por sus a lu sio n es a lo s problem as u ltlm o s) y un saber de la obra d e l mlsmo Borges (por la s a lu sio n es de unas paglnas a o t r a s ) ." e This l a s t requirem ent, th a t o f n e c e s s ita tin g a thorough f a m ilia r ity w ith h is com plete work in o rd e r to understand a given s to ry , I s q u ite in te r e s tin g . A ll o f h is s to r ie s a re in some way connected to one an o th er, some tim es obviously, sometimes so su b tly th a t th e connection is only sensed, r a th e r than observed. In re ad in g "El hombre en e l um bral," fo r in s ta n c e , one has a vague fe e lin g o f having read b efo re a passage which d e sc rib e s an o ld man who is sq u a ttin g a t th e s id e , observing th e a c tio n w ith o u t r e a lly being a p a r t o f i t : A mis p ie s , inm ovil como una cosa, se acurrucaba en e l umbral un hombre muy v ie jo . D ire como e ra , porque es p a rte e s e n c ia l de la h i s t o r i a . Los muchos anos lo hab£an reducido y pulido como la s aguas a una p ie d ra o la s generaciones de lo s hombres a una se n te n c ia . ("Hombre," El Aleph, p. 145) A fte r c o n sid e ra b le thought, and a good d e a l o f search ing, one f in a lly encounters in "El su r" an other old man who is " p a rte e s e n c ia l de l a h is to r ia " : 44 Anderson Im bert, H is to ria . I I , 231-232 En e l su elo , apoyado en e l m ostrador, ae acurrucaba, inmovil como una cosa, un hombre muy v ie jo . Los muchos anos lo hab£an reducido y pul id o como la s agues a una pied ra o la s generaciones de lo s hombres a una senten- c ia . ("S u r," F iccio n es. p. 193) This alm ost verbatim re p e titio n is n o t th e r e s u lt of a lack o f invention; ra th e r, i t i s p a rt o f the game he is co n stan tly playing w ith h is re a d e rs. I t is a lso a fu rth e r m an ifestatio n o f the idea o f th e id e n tity of a l l men, in th e f i r s t p lace because i t su g g ests, as in "P ie rre Menard, a u to r d e l Q u ilo te ." th a t one w rite r i s a l l w rite rs , and in the second place because two men, w idely separated both in time and space, share th e same d e stin y : th a t o f being the instrum ent which brin g s about the climax in each of the s to r ie s . As he uses the passages to convey one o f h is prim ary themes, he sim ultaneously te s ts the m ental a g ility o f h is read er. In a way, Borges' tr ic k s are a compliment to those who read him, fo r he obviously expects to be understood. Another in stan ce of th is su b tle s e lf-re fe re n c e can be seen in "Tltfn, Uqbar, Orbis T e rtiu s ," when he observes th a t "ese pa£s indocumentado y ese h e re sia rc a anonlmo eran una fic c lo n improvisada por la m odestia de Bioy para Ju s- t i f i c a r una fra se " ("T ldn," F iccio n es. p. 14). As was 83 observed e a r l ie r in th is ch a p te r, th is is a s ly d e s c rip tio n o f one o f h is own fa v o rite p ra c tic e s . A somewhat more obvious example o f h is a llu s io n s to h is own work is th e se lf-p a ro d y o f " P ie rre Menard, a u to r d e l Q u ilo te .1 1 in which he d isc u sse s h is own fo ib le s as a w rite r w hile pretending to d isc u ss Menard, and o f "Examen de l a obra de H erbert Q uain," in which he does the same th in g to an even g re a te r degree, fo r th e re a re many sim i l a r i t i e s between Quain and Borges. Both a re preoccupied w ith qu estio n s o f tim e, fo r in sta n c e , and the works o f Quain r e c a ll those of Borges. Q uain's f i r s t novel is The God o f the L abyrinth ( c f . B orges' "La casa de A ste rio n "), and he has w ritte n a play c a lle d The S ecret M irror (c f. the m irro r in "Tldn, Uqbar, O rbis T e rtiu s" which causes the discovery o f the encyclopedia, and th e m irro r in "La b lb llo te c a de Babel" which p re fig u re s and re in fo rc e s th e in f in ity o f th e lib r a r y ) . The game continues w ith Borges' d e sc rip tio n o f Q uain's "novela re g re siv a , ra m ific a d a ," A p ril March, the s tru c tu re o f which very c lo s e ly p a r a lle ls th a t o f T s 'u i P en's lab y rin th -n o v el in "El jard £ n de sen - deros que se b ifu rc a n ," and w ith h is d isc u ssio n o f S ta te ments. which is a c o lle c tio n o f s to r ie s alm ost ex a ctly the 84 4 same as B orges' own El 1ard£n de senderos que se b lfu rc e n . u ltim a te ly the f i r s t p a r t o f F ic c io n e s. In th e same manner th a t B orges' s to r ie s a re connected to each o th e r, they a re a ls o connected to h is essay s. For 45 example, th e essay, "La b ib lio te c a t o t a l , " becomes th e s to ry , "La b ib lio te c a de B abel"; in th e essay, "A vatares 46 de l a to rtu g a ," he e la b o ra te s th e prem ise, to which he a llu d e s in "La lo te r£ a en B a b ilo n ia ," th a t tim e can be i n f i n i te ly s u b d iv is ib le ; he w rite s essays about W ells and 47 C h esterto n , then u t i l i z e s many o f th e ir id eas and methods in such s to r ie s as "El in m o rta l," "El m ilagro s e c re to ," "La o tr a m u erte," "Tldn, Uqbar, O rbis T e r tiu s ," and "El ja rd f n de senderos que se b ifu rc a n ." The th e o rie s concern ing th e n a tu re o f tim e which he p re se n ts in th e essay , * 48 "Nueva re fu ta c io n d e l tiem po," a re expounded in many o f h is f ic tio n s , as w ill be re c a lle d from th e exam ination o f h is d is to r tio n o f tim e e a r l i e r in th is c h a p te r. 45Sur. LDC (agosto de 1939), 13-16. 4* *Otras in q u ia ic io n e s (2a ed. aum .; Buenos A ire s: Etaiece, 1960), pp. 149-156. 47H>id. . pp. 119-128. 48Ibid.. pp. 235-258. 85 I t has been th e purpose of th is ch ap ter to determ ine whether c e rta in f ic tio n a l works o f Jorge Luis Borges can be shown to possess a s ig n ific a n t re la tio n s h ip to magical 49 realism as defined by Angel F lo res. By e x tra c tin g the various elements o f F lo re s ' d e fin itio n (combination o f fantasy and r e a lity ; transform ation o f the re a l in to the u n re al; d is to r tio n o f time and space; appeal to -a r e s tr ic te d audience), and by then analyzing th e techniques employed by the author in th e p e rtin e n t s to rie s from F icciones and El Aleph. a d e f in ite c o rre la tio n has been e sta b lish e d between the f ic tio n o f Borges and m agical realism . 49,tMagical Realism ," pp. 190-191 CHAPTER III ADOLFO BIOY CASARES Adolfo Bloy C asares, Borges' old frie n d and c o llab o ra to r , is the second of the w rite rs whom Angel F lo res desig n ates as i n i t i a t o r s of m agical re alism in Spanish America. As in th e study on Borges, i t is the purpose o f th is chapter to analyze c e rta in f ic tio n a l works o f Bioy Casares in o rd er to determ ine whether o r n o t a re la tio n s h ip can be e sta b lish e d between them and m agical re alism . The f ic tio n a l production o f Bioy Casares during the period w ith which we a re concerned c o n sis ts o f th re e novels and four c o lle c tio n s o f sh o rt s to r ie s : La lnvencion de Morel (1940), Plan de evasion (1945), El sueno de lo s heroes (1954); f f l f f (1948), H is to ria p ro d iaio sa (1956), G ulm alda con amores (1959), fl. i.gdp dg gogfrES (1962).1 N atu rally , not a l l of th ese works a re p e rtin e n t iNot considered a re works published in c o lla b o ra tio n w ith o th er w rite rs , e ith e r under h is own name o r under various pseudonyms. to the su b je c t p re se n tly under d isc u ssio n . For example, in G uim alda yyn fljnnr-y a c o lle c tio n o f poems, epigrams, and love s to r ie s , only one n a r ra tiv e , "Moscas y araS as," can be considered to possess any re la tio n s h ip to m agical re a lism . For th o se works which a re p e rtin e n t, however, th e method o f a n a ly s is i s th e same as th a t employed w ith the f ic tio n o f Borges. Combination o f F antasy and R eality Like Borges, Bioy o fte n employs v a ria tio n s o f the w ork-w ithin-a-w ork device as a method o f e s ta b lis h in g a r e a l i s t i c background upon which to superimpose a com pletely f a n ta s tic event o r s e t o f circum stances. La invenclon de M orel, one o f Bioy*8 most im portant works, o ffe rs e x c e lle n t examples o f th is technique. Although th e novel is b a s i c a lly a firs t- p e r s o n n a rra tiv e , i t a c tu a lly c o n s is ts o f th re e s to r ie s which are in te r r e la te d w ith in th is o v e ra ll framework. S tru c tu ra lly , th e novel as a whole can be com pared to th e s e rie s o f co n c en tric rin g s which r e s u lt when a pebble is tossed in to a pond. In th e c a n te r th e re is th e f a n ta s tic sto ry o f M orel's in v en tio n ; next, th e re is th e r e a l i s t i c ta le o f th e fu g itiv e who t e s t i f i e s to having observed a s e r ie s o f u tt e r ly f a n ta s tic events which have become l i t e r a l l y superimposed upon h is r e a l it y ; f in a lly , th e re a re th e remarks o f the " E d ito r," which c o n s titu te s t i l l an o th er s to ry because he t e s t i f i e s n o t only to the e x iste n c e o f th e w rite r o f th e d ia ry (he has i t in h is hands), b u t a lso to th e e x iste n c e o f M orel (he has read some o f th e in v e n to r's work). The la r g e s t o f th e th re e s tru c tu re s is th a t re p re sented by th e remarks o f the " E d ito r," sin c e he i s ab le to observe n o t only th e a c tio n s o f th e p ro ta g o n ist (as s e t down in h is d ia ry ), b u t a lso th o se o f Morel and h is frie n d s (as d escrib ed by th e n a r ra to r o f th e d ia ry ) . The " E d ito r's Notes" throughout th e work (which in r e a l i t y a re an i n t e g ra l p a rt o f th e no vel) are designed to convey th e im pres sio n th a t what we a re read in g is th e e d ite d v e rsio n o f a m anuscript d ia ry kept by the p ro ta g o n is t, a fu g itiv e from j u s t ic e . The r e a l i t y o f the f a n ta s tic events in th e s to ry thus becomes ac cep tab le through the in d ir e c t testim ony o f th e " E d ito r." For example, when th e n a r ra to r d e sc rib e s th e appearance o f two suns and two moons in th e sky over th e is la n d , he r e c a lls th a t C icero speaks o f the appearance o f two suns in th e De N ature Deorum: "Turn so le quod u t 89 2 e p a tre a u d iv i T udltano e t A quilio co n su lib u s e v e n e ra t. But th e M E d ito r" observes th a t th e n a r r a t o r 's re c o lle c tio n o f th e L a tin i s in c o rr e c t: Se equivoca. Oml te l a p a la b ra mas im p o rtan te: gsuL- n ato (de gem inatus, geminado, d u p licad o , re p e tid o , r e ite r a d o ) . La f r a s e e s : . . . ; turn s o le quod. u t e n a tre a u d iv i. T udltano e t A q u ilio consu lib u s ev e n arat: quo q u id ea anno P. A fricanus s o l a l t e r ex - tin c tu s e a t. (N. d e l E. ) (M orel, p. 79n.) Somewhat l a t e r , when th e n a r r a to r d e s c rib e s c e r ta in "p aginas a m a r illa s ," from which M orel reads th e e x p la n a tio n f o r h is a c tio n s to h is frie n d s , an o th er " E d ito r 's Note" a p p e a rs: Para mayor c la rid a d hemos c re fd o convenlente poner e n tre co m illas lo que e sta b a e s c r ito a maquina en esas pag in as; lo que va s in co m illa s son an o tacio n es en lo s margenes, a la p is , y de l a misma l e t r a en que e s ta e s c r ito e l r e s to d e l d ia r io . (N. d e l E. ) (M orel. p. 98) F in a lly , in in tro d u c tio n to h is d isc u ssio n o f th e te c h n ic a l a sp e c ts o f h is in v e n tio n , M orel p o in ts o u t th a t th e purpose o f ra d io is su p rim ir, en cuanto a l o£do, una au sen cia e s p a c ia l. . . . La te le v is io n consigue lo mlsmo, en cuanto a l a v i s t a . 2 Adolfo Bioy C asares, I-* fnvmiclo n de M orel (3a e d .; Buenos A ire s: Qnece, 1953), p. 79* A fte r th e i n i t i a l c i t a t i o n in each c a se , subsequent re fe re n c e s to th e works o f Bioy C asares w ill be documented w ith in th e te x t o f th e c h a p te r. 90 A lcanzar v ib racio n ea mas ra p id a s, mas le n ta s , se ra extenderae a loa o tro s se n tid o s; a todoa loa o tro 8 a e n tid o a . El cuadro c ie n t£ fic o de loa medios de c o n tra rre a ta r au8enclaa e ra , hace poco, mas o menoa as£: En cuanto a l a v la ta : l a te le v is io n , e l cinem ato- g ra fo , l a fo to g ra f£ a ; En cuanto a l o£do: l a ra d io te le fo n £ a , e l fonografo, e l te le fo n o . (M orel. pp. 102-103) Thl8 la 8 t statem ent concerning th e ra d io , th e phono graph, and th e telephone, e l i c l t 8 th e follow ing o b serv atio n from th e "E d ito r” : La om ision d e l te le g ra fo me parece d e lib e ra d a . Morel es a u to r d e l opusculo Que nous envoie Dieu? (palab raa d e l prim er menaaje de M orse); y c o n te s ts : Un n e ln tre i n u t il e e t una in v en tio n I n d is c r e te . (N. d e l E. ) (Morel, p. 103n.) The testim ony o f th e "E d ito r" th a t Morel ia th e au th o r o f a monograph is a ls o testim ony to th e e x isten ce o f Morel h im self; consequently, i f Morel can be accepted as a p a rt o f r e a lit y , then so can h is in v en tio n . The sto ry to ld by th e d ia r y 's n a r ra to r is th e second o f th e th re e s tru c tu re s from th e stan d p o in t o f i t s scope. I t forms the b a sic framework o f th e novel, sin ce M o rel's a c t i v i t i e s would be unknown to us w ithout i t , and the " E d ito r's Notes" would n o t e x is t w ithout i t . The se c tio n of the novel narrow est in scope, although i t com prises th e m ajor p o rtio n o f the book as f a r as len g th is concerned, 91 Is th e sto ry o f Morel and h is frie n d s . This n a rra tiv e , and th a t o f the composer o f th e d ia ry a re , as in d icated above, interdependent, w ith th e two threads o f a c tio n woven to g eth er in to a sin g le stra n d . In order to dem onstrate more c le a rly th is re la tio n s h ip , and to i l l u s t r a t e the manner in which th e two s to rie s a re re la te d , a ra th e r d e ta ile d summary o f the n o v e l's p lo t w ill be given. The n a rra to r o f the sto ry , in h is d esperate f lig h t from ju s tic e , learn s from an I ta lia n ru g s e lle r in C alcu tta th a t --P ara un perseguido . . . solo hay un lugar en e l mundo, pero en ese lu g ar no se v iv e. Es una i s l a . .Gente blanca estuvo construyendo, en 1924 mas o menos, un museo, una c a p illa , una p ile ta de n atacio n . Las ■ obras estan conclufdas y abandonadas. —Es e l foco de una enfermedad, aun m iste rio sa , que mate de afu era para ad en tto . Caen la s unas, e l pelo, se mueren la p ie l y la s corneas de lo s o jo s, y e l cuerpo vive ocho, quince d£as. (Morel, pp. 18-19) D espite th is d e sc rip tio n of the h o rro rs th a t aw ait him, the fu g itiv e decides to go to the isla n d anyway, sin ce nothing could be worse than h is p resen t l i f e . He succeeds in persuading the I ta lia n to help him, and f in a lly a rriv e s a t h is new home. Having spent sev eral months on the isla n d , he awakes one morning to fin d th a t a m iracle has happened: 92 El verano se a d e la n to . Fuse l a caaa c e rc a de l a p l l e t a de n a ta c lo n y estu v e bafiandome, h a s ta muy ta rd e . Era Im posible dorm ir. A l a madrugada me d esp e rto un fono- g ra fo . No pude v o lv e r a l museo, a b u scar la s co sas. Hu£ por la s b a rra n c a s. Creo que esa g en te no v in o a buacarme; t a l vez no me hayan v is to . Fero slg o ml d e s tln o ; esto y d e sp ro v lsto de todo, confinado a l lu g a r mas escaso , menos h a b ita b le de l a l s l a . (M oral, p. 17) Although he has n o t heard o r seen th e a r r i v a l o£ a sh ip , p lan e, o r any mode o f tra n s p o rta tio n , th e n a r r a to r observes th a t th e s e m ysterious people have taken up r e s i dence In th e museum on top o f th e h i l l ; th e Isla n d has In f a c t become crowded w ith people who sin g , dance, s t r o l l ab o u t, swim In th e pool, and In c e s sa n tly play "Valencia*' and "Tea fo r Two" on t h e i r phonograph. The f u g itiv e is a t f i r s t apprehensive th a t h is re a d e rs w ill b e lie v e th a t th e a r r iv a l o f th e s tra n g e rs i s a product o f th e p revious d a y 's h e a t upon h is b ra in , "pero aqu£ no hay a lu c in a c io n e s n i lmagenes: hay hombres v erd ad ero s, por lo menos ta n v erd a- deros como yo" (M orel, p. 20). His c h ie f o ccupation, b e sid e s perform ing th e n ecessary la b o rs to keep h im self a liv e , becomes th e o b serv a tio n o f th e new a r r i v a ls . Being a f u g itiv e , he is a t f i r s t a f r a id th a t they may want to I t i s soon ap p aren t th a t th e q u e stio n o f h is r e a l i t y i s d eb a ta b le so f a r as th e v i s i t o r s a re concerned. The " r e a l" man (th e n a r r a to r ) is a c tu a lly le s s r e a l than th e "u n real" in h a b ita n ts o f th e museum, sin ce they e x i s t fo r him, but he does n o t e x is t fo r them. re tu rn him to c i v i l iz a t i o n , b u t when th e lo v e ly F au stin e appears he fo rg e ts h is f e a r s . He follow s*her on s o li ta r y w alks; he eavesdrops upon h e r co n v e rsatio n s w ith M orel; he f a l l s d e s p e ra te ly in love w ith h e r. From th e d e sp e ra tio n o f h is love comes h is re s o lu tio n to meet h er and to attem p t to win h e r lo v e, d e s p ite th e dangers to h is freedom . He p lan s th e en counter fo r days, try in g to determ ine th e b e s t way to make a good im pression upon h e r. He f i n a ll y d ecid es to w rite a poem to h e r, form ing th e l e t t e r s w ith flow ers g ath ered from th e garden, and to p la c e i t in a c le a rin g through which she d a lly s t r o l l s . But when she comes along th e nex t day, a f t e r he has labored through th e n ig h t to p e rfe c t h is work o f a r t , F au stin e walks r ig h t through th e flo w ers, as though she does n o t see them. Not a s in g le p e ta l o r le a f i s d is tu rb e d . Through th is and s im ila r in c id e n ts , the f u g itiv e soon le a rn s th a t none o f th e people on th e isla n d has the a b i l i t y to see o r h e a r him; fo r them he does n o t e x is t, and n e ith e r do any o f th e th in g s he does. He i s a b le to stan d d ir e c tly in f r o n t o f them, to move f r e e ly about th e museum, even to e n te r F a u s tin e 's bedroom, w ith o u t being d isco v ered . He cannot understand t h i s phenomenon u n t i l 94 he o v erh ears M o rel's e x p la n a tio n to h is frie n d s o f h is In v e n tio n . Since th is ex p la n a tio n Is c e n tr a l to an under stan d in g o f th e f a n ta s tic even ts In th e s to ry , a d e ta ile d exam ination o f M o rel's "paglnas a m a rllla s" fo llo w s. M orel observes th a t up to th e tim e o f h is In v e n tio n , th e s c i e n t i f i c p ro cesses f o r th e re co rd in g and tra n sm issio n o f o b je c ts and sounds p e rc e p tib le to th e human senses had been te le v is io n , m otion p ic tu re s , photography, ra d io , th e phonograph, and th e telep h o n e. Not s a t i s f i e d w ith th e se im p erfect means o f re p ro d u ctio n , Morel began to sea rch f o r "ondas y v ib ra c io n e s in a lc a n x a d a s," and to Imagine " in s tr u - m entos p ara c a p ta rla s y tra n s m itir la s " (M orel, p. 104). He c o n tin u e s: Obtuve, con r e l a t i v e f a c ilid a d , la s sensaciones o lf a - tlv a s ; la s term less y la s t a c t i l e s propiam ente d lch as re q u ie ro n to d a mi p ars e v e ra n c la . Hubo, edemas, que p e rfe c c lo n e r lo s medios a x is te n te s . Los m ejores re su lta d o s honraban a lo s fa b ric a n te s de d isc o s de fo n o g rafo . Desde hace mucho e ra p o sib le a f l r - mar que ya no temfamos l a a u e rte , en cuanto a l a vox. Las imagenes hab£an sid o arch lv ad as muy d e fic ie n te m e n te por l a fo to g ra f£ a y por e l cinem atografo. Una persona o un anim al o una co sa, e s, a n te oils a p a ra to s, como l a e s ta c lo n que sm ite e l c o n c ie rto que u sted es oyen en l a ra d io . S i abren e l re c e p to r de ondas o lf a tiv a s , s e n tira n e l perfume de la s diam elas que hay en e l pecho de M adeleine, s in v e r la . Abriendo e l s e c to r de ondas t a c t i l e s , podran a c a r ic ie r su c a b e lle ra , suave e in v is ib le , y ap ren d er, como c le g o s, a conocer la s coses con la s manos. Pero s i abren todo e l juego de 95 re c e p to re s , ep arece M adeleine, com plete repro d u cld a, id e n tic e ; no deben o lv id a r que se t r a t a de Imagenes ex tra£ d as de lo s e sp e jo s, con lo s sonidos, l a r e s i s - te n c ia a l ta c to , e l sab o r, lo s o lo re s , l a tem perature, per£ectaiaente sin c ro n iz e d o s. Ningun te s tig o adm it i r e que son im agenes. E sta es l a prim era p a rte de l a maquina; l a segunda g rab a; l a te r c e r a p ro y e cta. No n e c e s ita p s n ta lla s n i p a p e le s; sus proyecciones son b ie n acogldas por todo e l esp acio y no im porta que sea d£a o noche. En e ra s de l a d e r id e d o sare com parer la s p a rte s de l a maquina con: e l a p a ra to de l a te le v is io n que m uestra Imagenes de em isores mas o menos le ja n o s ; l a camera que toma una p e l£ cu la de la s imagenes tra £ d a s p o r e l a p a ra to de l a te le v is io n ; e l p ro y ecto r cin em ato g rafico . (Morel. pp. 104-106) Once he had p e rfe c te d h is m achines, M orel th en decided to reco rd scenes from th e liv e s o f h im se lf and h is frie n d s as a kind o f album o f memories th a t they could enjoy in th e fu tu re . He reasoned a t f i r s t th a t h is images o f persons would lack consciousness o f them selves, much in th e same manner as th e Images on a m otion p ic tu re film . A fte r s e v e ra l experim ents, however, he was su rp rise d to le a rn th a t he was a b le to reproduce re c o n s titu te d In d iv id u a ls who "p ara n a d le , pod£an d is tln g u ir s e de la s personas v iv as (se ven como c irc u la n d o en o tro mundo, fo rtu ita m e n te abor- dado por e l n u e s tro ). S i acordamos l a co n c le n cia, y todo lo que nos d is tin g u e de lo s o b je to s , a la s personas que nos rodean, no podremos n e g a rse lo s a la s cread as por mis apa- ra to s " (M orel, p. 107). In o th e r words, once th e senses 96 a re p e rfe c tly synchronized, the soul emerges: "La hip£- te s ts de que la s imagenes tengan alma parece conflrmada por lo s e fe c to s de mi maquina sobre la s personas, lo s anim ales y lo s v eg etales em isores" (Morel, p. 108). The fu g itiv e has been lis te n in g a l l the w hile to M orel's explanation; when the l a t t e r i s in te rru p te d by the p ro te s ts o f h is frie n d s a g a in st h is having taken the lib e r ty o f "recording" them w ithout th e ir perm ission, he s ta lk s out of th e room. When th e o th ers have gone, the n a rra to r o f the d iary takes possession o f M orel's papers, and in the p o rtio n l e f t unread by the in v en to r, he fin d s th a t Morel had gone fu rth e r than h is o rig in a l in te n t, and discovers the complete explanation fo r the stran g e ex periences he has undergone in th e p a st few days: Descubrimos e s ta i s l a en la s c irc u n sta n c ia s que ustedes conocen. Tres condiciones me la recomendaron: la ) la s mareas; 2a) los a r r e c if e s ; 3a) la lum inosidad. La reg u larid ad o rd in a ria de la s mareas lunares y la abundancia de mareas m eteorologicas aseguran un s e r- v ic io c a s t co n stan te de fu erza m otriz. Los a rre c ife s son un v asto sistsm a de m urallas co n tra in v aso res. . . . La c la ra , no deslum brante lum inosidad, perm lte esp erar una mernia verdaderamente exigua en l a c a p ta tio n de imagenes. Ha llegado e l momento de anunciar: Esta i s l a , con sus e d lfic lo s , es n u 's tr o para£so privado. He tornado algunas precauciones --f£ s ic a s , m orales— para defensa: creo que lo protegeran. Aqu£ estarem os eternam ente 97 —aunque manana nos vayamos— re p itle n d o co n secu tiv e- mente lo s mementos de l a sesiana y s in poder s a l i r nunca de la conciencla que tuvimos en cada uno de e llo s , porque as£ nos tomaron lo s a p a ra to s; e sto nos p e rm itira s e n tira o s en una v id e siem pre nueva, porque no habra o tro s recuerdos en cada momento de l a proyeccion que lo s habidos en e l corresp o n d ien te de la grabacion, y porque e l fu tu re , muchas veces dejado a tr a s , mantendra sie a p re sus a trlb u to s . (Moral. pp. 114-115) The fu g itiv e is now ab le to understand why he saw two moons and two suns (th e " re a l" ones and those superimposed upon h is r e a l ity by M orel's p ro je c tio n ); why the h eat was so unbearable (th e h ea t o f th e summer day on which the recording was made was superimposed upon th e h eat o f the day in which th e n a rra to r was liv in g ) ; why th e tid e s were sometimes so high th a t they alm ost drowned him (th e recorded tid e s were added to th e tid e s o f the p re se n t); why th e v is ito r s were unable to see o r hear him (he was n o t a p a rt o f th e o rig in a l re co rd in g ). With h is new-found knowledge, th e fu g itiv e decides to explore th e museum in an attem pt to lo c a te th e m achinery. He does so w ithout any g re a t d if f ic u lty . Among the d i f f e r en t apparatus he discovers a p o rta b le camera and p ro je c to r, and decides to make some experim ents h im se lf: Prlmero h ic e funcionar lo s re cep to res y proyectores para exposiciones a is la d a s . Fuse flo ra s , h o jas, moscas, ra n as. Tuve la emocion de v a rie s ap arecer, reproducidas y la s mismas. 98 Despues comet£ la im prudencia. Fuse la mano Izq u ierd a an te e l re c e p to r; abr£ e l proyector y aparecio la mano, solam ente la mano, ha- clendo lo s perezosos movlmlentos que hab£a hecho cuando l a grabe. Los em isores v eg e ta le s --h o ja s, f l o r e s - - , m urleron despues de clnco o s e ts h o ras; la s ran as, despues de quince. Las copies sobrevlven, in c o rru p tib le s . Ignoro cu ales son la s moscas verdaderas y la s a r ti£ ic ia le 8 . A la s flo re s y a la s h o jas t a l vez la s haya fa lta d o agua. No d i alim entos a la s ra n as; han de haber su- frid o , asimismo, por e l cambio de am biente. En cuanto a lo s e£ectos sobre l a mano, sospecho que vengan de lo s temores provocados en m£ por la maquina, y no de e l l a misma. Tengo un ard o r continuo, pero d e b il. Se me ha ca£do algo de p ie l. (M orel, pp. 139' 140) A fter h is discovery o f the tru e n a tu re o£ th e beings on th e isla n d w ith him, the £ u g itiv e is fo r a tim e a b le to look upon F au stin e d isp a ssio n a te ly , as a sim ple o b je c t. He begins again to follow h e r about, a t f i r s t o u t o f c u r i o s ity , but l a t e r because h is love fo r h er has g rad u ally re tu rn e d . Because o f th is reawakened love, he decides to photograph him self a t opportune moments in o rd er to become a p a rt o f h er l i f e , d e sp ite h is knowledge th a t he w ill d ie as a r e s u lt, and th a t " la h ip o te s is de que la s Imagenes tien en alma, parece n e c e s ita r, como fundamento, que lo s em isores l a pierdan a l s e r tornados por lo s ap arato s" (M orel. p. 142). The discovery th a t F au stin e is dead, th a t 99 she liv e s only In th e image p ro je c te d by M o rel's in v en tio n , causes l i f e to become in to le r a b le fo r him. To escape from th is in term in ab le l i f e w ith o u t F au stin e, he determ ines to jo in h e r in th e b e st way th a t he can: Cuando me sen t£ d isp u e sto abr£ lo s re c e p to re s de a c tiv id a d sim ultanea. Han quedado grabados s i e t e d£as. R epresente b ien : un esp ectad o r desprevenido puede ima- g in a r que no soy un in tru s o . Esto es e l re su lta d o n a tu ra l de una la b o rio sa p re p a ra tio n : quince d£as de co n tin u es ensayos y e stu d io s . E studie lo que d ic e F a u stin e , sus preguntas y re sp u e sta s; muchas veces in - te rc a lo con h a b ilid a d alguna fra s e ; parece que F au stin e me c o n te s ts . No siem pre la sigo;. conozco sus movimien- to s y su elo cam inar a d e la n te . Espero que, en g en e ral, demos l a im presion de s e r amigos in se p a ra b le s, de entendem os s in necesidad de h a b la r. (M orel, pp. 150* 151) As he fin is h e s h is d ia ry , th e fu g itiv e d e sc rib e s th e sc a rc e ly f e l t p ro g ressio n o f h is d ea th : " . . . empezo en lo s te jid o s de la mano iz q u ie rd a ; s in embargo, ha pros** perado mucho; e l aumento d e l ard o r es ta n p a u la tin o , tan continuo, quo no lo n o to . Pierdo la v i s t a . El ta c to se ha v u e lto im p ractica b le ; se me cae la p ie l; la s sensaciones son ambiguas, d o lo ro sas; procuro e v ita r ia s " (M orel, p. 152). Now in th e f in a l stag es o f d eath , the fu g itiv e sees h is image moving about in the e te rn a l week. He has alm ost fo rg o tte n th a t i t was added l a t e r , th a t i t was n o t a p a rt o f th e o rig in a l reco rd in g . But h is so u l has n o t y et passed 100 in to th e image: . . . s i no, yo h ab rfa m uerto, h ab rfa dejado de v e r ( t a l vez) a F au stin e, para e s ta r con e l l a en una v is io n que nadle recogera. A1 hombre que, basandose en e s te inform e, invente una maquina capaz de re u n ir la s p re se n cias d lsg reg ad as, h are una s u p llc a . Busquenos a F au stin e y a m£, hagame e n tra r en e l c ie lo de l a co n cien cia de F a u stin e . Sera un ac to piadoso. (M orel, p. 155) The re la tio n s h ip o f th e th re e s to r ie s , each dependent upon the o th e r, makes them a l l a c cep tab le to r e a l i t y . The f a n ta s tic in v en tio n of M orel, and the in c re d ib le events on th e isla n d which i t b rin g s about, a re ac cep tab le because the n a rra to r o f th e d ia ry is a w itn ess to them; th e fu g i- tiv e and h is a c t i v i t i e s a re ac cep tab le because th e "E d ito r" t e s t i f i e s to th e ir r e a l i t y ; and f in a lly , the testim ony o f the " E d ito r," which makes every th in g e ls e in th e novel b e lie v a b le , is ac cep tab le p re c is e ly because i t i s in the form o f very sc h o la rly fo o tn o te s. Another e x c e lle n t example o f th e s to ry -w ith in -a -s to ry technique used to combine fa n ta sy and r e a l i t y is B ioy's second novel, Plan de ev asio n . This book is s im ila r in se v e ra l re sp e c ts to La invencion de M orel: both tak e p lace on an isla n d ; both involve an ex tra o rd in ary in v en tio n ; both d isp la y a fondness fo r in v en to rs whose surnames end in - e l. e .g ., Morel and C a ste l. S tru c tu ra lly , they a re a lso q u ite 101 s im ila r . In Plan de evasion, th e b a sic n a r r a tiv e i s th e _ s to ry o f Enrique Nevera, a young French naval lie u te n a n t s e n t to an is la n d p riso n as a s s i s t a n t to th e governor, as to ld by h is u n cle, who perform s th e same r o le as th e "E d ito r" in M orel. Plan de ev asio n , however, i s a th ir d - person n a r r a tiv e , and as th e u n cle reco u n ts th e adventures o f Nevers, he uses e x c erp ts from th e lie u te n a n t's l e t t e r s as testim ony to th e even ts he d e s c rib e s . These l e t t e r s a re s im ila r in fu n c tio n to th e " E d ito r 's Notes" in th e e a r l i e r novel, and in th is case com prise th e s to ry w ith in a s to ry . From th e o u ts e t o f h is te n u re on th e is la n d , Nevers is asto n ish ed by C a s te l's m ysterious a c t i v i t i e s , and imme d ia te ly w rite s to h is u n cle f o r a s s is ta n c e : Todav£a no se acabo l a prim era ta rd e en e s ta s i s l a s y va he v is to alg o ta n grave que debo p e d irte sq co rro . d irectam e n te . s in ninguna de lic a d e z a . In te n ta re g£EUgf t 3naf e. . p. aBL .grig*.* , E ste es e l prim er p a rra fo de la prim era c a r ta de mi * so b rin o , e l te n ie n te de nav£o E nrique N evers. E ntre lo s amigos y lo s p a rie n te s no f a lta r a n quienes digan que sus in a u d ita s y pavorosas av en tu ras parecen j u s t i - f i c a r ese tono de alarm a, pero que e llo s , " lo s £ntim os," saben que la v erdadera ju s t if ic a c i o n e s ta en su c a r a c te r p u silanim e. Yo encuentro en aquel p a rra fo l a p ro por- cio n de verdad y de e r r o r a que pueden a s p ir a r la s m ejores p ro fec£ as; no c re o , edemas, que sea ju s to d e f i- n i r a Nevers como cobarde. Es c ie r to que e l mismo ha reconocido que e ra un heroe to talm en te inadecuado a la s 102 c a ta s tr o f e s que l e o c u rrla n . No hay que o lv ld a r c u a le s eran sus v erd ad eras preocu p aclo n es: tampoco lo ex tra* o rd ln a rlo de aq u e llaa c a ta s tr o f e s .4 The atm osphere o f m ystery, b oth in N evers' words and in those o f h is u n cle, p re fig u re s th e f a n ta s tic events w hich occur throughout th e no v el. At th e same tim e, how e v e r, th e u n cle n o t only v e r if ie s h is nephew's e x is te n c e , b u t a ls o su p p lie s in d ir e c t testim ony to th e lie u te n a n t's " in a u d ita s y pavorosas a v e n tu ra s," sin c e i t is obvious from h is statem en ts in th e above q u o ta tio n th a t he has seen p ro o f o f t h e i r having happened. N evers' c u r io s ity i s aroused when upon h is a r r iv a l he i s forbidden access to th e I s l a d e l D iablo; he i s to ld th a t he must c o n fin e h is a c t i v i t i e s to th e two is la n d s which com prise th e rem ainder o f th e p en al colony: R eal and San Jo se . But when he begins to h e a r s tra n g e , unexplained n o is e s , and to n o tic e th a t some o f th e p ris o n e rs behave in a very unusual fa sh io n , he d ecid es to in v e s tig a te . G aining th e confidence o f D reyfus, a lib e ra d o . Nevers le a rn s o f th e e x tra o rd in a ry experim ents th a t th e governor perform s on c e r ta in o f th e p ris o n e rs , and begins to 4 * Adolfo Bioy C asares, Plan de ev asion (Buenos A ires: Etaiece, 1945), p. 9* 103 th e o riz e on C a s te l's a c t i v i t i e s : th e governor i s s u b je c t to p erio d s o f in s a n ity , d u rin g which he u n d ertak es h is p e c u lia r a c t i v i t i e s ; he is perform ing some s o r t o f m edical experim ents on the p ris o n e rs ; he i s p lan n in g a re b e llio n to allo w a l l th e c o n v ic ts to escape: La re b e lio n o c u rrir£ a en su a u se n c la . D reyfus l e hab£a lle v a d o l a l i s t s de lo s a rt£ c u lo s que deb£a com prar en Cayena. . . . te s t isos n i oposI tores. W o los tendra —afirma—. ordena que parts el 8. lamftnfro no jgaA P froy ( Plan. P> 67) Upon re tu rn in g from h is t r i p , Nevers fin d s th a t th e re has been no re b e llio n , b u t th a t th e m ystery has i n te n s i f ie d : two more p ris o n e rs, Deloge and F avre, have been taken to th e I s l a d e l D iablo. D esp ite C a s te l's e a r l i e r p ro h ib i tio n s , th e lie u te n a n t goes to th e is la n d and ta lk s to F avre, le a rn in g th a t th e l a t t e r b e lie v e s th e governor is planning to h e lp th e c o n v ic ts to escape. His f i r s t i n s t in c t i s to p rev en t th e escape, b u t he knows th a t i f he in te r f e r e s , h is sta y on th e is la n d w ill be prolonged; he th e re fo re re so lv e s to do n o th in g . S h o rtly a f t e r a second c la n d e s tin e v i s i t to th e I s l a d e l D iablo, he r e c e iv e s an o rd e r from th e governor re q u e stin g h is presence on th e Is la n d . 104 When he a r r iv e s , Dreyfus lead s him to th e main build** ing: Entraron en e l pabellon c e n tra l; hab£a o lo r a d e sin fe c t antes y o lo r a comlda; o lo r a h o s p ita l, penso Nevers. Confusamente v lo en la s parades manchas co lo - rades, azu les, a m a rilla s. --^Donde e s ta e l gobem ador? --B i una celd a. En una de la s cu atro celdas que hay en e s te pabellon . . . --jU sted lo ha encerrado en una celda? —g rito Nevers. --No tengo culpa. Cumplo la s ordenes que me dan. —iQue le da quien? --E1 gobem ador. Cumplo la s ordenes. El gobem a dor d ijo que lo metieramos en una ce ld a . (Plan. pp. 125-126) Hearing th is somewhat s ta r tlin g re v e la tio n , Nevers n a tu ra lly wants to speak to C astel. But he is informed th a t th e governor w ill be able n e ith e r to hear nor recog n ize him, sin ce i t is n ig h t and C astel is awake. He is to ld th a t i f he wishes to speak to the governor, he w ill have to re tu rn in th e morning, when he is asleep . By now com pletely confused, Nevers again demands to see C astel. Dreyfus leads him to the in te r io r courtyard, and the uncle d escrib es (w ith th e aid o f Nevers' cooments) th e stran g e s itu a tio n : Para major comprension de lo s hechos in cre£bles que n a rra re y para qua e l le c to r imagine claram ente la prim era y ya fa n ta s tic a v isio n que tuvo Nevers de lo s "enferm os," d e s c rib ire la p a rte d e l pabellon que esto s 105 ocupaban. En e l ce n tro , en e l piso b ajo , hay un p a tio a b ie rto ; en e l cen tro d el p a tio , una construccion cua- d ran g u lar, que antlguam ente contenia cu atro celdaa ig u ale8 . Dreyfus me inform a que e l gobem ador h iy o d e rrib a r la s Paredes in te rc o m s de esa constru c c io n --e s c rib e N evers--. Desnues ordeno le v a n ta rla s como estan ah o ra: d eterain aro n cu atro celdas d esig u ales. de forma escandalosam ente anormal. Que se propone e l gobem ador con y«mM.os es un mis te r io que no he Lo curioso es que lo averiguo. Esta in co n siste n c ia , ^d e la te una incapacidad de v er sin teticam en te sus pen- sam ientos? $0, mas bien, que Nevers nunc a releyo esa ultim a c a rta ? El caprichoso proposito de C astel e ra . . . que cada una de la s cu atro celd as tu v ie ra una pared con- tig u a con la s tre s re s ta n te s . Una de la s celdas es in te r io r . Si tu v ie ra que en- ^errarm e en una de e lla s —e sc rib e Nevers— e l i g i r l a esa. Por lo menos e s ta r la lib r e d el c a lie n te h o rro r de loa e so e lo s. Alude, con su h a b itu a l dramatismo, a lo s grandes y b arato s espejos que hay en la s o tra s ce ld a s. Cubren, d el lado de adentro, todas la s paredes que dan a l p a tio . (Plan, pp. 130-132) Looking down from a catw alk in to th e th re e c e lls , Nevers n o tic e s th a t each is painted predom inantly in red, yellow, and blue, along w ith combinations o f the v a ria n ts of these c o lo rs, and th a t in each o f the c e lls one o f the four "enfermos" is lying on a c o t. He attem pts to ta lk w ith C astel, but is unable to communicate w ith him. "Pare- c£a in c re fb le e s ta r cuerdo y e s ta r viendo a esos hombres, como cu atro fig u ra s de ce ra formando un cuadro vivo desde cuatro celdas incom unicables. Parecfa in c re lb le que e l gobem ador hubiera estado cuerdo y hubiera pintado la s 106 ce ld a s con esa c a o tic a p ro fu sio n " (P lan, p. 134). When Dreyfus f in a l ly remembers to t e l l him th a t C a ste l has l e f t in s tru c tio n s fo r him w ith De Brinon, th e gover n o r 's a s s is ta n t in th e experim ents w ith th e c o n v ic ts, Nevers goes to th e I s l a Real to g e t them. H ardly has he managed to persuade De Brinon to hand them over, than Dreyfus ru sh es in to th e room w ith th e news th a t the gover n o r has d ie d . R eturning to th e I s la d e l D iablo, th e two men remove th e g o v ern o r's body from h is c e l l ; as they a re leav in g , Nevers fe e ls th e p re ssu re o f two hands in a stra n g le h o ld around h is neck, b u t when he tu rn s around, th e room is com pletely empty. Unable to d isc o v e r how th e governor was k ille d , sin c e th e door to th e c e l l was s t i l l locked when they a rriv e d , and he has th e only key, Nevers d ecid es th a t they should remove El Cura, th e only one o f th e fo u r who rem ains a liv e (Favre and Deloge have d ied p re v io u sly ) in o rd e r to save h is l i f e . When they c a rry him from h is c e ll , they n o te th a t he is extrem ely r ig id and th a t h is movements a re extrem ely slow. He r e s i s t s t h e ir removing him, c a llin g them "m onsters" and p ro te s tin g th a t he is drowning. They f in a lly succeed in c a rry in g him to th e g o v ern o r's o ffic e ; 107 as they a re lay in g him down, Nevers is asto n ish ed to see a heavy Grecian urn r i s e from i t s p e d e sta l, remain su s pended in the a i r fo r a moment, and s e t t l e slow ly back in to p lace. At l a s t having th e op p o rtu n ity to read C astel*s l e t t e r , Nevers learn s th a t i t is only a f in a l w ill and testam ent g iving d e ta ile d in s tru c tio n s reg ard in g th e d i s posal o f h is e s ta te and the manner in which he and th e th re e co n v icts a re to be tran sp o rte d to France. But th e re is s t i l l no ex planation of th e m ystery. Hoping to fin d such an explanation, Nevers searches th e g o v ern o r's desk and d isco v ers a fo ld e r b earin g th e t i t l e E xplicacion de mi ex n erien cia; in s tru c c iones a Enrique Nevers. As he reads the f o l d e r '8 co n ten ts (y et another m a n ife sta tio n o f th e w ork-w ithin-a-w ork device, somewhat sim ila r to M orel's "paginas a m a rilla s" ), he le a rn s th a t C a s te l*8 in v en tio n is f a r more f a n ta s tic and com plicated than anything he had p reviously imagined. The governor had indeed been planning to help the con v icts to escape, b u t not in th e manner th a t Nevers b eliev ed . He had discovered a s u rg ic a l o p eratio n which would give the co n v icts (and l a t e r h im self) th e illu s io n 108 th a t th e ir c e ll s were an isla n d p arad ise, and th a t they possessed com plete freedom o f thought and a c tio n . According to C a ste l, every m an's view o f the world is b a s ic a lly th e same: "Vivimos sobre p ied ra s y b arro , e n tre maderas con hojas v erdes, devorando fragm entos d e l u n i- verso que nos in clu y e, e n tre fo g a ta s, e n tre flu id o s , com- binando reso n an clas, protegiendo lo pasado y lo por v e n ir, do lorosos, term icos, r itu a le s , sonando que soSamos, i r r i - tados, oliendo, palpando, e n tre personas, en un in s a c ia b le jard £ n que n u e stra ca£da a b o lira " ( Plan, p. 171). The b a s is o f h is in v en tio n is th a t th e world is revealed to us through our senses: Nuestro mundo es una s£ n te sis que dan lo s se n tid o s. . . . S i cambiaran lo s sen tid o s cambiar£a la imagen. Podemos d e s c rib ir e l mundo como un con ju n to de s£mbolos capaces de expresar c u a lq u ie r cosa; con so lo a l t e r a r la gradua- cion de n u estro s se n tid o s, leerem qs o tra p alab ra en ese a lfa b e to n a tu ra l. Las c e lu la s n erv io sas d e l hombre son d iv e rsa s, de acuerdo a la d iv ersid ad de lo s se n tid o s. Pero hay a n i- males que ven, que huelen, que palpan, que oyen, por un solo organo. La unidad e se n c ia l de los sen tid o s y de la s imagenes, rep resen tacio n es o d ato s, e z is te , y es una alquim ia capac de c o n v e rtir e l d o lo r en goce y los muro8 de l a c a rc e l en p la n ic ie s de lib e r ta d . ( Plan. p. 173) C la rify in g th e above id ea, C astel observes th a t W illiam James 109 . . . a f Irma que e l mundo se nos p re se n ts como un in d e- term lnado f lu jo , una esp ecle de c o rrle n te com pacts, una v a s ts Inundaclon donde no hay personas n l o b je to s, sin o , confusam ente, o lo re s, c o lo re s, sonldos, c o n ta c to s, d o lo re s, tem p eratu res. . . . La ese n cia de l a a c tlv ld a d m ental c o n s is ts en c o r ta r y se p a ra r a q u e llo que es un todo continuo, a ag ru p arlo , u tillta r ia m e n te , en o b je to s, personas, anim ales, v e g e ta le s . . . . Como l i t e r a l e s su - je to s de James, mis p a c ie n te s se e n fre n ta ra n con e sa renovada m ole, y en e l l a tendran que rem odelar e l mundo. Volveran a d a r sig n ific a d o a l conjunto de sfm bolos. La v id a, la s p re fe re n c ia s, mi d ire c c io n , p re s id ira n esa buses de o b je to s perdidos, de lo s o b je to s que e llo s mismos in v en taran en e l cao s. S i lo s p a c ie n te s, despues de transform ados, e n fre n ta ra n 1 ib remen te e l mundo, la in t e rp r e t ac ion que d a r fan a cada o b je to e sc ap arfa de mi p re v isio n . Un punto c a p ita l e ra , pues, e n fre n te r a lo s p ac ie n te s con una re a lid a d que no abundara en elem entos. H ien tras pensaba en e s to , comente: s e r f s un sarcasmo d ev o lv erles l a lib e r ta d en sus p ropias c e ld a s. Muy pronto me convenef de que h ab fa dado con l a so lu cio n de mis d if ic u lta d e s . Las ce ld a s son camaras desnudas y para lo s transform ados pueden s e r lo s ja rd in e s de la mas ilim ita d a lib e r ta d . Pense: para lo s p a c ie n te s, la s c e ld a s deben p arecer lu g ares b e llo s y d e se a b le s. Pueden s e r una i s l a . Luego, mis problemas fu ero n : p re p a ra r la s ce ld a s de modo que lo s p ac ie n te s la s p e rc ib ie ra n y la s v iv ie ra n como i s l a s ; p re p a ra r a lo s p ac ie n te s de modo que exhu- maran una i s l a d e l tum ultuoso conjunto de c o lo re s, de formas y de p e rsp e c tiv e s, que s e rfa n , para e llo s , la s c e ld a s. (Plan, pp. 175-176) R ealisin g th a t th e background o f each su b je c t would be an in flu en ce upon h is in te r p r e ta tio n o f th e symbols, C astel s e le c te d men o f s im ila r experience, sin c e he planned to perform th e same type o f o p e ra tio n on each o f them, and sin ce each o f them would u ltim a te ly be presented w ith th e p 1 1 0 same r e a l i t y . But th e governor recognized th a t a mere s im ila r ity o f background would be In s u f f ic ie n t to prevent th e ir experien cin g unexpected in te r p r e ta tio n s o f th e sym b o ls and d isa g re e a b le s u rp ris e s from tim e to tim e; th e re fo re , he d ed icated in each case two o r th re e months p r io r to th e o p eratio n to th e p re p a ra tio n and education o f th e p a tie n ts . Once th e p a tie n ts had been thoroughly in d o c tr i n ated , and a l l had th e same e x p e c ta tio n s, C astel employed the follow ing system in each ca se: Operar en e l cerebro y a lo larg o de lo s n e rv io s. Operar en lo s te jid o s (epiderm is, o jo , e t c .) . Operar en e l sistem a locom otor. Reduje l a v elo cid ad de sus movlmientos: fueron mas penosos. A1 re c o rre r la c e ld a deb£an hacer e l esfu erzo de re c o rre r una i s l a . Nota de N evers: Esto e x n lic a la ria id e z d e l Cura. . . . Para p ro te g e rlo s de lo s ru id o s, que podrian comuni- c a r una re a lid a d c o n tra d ic to ria ( la n u e s tra ), combine e l o£do con e l ta c to . La persona u o b je to productor de sonido debe to c a r a l p ac ie n te para que e s te o ig a. Nota de Nevers: Por eso C astel no me o£a: por eso a veces o£an a D reyfus, y a veces no . . . . Les m odifique e l sistem a v is u a l. Ven como por le n - te s de la rg a v is ta puestos a l re v e s. La s u p e rfic ie de una c e ld a puede p a re c e rle s una pequena i s l a . (P lan. p. 178) So th a t the w alls o f th e c e ll s would d isap p ear, i t was necessary to a l t e r th e dim ensional system o f th e p a tie n ts . Since c e r ta in c e ll s in the eye p erceiv e c o lo r, and o th e rs dim ensions, he was ab le to re so lv e th e problem by combining Ill the chrom atic c e lls w ith th e dim ensional c e ll s , so th a t in h is p a tie n ts " la s c e lu la s se n sib le s a lo s co lo res perclben e l espacio. Los tr e s co lo res ese n clales dlero n la s tre s dlm enslones: e l azul e l ancho, e l am arlllo e l larg o , e l ro jo e l a lto " (Plan, p. 178). To th e p riso n ers a v e r tic a l w all painted blue and yellow would seem to be a beach, and 1 £ red tones were added, i t would appear as a sea w ith th e red conveying the h eig h t o f th e waves. With v arious c o lo r com binations, C astel r e la te s , . . . o rg an ic!, en la s ce ld a s, la topograf£a de la s i s le s . En un segundo perfodo g re p arato rio ^ Inmedlatamente p o s te rio r a la operaclon, c o n fro n t! a lo s p acien tes con esas com binaciones. E llos nacfan, de nuevo, a l mundo. Mis p acien tes perdieron la fa c u lta d de v e r lo s co lo res como c o lo re s. (Plan, p. 179) To complete th e a b o litio n o f the c e ll w alls, C astel a lso combined the v is u a l sense w ith the au d ito ry sense. "Los hombres oyen, mas o menos blen, a trav e s de un cuerpo so lid o . Los transform ados ven a trav e s de un cuerpo so lld o y opaco" (Plan, p. 179). As a consequence o f th is l a s t a lte r a tio n , the p a tie n ts a tta in e d the a b ility to touch o b jects a t a d ista n c e . As Nevers observes, th is a b ility to touch things a t a d ista n c e c le a rs up sev e ral o f the m ysteries: i t explains the hands on Nevers' neck; i t ex p la in s the le v ita tio n of the urn; i t explains the murder 1 1 2 of C a ste l, Favre, and Deloge: El Cura k ille d them, th in k in g th a t they were th e "m onsters" he had seen In h is d e liriu m a f t e r being shipwrecked some years b e fo re . Because th e p a tio flo o r Is p ain ted in th e same way as th e w alls o f th e c e n tr a l c e l l , El C u ra's fe a r o f drowning i s e a s ily explained: he b eliev ed th a t he was being dragged In to th e sea. Nevers p o in ts out th a t "C a ste l rodeo la s i s l a s nor e s te mar an aren te. para que lo s transform ados no em prendieran v ia le s a reg jo n es de jm p re v isib le i n te r p r e ts - c io n . Los esoeios de la s ce ld a s n e r if e r ic a s proponen . • liM gm es conocldas. aue a le i an* lo s in c o n le tu ra b le s fondos d e l n a tio " (Plan, pp. 180-181). As in La invencion de M orel, th e s to ry w ith in the s to ry is employed in Plan de evasion as a means o f making c re d ib le the f a n ta s tic events which occur throughout the n o v el. I t is f a r e a s ie r to accep t th e e x tra o rd in a ry i f th e re a re w itn esses to i t . When C astel u ltim a te ly ex p lain s h is in v en tio n , Nevers has alread y observed a m u ltip lic ity o f f a n ta s tic in c id e n ts , and has re la te d them to h is u n cle; th e u n cle, in tu rn , serv es to o f f e r testim ony to the c r e d ib ility o f Nevers. As a consequence, such a r e a l i s t i c background is c re a te d th a t th e in c re d ib le events are 113 accepted as they occur. Another method which Bioy C asares employs in th e c re a tio n of a r e a l i s t i c s e ttin g upon which to superim pose h is fa n ta sy Is th e p re se n ta tio n o f a g re a t q u a n tity o f everyday d e ta ils in h is works: "Bioy ha dado en e l a c ie r to de atem perar o c o r re g ir sus fic c io n e s m ediante l a gradual in tro d u ceio n de c irc u n s ta n c ia s y d e ta lle s de n a tu ra le z a 'r e a l i s t s ' que tra e n v e ro sim ilitu d a sus c reacio n es, la s • que de e s te modo ganan en v ig o r y en in flu y e n te poder£o. E ste venturoso procedim iento anima su com pleja tram a, y la s itu a con ju s te z a en e l tiempo y en e l e sp a c io ."^ This technique is employed to a c o n sid e ra b le degree in Plan de ev a sio n . For example, we le a rn from th e u n cle th a t " e l 18 de fe b re ro desembarco [Nevers] en Cayena. Lo re c ib io Al ayudante L egrain, un hombre an d rajo so , una esn ecie de peluouero de camoana. con e n so rtH a d o pelo ru b io v o lo s c e le s te s " (P lan, p. 1 2 ). On th e way to th e government palace Nevers contem plates th e c ity around him: Los pobladores eran negroa, o blancos a m a rille n to s, con b lu sa s dema8 iado am plias y con anchos sombreros de p a ja ; ^C arlos M astronardi, Review o f I-fl t'y* T "^ c e le s te , by Adolfo Bioy C asares, Sur. No. 179 (septiem bre, 1949), p. 73. 114 o lo s p re so s, a rayas ro ja s y b lan eas. Las casas eran unas c a s illa s de madera, de c o lo r ocre, o rosado, o verde b o te lla , o c e le s te . No hab£a pavimento; a veces lo s envolv£a una escasa polvareda r o jiz a . Nevers e s c rib e : El modesto p alac lo de la gobera acio n debe su fam* » « - m e r P iso a lto v a la s maderas. durables como / la p led ra . oue lo s ie su * y w piearon en la c o n stm c c lo n . (Flan, p. 1 2 ) This concern fo r ord in ary d e ta ils has no o th e r fu n ctio n In th e novel than th a t o f e s ta b lis h in g a r e a l i s t i c background fo r th e c o n sta n tly re c u rrin g fa n ta sy . Some what l a t e r , when Nevers a rriv e s a t th e penal colony (th e a c tu a l lo c a tio n o f th e f a n ta s tic e v e n ts), th e enum eration o f d e ta ils becomes even more in te n se : Las is la s Real y San Jose no tendran mas de tr e s kilom etros cuadrados cada una; l a d e l Diablo es un poco menor. Segun D reyfus, hab£a, en t o t a l , unos se te c ie n - to s cin cu en ta pobladores: cinco en la i s l a d e l Diablo (e l gobem ador, e l s e c re ta rio d e l gobem ador y tr e s presos p o l£ tic o s ), cu a tro c ie n to s en la i s l a R eal, algo mas de tre s c ie n to s cu aren ta en l a de San Jo se. Las p rin c ip a le s construeclones e sta n en la i s l a Real: la A dm inistration, e l fa ro , e l h o s p ita l, lo s ta ll e r e s y d ep o sito s, e l "galpon C olorado." En la i s l a San Jose hay un campamento rodeado por un muro, y un e d ific io . . . compuesto de tr e s pabellones: dos para condenados a re c lu sio n s o l i t a r i a y uno para lo co s. En la i s l a d e l Diablo hay un e d ific io con azo teas, que parece nuevo, algunas cabanas con techo de p aja, y una to r r e de- c r e p ita . (Plan, p. 24) S im ilar d e sc rip tio n s may be found throughout the book, p a r tic u la r ly In the d e sc rip tio n s o f th e v ario u s p rep ara tio n s fo r the o p eratio n , o f the o p eratio n i t s e l f , and o f 115 the r e s u lts achieved by the o p e ra tio n (c f. pp. 107-112 above). Other n o ta b le in sta n c e s o f th is d ev ice, along w ith s lig h t v a ria tio n s o f i t , are found in La invencion de M orel. Like Ehrique Nevers, th e p ro ta g o n ist o f Morel d esc rib es h is isla n d in d e t a il : La v egetacion de l a i s l a es abundante. P la n ta s, p a sto s, f lo r e s de prlm avera, de verano, de otono, de in v ie m o , van siguiendose con u rg en cia, con mas urgen- c ia en n ac er que en m orir, invadiendo unos e l tiempo y l a t i e r r a de lo s o tro s , acumulandose in c o n te n ib le - m ente. En cambio, lo s a rb o le s e sta n enferm os; tie n e n la s copas secas, lo s troncos vigorosam ente b ro tad o s. Los arb o les de l a c o lin a se en durecieron ta n to que es lm p o sib le ^ tra b a ja rlo s; tampoco puede co n seg u irse nada con lo s d e l b ajo ; lo s deshace l a p re sio n de lo s dedos y queda en la mano un a s e rrfn pegajoso, unas a s t i l l a s blan d as. (M orel. p. 24) This d e s c rip tio n serves n o t only to e s ta b lis h th e r e a l i t y of th e p ro ta g o n ist and th e phenomena th a t he ob se rv e s, b u t a lso to foreshadow th e f a n ta s tic ex p lan atio n of th e unusual events w ith which he is c o n s ta n tly involved. More d e ta ile d d e s c rip tio n , w ith the same fu n c tio n as th a t c ite d im m ediately above, is devoted to th e se v e ra l man- made s tru c tu re s on th e isla n d : En la p a rte a l t a de la i s l a , que tie n e c u a tro b a rra n cas p asto sas (hay ro cas en la s b arran cas d e l o e s te ), e sta n e l museo, l a c a p illa , l a p i l e t a de n a ta c io n . Las t r e s cons tru c e iones son modemas, an g u lares, l i s a s , de 116 p ied ra s in p u lir . La p ied ra , como ta n ta s veces, parece una mala lm itacio n y no armonlza perfectam ente con e l e s tl l o . La c a p llla es una c a ja oblonga, ch a ta (e sto la hace p arecer muy la rg a ). La p lle ta de n atacio n e s ta blen co n stru fd a, pero, como no excede e l n lv e l d e l suelo, lnevltablem ente se lle n a de v£boras, sapos, escuerzos e in se c to s a c u a tic o s. El museo es un e d ific io grande, de tr e s p lso s, s in techo v is ib le , con un co rred o r a l fre n te y o tro mas chico a tr a s , con una to rre c ilf n - d ric a . (Morel, pp. 24-25) When fa n ta sy in tru d e s upon r e a lit y , and th e composer of the d ia ry is unable to understand what he see s, he r e s o r ts to another kind o f d e t a il in an attem pt to explain h is o b serv atio n s; he looks fo r support in "o tra s re a lid a d e s que co n sid era seguras, . . . razonam ientos, a n a lis is de situ a c io n e s, e s ta d f s tic a s , ordenacion de d a to s." ^ For in sta n c e , when he is su rp rise d by th e unusually la rg e tid e s , he attem pts to c a lc u la te th e ir h eig h t and th e time o f th e ir occurrence: Atendiendome a la s mareas d e l a rb o l, c a lc u le para hoy l a marea. Muy pronto e l agua estab a subiendo con la d ec isio n que tie n e una vez por semana. Ha sid o ta n ta mi n eg lig en cla que ahora no se a que a tr ib u l r e sta s so rp re sa s: a e rro re s de c a lc u lo o a una perdida tr a n s i to r ia de reg u la rid ad en la s grandes m areas. (Morel. pp. 34-35) 6 O fe lia Kovacci, Adolfo Biov C asares (Buenos A ires: M ini8 tr o de Educacion y J u s tic la , 1963), p. 28. 117 I t is n o t long a f te r th e stra n g e rs appear th a t he begins to doubt th e ir e x iste n c e , and to search f o r some lo g ic a l ex p lan atio n fo r th e ir presence: Hay dos hechos —un hecho y un recu erd o -- que ahora veo ju n to s, proponiendo una e x p lic a c io n . En lo s ultim os tiempos me hab£a dedicado a probar nuevas ra£ ces. Creo que en M ejico lo s in d io s conocen un b re b a je preparado con jugo de ra£ces —e s te es e l recuerdo (o e l o lv id o )— que 8u m in istra d e lir io s por muchos d£as. (M orel. pp. 66-67) There a re innum erable o th e r examples o f th is same technique fo r compounding fa n ta sy and r e a lit y in M orel, b u t sin ce the ones c ite d a re ty p ic a l o f those found in th e book, i t would be somewhat redundant to add fu rth e r i l l u s tra tio n s from th is source. However, th is device is a lso employed e ffe c tiv e ly in se v e ra l o f B io y 's sh o rt s to r ie s , most notably in "La trama c e le s te ," and "La s ie rv a a je n a ." Although "La trama c e le s te " may be considered as s t i l l another i l lu s t r a ti o n o f B ioy's use o f the w ork-w ithin- a-work d ev ice ,^ i t is d iscu ssed a t th is p o in t because the As in La invencion de M orel, th e re a re th re e se p a ra te " s to rie s " : th a t o f a n a r ra to r whose c o n ta c t w ith the o th e r two r e s u lts from h is re c e ip t o f a typed m anuscript, some books, and a rin g ; th a t o f C arlos A lberto Servian, the Armenian p h y sician who i s the au th o r o f th e ty p e s c rip t; and th a t o f Ireneo M orris as n a rra te d by Servian and M orris h im self. 118 numerous d e t a i l s c o n trib u te more to th e r e a l i s t i c back ground, and th u s to th e c r e d i b il i t y o£ th e f a n ta s tic ev e n ts, than any o th e r elem ent. S e rv ia n 's m anuscript, e n t i tle d "Las av en tu ras d e l c a p ita n M o rris," n a r ra te s th e e x tra o rd in a ry ex p erien ces o f Ireneo M orris, a t e s t p i l o t In th e Army A ir Corps o f A rg en tin a; i t beg in s w ith th e d o c to r 's In tro d u c tio n o f h im se lf: Me llam o C arlos A lb erto S erv ian , y nac£ en Rauch; soy arm enio. Soy, ademas, hombre s o lte r o , y, como e l Q u ijo te, vivo (viv £ a) con una so b rin a : una muchacha ag rad ab le, joven y la b o rio s a . Mi so b rin a se e n tre te n £ a en h acer la s funciones de s e c r e ta r ia , y, como no tengo s e c re - t a r i a , e l l a misma atend£a e l te le fo n o , pasaba en llm pio y a rre g la b a con c e r te r a lu c ld e z la s h is to r ia s medicas y la s slntom atolog£as que yo apuntaba a l a z a r de la s d e c la ra c io n e s de lo s enferm os (cuya re g ia comun es e l desorden) y o rganizaba ml v a sto a rc h iv o . Tenfa o tr a d iv e rs io n no menos in o c e n te : i r conmigo a l cinem ato- g ra fo lo s v ie m e 8 a l a tarde.** I t is on a F rid ay th a t th e s to ry o f C aptain M orris b e g in s. S ervian and h is n ie c e a re in h is o f f ic e when th e door suddenly b u rs ts open; i t i s a L ieu ten an t Kramer w ith th e news th a t M orris i s in th e M ilita ry H o sp ita l and w ishes to see S erv ian . The l a t t e r agrees to go im m ediately; even though th e two have never r e a lly been c lo se frie n d s d e s p ite 8 Adolfo Bioy C asares, La tram a c e le s te (Buenos A ires: E d ito ria l Sur, 1948), p. 93. 119 th e ir having known each o th e r a l l th e ir liv e s , Servian had loved and resp ected th e c a p ta in 's fa th e r: Era un v ie jo ex c elen te, con la cabeza blanca, redonda, rapada, y lo s ojos a z u le s, excesivam ente duros y d es- p ie rto s ; ten£a un ingobem able p atrio tism o g a le s, una in co n ten ib le mania de c o n ta r leyendas c e lta s . Durante muchos anos (lo s mas f e lic e s de mi v id a) fue mi p ro fe - so r. ("Trama," T r m w * . pp. 95-96) C aptain M orris, on the o th e r hand, is everything h is fa th e r was n o t: El pa£s de G ales, la tenaz c o rrie n te c e lta , hab£a acabado en su padre. Ireneo es tranquilam ente argen- tin o , e ignora y desdena por ig u al a todos lo s ex tra n - je r o s . Hasta en su a p a rie n c ia es t£picam ente arg en tin o (algunos lo han cre£do sudam ericano): mas b ien chico, delgado, fin o de huesos, de pelo negro --may peinado, re lu c ie n te - - , de m irada sagaz. ("Trama," Trama. pp. 96- 97) When Servian a rriv e s a t th e h o s p ita l, M orris seems in o rd in a te ly happy to see him, and thanks him pro fu sely fo r some books (which Servian knows he has never s e n t). A fter a b r ie f v i s i t , M orris in v ite s the d o cto r to v i s i t him in h is home in a few days. Servian agrees, and a sh o rt time l a t e r c a lls upon th e c a p ta in a t h is home. The two make sm all ta lk fo r a w hile, and when th e doctor attem pts to s te e r th e conversatio n to th e to p ic th a t seemed e a r l ie r to in te r e s t M orris so much, th e l a t t e r re p lie s th a t . . . solo ten£a que agregar unos d e ta lle s a lo que me hab£a expuesto en su c a r ta . Yo no sab£a que responder; 1 2 0 yo no hab£a re cib ld o ninguna c a r ta de Ireneo. Con su b lta d e c isio n le pedf que s i no le fa tlg a b a me con- ta r a todo desde e l p rln c lp lo . ("Trama," Tran*, p. 9 9 ) M orris recounts th a t u n til th e p a st June 23 he had been a m ilita ry te s t p ilo t, and th a t he had made more f lig h ts than any o th er South or C entral American p ilo t. Taking a notebook from h is pocket, he draws a s e rie s o f lin e s In a zigzag p a tte rn , c a re fu lly w ritin g down numbers rep resen tin g d ista n c e s, a ltitu d e s , and degrees o f angles. This drawing is a diagram o f h is " c la s s ic f lig h t p lan ." About the m iddle o f June, he had been n o tifie d th a t he was to t e s t th e Breguet 309, a new and to p -s e c re t fig h te r plane. On th e day o f the t e s t , M orris examined the plane before tak in g o ff, and noted th a t th e fu e l gauge re g is te re d " f u ll ," and th a t th e re were no in sig n ia painted on the wings. Once In the a ir , M orris began to t e s t th e plane, f o l lowing h is c la s s ic f lig h t p lan . Minutes l a t e r , he e x p e ri enced a darkening o f v isio n and lo s t consciousness. He was b arely able to recover in tim e to land sa fe ly , then fa in te d again. When he awakened, he was in the M ilita ry H ospital, a p re tty nurse a t h is sid e . He re a liz e d th a t he had been in ju re d in some way, b u t he was unable to r e c a l l anything about th e a c c id e n t. He was j u s t becoming acq u ain ted w ith th e n u rse when some o f f ic e r s came in and began to q u estio n him. He i s n o t s u rp rise d when they ask h is name, b u t he is s u rp ris e d when th ey laugh a t h is answ er. When they ask i f he i s in th e army, he r e p lie s ir o n ic a lly --Yo soy e l d e l a c c id e n te , y u ste d e s parecen lo s golp ead o s. Se rie r o n un poco (e n tre e llo s , como s i M orris e s tu - v ie r a a u se n te ). --P erten ezco a l e je r c ito , con grado de c a p ita n , reg im ien to 7, e s c u a d r illa 121. —^Con base en M ontevideo? —pregunto sarc asticam en te uno de lo s o f i c i a l e s . —En Palomar --resp o n d io M o rris. Dio su d o m ic ilio : B ol£var 971. ("Tram a," Trama. pp. 103-104) The o f f ic e r s had l e f t , b u t then re tu rn e d th e n ex t day w ith more q u e stio n s and a c c u sa tio n s. In an attem p t to c le a r h im se lf, he had to ld them th a t he was a frie n d o f L ieu ten an ts Kramer and V iera, C aptain F av erio , and L ie u te n a n t C olonels M argaride and N avarro. But when th e se men were brought to see.him , they d id n o t reco g n ize him. Thinking th a t somehow th e se r e la tiv e ly ju n io r o f f ic e r s had been forced n o t to adm it th a t they knew him, he to ld them to b rin g G eneral H uet, an old frie n d o f h is fa th e r . But " le c o n te sta ro n sec amente que no hab£a, que nunca hubo, 1 2 2 un general de nombre ta n rld lc u lo en e l e je r c ito argen- tin o " ("Trama," Trama. p. 106). A few days l a te r , th e nurse to ld him th a t the in v e s ti- g ato rs had discovered th a t he had given them a fa ls e address. His p ro te s ts were f u ti l e ; " la mujer estaba docu- mentada: e l ocupante de la casa era un senor C arlos G ri m aldi" ("Trama," Trama. p. 107). M orris had a vague fe e lin g th a t he recognized the name, but he was unable to r e c a ll where he had heard i t . Having learned th a t th ere was one fa c tio n advocating th a t M orris be e x ile d , and another clam oring fo r h is death, and a lso having fa lle n in love w ith him, th e nurse came to M orris w ith a plan: she would give him a rin g to wear as a sign of safe conduct, and when the guards allowed him to leave the h o s p ita l he was to go and see an in f lu e n tia l frie n d of h ers, in a church on Marquez S tre e t, who might be able to arrange an escape fo r him. The d e ta ile d d e sc rip tio n of h is ro u te , w ith the names Q of re a l s tr e e ts , helps to e s ta b lis h a r e a lity which makes Using th e names o f r e a l s tr e e ts , churches, fa c to rie s , and th e a tre s as a means of e sta b lish in g a r e a l is t i c back ground fo r h is fan tasy is a fa v o rite device o f Bioy C asares. L ater, in th e discu ssio n o f El sueno de lo s h ero es. i t w ill be seen th a t th is technique is fundamental to the r e a lity which is converted in to u n re a lity . 123 c re d ib le th e unusual ev en ts d e sc rib e d above, as w e ll as th e fa n ta sy which Is to come. Taking a ta x ic a b , . . . d io l a d ire c c io n apuntada en e l p ap e l. Anduvleron mas de media h o ra ; rodearon por Juan B. Ju sto y Gaona lo s t a l l e r e s d e l F. C. 0 . y tomaron una c a lle arb o lad a, h a c la e l llm lte de l a clu d ad ; despues de cin co o s e ls cu adras se d e tu v le ro n a n te una I g le s la . ("Tram a," Trann- p * m ) He e n te re d th e church, en co u n terin g a " 'c u r a de esos que se v is te n de hombres, como lo s d e l E je rc ito de S alva- c lo n '" ("Tram a," T ra m n p . i l l ) , who asked to see th e rin g . They ta lk e d f o r a w h ile, and th e m in is te r to ld him th a t he would t r y to h e lp him in some way. As M orris l e f t th e church, . . . busco R ivadavia. Se encontro f re n te a dos to r r e s que p a r ec la n l a e n tra d a de un c a s t i l l o o de una cludad a n tig u a ; realm en te eran l a e n tra d a de un hueco, i n t e r m inable en l a o scu rld a d . Tuvo l a Im presion de e s ta r en un Buenos A ires so b re n a tu ra l y s in i e s t r o . ("Tram a," Trama. p. 112) W alking s e v e ra l b lo c k s, M orris a t l a s t a rriv e d a t x - R ivadavia S tr e e t; he took an o th er ta x i and gave th e address o f h is house: B o liv a r 971. Se b a jo en Independencla y B o liv a r; camino h a s ta l a p u e rta de l a c a sa . Qulso poner l a H av e en l a c e rra d u ra ; no pudo. A preto e l tim bre con toda su fu e rz a . A pareclo,^enorm e en l a sombra, una fig u ra humana. M orris se b ajo e l a la d e l sombrero y re tr a c e d lo h a s ta l a p a rte menos ilu m i- nada d e l zaguan. Reconocio Inm ediatam ente a ese hombre 124 so n o lie n to y fu rio s o y tuvo la im presion de s e r e l quien e stab a sonando. Se d ijo : s£, e l rengo G rim aldi, C arlos G rim aldi. Ahora recordaba e l nonibre. Ahora, in c re fb le - mente, esta b a fre n te a l in q u ilin o <jue ocupaba la ca sa cuando su padre l a compro, hac£a mas de quince anos. ("Tram a," T y o m a , p . 1 1 3 ) P retending to have made a m istake, M orris h u rrie d away from th e house and Subio a un tax fm etro , ordeno a l ch au ffeu r que lo lle v a ra a l pasa Owen. El hombre lo ignoraba. M orris le p re - gunto de mal modo p ara que le daban examenes. El ch au f fe u r le propuso que tomara o tro taxfm etro. M orris le ordeno que tomara Velez S a rs fie ld h a s ta c ru z a r la s v£as. Se d etu v iero n en la s b a rre ra s ; enterm inables tre n e s g ris e s hacfan m aniobras. M orris ordeno que ro d eara por T o ll la e sta c io n S ola. Bajo en A u s tra lia y L uzuriaga. . . . Camino con seguridad por L uzuriaga h a c ia e l s u r. Camino una cuadra y no encontro e l p a sa je . Camino o tr a cuadra, y o tr a . M orris v o lv io sobre sus pasos; doblo por A lvarado; ah£ e sta b a e l Parque P ereyra, la c a lle Rochadale. Tomo Rochadale; a m itad de cuadra, a la derecha, debfan in terru m p irse la s c a sa s, y d e ja r lu g a r a l p a sa je Owen. Las casas no se interrum pieron; se encontro en A u s tra lia . Vio en lo a lto , con un fondo de nubes n o ctu rn es, e l tanque de l a In te m a c io n a l, en L uzuriaga; en f r e n te debfa e s ta r e l p asaje Owen; no e sta b a . ("Tram a," T rm a. pp. 114-115) By now com pletely confused, M orris re tu rn ed to th e h o s p ita l, b a re ly a rriv in g b efo re th e d ead lin e th a t had been s e t fo r him by Id ib a l, th e n u rse . The next a fte rn o o n , she came to h is room and informed him th a t he was to be allow ed, through th e in flu en ce o f h er frie n d s , to re -e n a c t th e f l i g h t which had re s u lte d in h is a c c id e n t. Once in th e a i r , he was to f ly d ir e c tly to M ontevideo, where she would 125 aw ait him. When he a rriv e d a t Palomar, however, he noted th a t they were n o t going to give him another B reguet, b u t an a n c ie n t b ip la n e . He a lso noted th a t th e re was in s u f f ic ie n t fu e l fo r the f lig h t to Uruguay. D eciding th a t he might as w ell be k ille d in the a i r as in fro n t o f a f ir in g squad, he took the plane up and began to re p e a t h is c la s s ic f l ig h t plan; he im mediately lo s t consciousness, and awakened again in the M ilita ry H o sp ital. When Id ib a l fa ile d to come a f te r a co n sid erab le len g th o f tim e, he asked fo r h er, b u t he was informed th a t n o t only was th e re no such person employed by th e in s titu tio n , but th a t th e re never had been such a person working th e re . Once again a group o f o ffic e rs came to q u estio n him, b u t th is tim e they wanted to know where he had been sin ce June 23, where he had l e f t th e Breguet 304 (he p o in ts out to Servian th a t he had o rig in a lly flown a Breguet 309; he is q u ite d istu rb e d by th is e rro r in th e number o f th e a i r c r a f t ) , and where he had obtained th e o ld Dewotine. When h is fellow o f f ic e r s , in clu d in g General Huet, came to v i s i t him th is tim e, they a l l recognized him. N atu rally , he was angry a t th e ir having refused to acknowledge him 126 b efo re, but they a l l swore th a t th e re had been no o th er occasion. I t was a t th is point th a t M orris had asked Kramer to go fo r Servian. Attempting to solve th is stran g e and d i f f i c u l t prob lem, the doctor asks M orris i f he remembers th e books he had sen t him (fu lly aware th a t he had never sen t any books). The c a p ta in re p lie s th a t he does n o t remember th e t i t l e , b u t th a t i t was mentioned in a note th a t Servian had se n t. Of course, Servian had never sen t him a note, b u t M orris goes to the bedroom and re tu rn s w ith a sheet of paper. Examining i t , Servian observes th a t La l e tr a parec£a una mala im itacion de la m£a; mis T y E mayusculas remedan la s de Im prenta; e sta s eran " in g le s a s ." Le£: Acuso recibo de su a te n ta d e l 16, que me ha llegado con algun a tra s o , debido, sin duda, a un sugerente e rro r en la d ire c c io n . Yo no vivo en e l P asaje “Owen,” slno en la c a lle Miranda en e l b a rrio Nazca. Le ase - guro que he le£do su re la c io n con mucho in te re s . "Le env£o, como s£mbolo de comprension, e sto s lib ro s de Blanqul, y le recomiendo le e r , en e l tomo te rc e ro , e l poema que empieza en la pagina 281." ("Trama," Trama. p. 124) Servian takes leave o f M orris, and promises to v i s i t him again the follow ing week. He is both In te re ste d and perplexed by th e a f f a i r , and begins to think p a r tic u la r ly about the l e t t e r : 127 Sobre "ml c a r ta " debo h a c e r algunas o b serv a clo n es: 1) Su a u to r no tu te a a M o rris; fe liz m e n te , M orris es poco d le s tr o en asuntos de l e t r a s ; no a d v lr tlo e l "camblo" de tra ta m le n to y no se o fendlo conmlgo; yo slem pre le he tu te a d o ; 2) Ju ro que soy Inocente de la f r a s e "acuso re c ib o de su a te n ta " ; 3) En cuan to a e s c r l b lr Owen e n tre c o m illa s, me asombra y lo propongo a l a a te n c lo n d e l le c to r . ("Tram a," T rm a. p. 125) Because h e Is Ignorant o f th e work o f Louis Auguste B lanqul, he goes to a b o o k sto re where he Is a b le to o b ta in a th re e volume s e t o f h is Complete Works. He n o te s th a t on page 281 o f h is e d itio n th e re Is no poem, b u t a f t e r having read th e e n tir e work he b e lie v e s th a t th e poem re fe rr e d to In th e n o te i s " L 'E te rn ite p a r le s a s t r e s , " ^ which begins on page 307 o f th e second volume. En ese poema o ensayo en co n tre l a e x p lic a c io n de l a av en tu ra de M o rris. Fuf a Nazca; h ab le con lo s com erciantes d e l b a r r io ; en la s dos cuadras que agotan l a c a l l e M iranda no v iv e ninguna persona de mi nombre. Fuf a Marquez; no hay numero 6890; no hay ig le s ia s . . . . Ademas l a c a ll e no e s ta c e rc a de lo s t a l l e r e s d e l F. C. 0. E sta c e rc a d e l puente de l a N oria. Fu£ a lo s t a l l e r e s d e l F. C. 0. Tuve d if ic u lta d e s p ara ro d e a rlo s por Juan B. J u sto y Gaona. Pregunte como s a l i r d e l o tro la d o d e lo s t a l l e r e s . "S iga por Louis Auguste B lanqui (1805*1881), a French p o l i t i c a l w r ite r , a c tu a lly d id w r ite a work on astronom y w ith th i s t i t l e in 1872. This i s th e same v a r ia tio n on th e 8 to ry -w ith ln -a -s to ry dev ice so o fte n employed by Borges to add c r e d i b il i t y to h is fa n ta sy ; u sin g a r e a l a u th o r and work h elp s to e s ta b lis h r e a l i t y . 128 Rivadavia" —me d lje ro n -- "h asta Cuzco. Despues cruce la s v£a8 ." Como era p re v is ib le , a ll£ no e x ls te nlnguna c a lle Marquez; la c a lle que M orris denomlna Marquez debe de s e r Bynnon. H alle tambien la s to rre s que ml amigo creyo v e r en un lu g ar, desperado y s o llta r lo : 8on e l p o rtico d e l Club A tle tlc o Velez S a rs fie ld , en F ragelro y Barragan. No tuve que v l s l t a r especlalm ente e l p asaje Oven; vivo en e l. ("Trama," Trama pp. 127-128) The s tr e e t names and places c ite d above, and in th e d e sc rip tio n o f Ireneo M o rris' journey through th e c ity , a c tu a lly e x is t in Buenos A ires, and th e ir presence in the sto ry is e s s e n tia l to the c re a tio n of a r e a l it y which w ill allow the f a n ta s tic p a rts o f th e sto ry to be acceptable w ith in the co n tex t o f th a t r e a lity . Bioy Casares d escrib es th is technique as " la conveniencia de hacer que en un mundo plenamente cre£ b le sucediera un solo hecho incre£ b le; que en Vidas co nsuetudinaries y dom esticas, como la s d e l le c to r, su ced iera [lo fa n ta s tic o ] . Por c o n tra ste , e l e fecto [re s u lta ] mas fu e rte . Surge entonces lo que podr£amos llam ar la tendencia r e a l i s t s en la li te r a t u r e f a n t a s t i c a ." ^ Although Bioy does n o t use the term, th is seems to be an e x c e lle n t d e sc rip tio n o f one asp ect of ^ J o r g e Luis Borges, Adolfo Bioy C asares, and S ilv in a Ocampo, Antolog£a de la l i te r a t u r a fa n ta s tic a (Buenos A ires: E d ito ria l Sudamericana, 1940), p. 9* 129 m agical realism . Throughout the sto ry , a c e rta in number o£ fa n ta s tic events have been superimposed upon an extrem ely d e ta ile d , r e a l i s t i c background as a means o f preparing th e re ad er to accept th e to ta lly f a n ta s tic explanation of M orris' ex periences . Servian s ta te s th a t he has discovered the explanation of the c a p ta in 's adventures in th e prose poem by Louis Auguste B lanqul. He c ite s th e passage which has presented him w ith th e so lu tio n : "Habra in f in ito s mundos id e n tic o s, in f in ito s mundos ligeram ente v ariad o s, in f in ito s mundos d ife re n te s . Lo que ahora escrib o en e s te calabozo d e l fu e rte d el Toro, lo he e s c rito y lo e s c rib ire durante la etem id ad , en una mesa, en un papel, en un calabozo, enteram ente parecidos. En in f in ito s mundos mi situ a c io n sera la misma, pero t a l vez la causa de mi en c ie rro jjradualmente p ierd a su nobleza, h a sta s e r so rd id a, y quiza mis l£neas tengan, en o tro s mundos, la innegable superioridad de un a d je tiv o f e l i z . ” ("Trama," Trapa. p. 129)12 Once he has read th e passage from Blanqul, Servian sees the e n tire s itu a tio n very c le a rly . A ll th a t now remains is fo r him to express h is in te rp re ta tio n of the ex trao rd in ary events experienced by C aptain M orris: 12 I t is in te re s tin g to no te th a t Borges p resen ts a somewhat sim ila r theory in c e rta in of h is works. See th e d iscu ssio n of "El jard £ n de senderos que se bifu rcan " and "Examen de la obra de H erbert Quain" in Chapter I I o f th is study. 130 El 23 de ju n to M orris cayS con su Breguet en e l Buenos A ires de un mundo c a s t ig u a l a e s te . El perlodo confuso, que sig u i£ a l ac cid en te le im pidio n o ta r la s prim eras d ife re n c ia s ; para n o ta r la s o tra s se hubieran requerido una p e rsp ic a c ia y una educacion que M orris no pose£a. M orris da en su r e la to algunas c a ra c te r£ s tic a s d is - tin ta s d e l mundo que v i s i t o . A ll£, por ejem plo, f a l t a e l pa£s de G ales: la s c a lle s con nombre g ales no e x iste n en ese Buenos A ires. Bynnon se c o n v ie rte en Marquez, y M orris, por la b e rin to s de la noche y de su propia ofuscacion, busca en vano e l p asaje Owen. . . . Yo, y V iera, y Kramer, y M argaride, y F averio, e x is- timo8 a l l f porque n u estro o rig en no es g a le s; e l g en eral Huet y e l mismo Ireneo M orris, ambos de ascendencia g a le sa , no e x iste n (e l penetro por a c c id e n te ). El C arlos A lberto Servian de a l i a , en su c a rta , e sc rib e e n tre com illas la p alab ra "Owen," porque le parece ex- tra n a ; por l a mlsma razon, lo s o fic ia le s rie ro n cuando M orris d eclaro su nombre. Porque no e x is tie ro n a ll£ lo s M orris, en Bol£var 971 sigue viviendo e l inam ovible G rim aldi. El a n illo es una doble prueba que tengo en mi poder. [ i t w ill be re c a lle d th a t th e n a rra to r, th e w rite r who tra n s c rib e s S e rv ia n 's ty p e s c rip t, now possesses th e rin g , sin ce i t was se n t to him by Servian, along w ith th e m anuscript and B lan q u i's com plete w orks.] Es una prueba de que M orris estuvo en o tro mundo: ningun experto, de lo s muchos que he consultado, reconocio la p ied ra . M orris fue a ese o tro mundo y re g reso . & C om o cumplio 8us v ia je s ? Abr£ e l d ic c io n a rio de Kent; en la p alab ra nase. le£: "Compileadas s e rie s de movi- m ientos que se hacen con la s manos, por la s cu ales se provocan ap aricio n es y d e sa p a ric to n e s." Pense que la s manos t a l vez no fueron in d isp en sab les; que lo s movi- m ientos podr£an h acerse con o tro s o b je td s; por ejemplo, con aviones. ("Trama," Trama. pp. 130*132) 131 Having solved th e problem, S ervian d ecid es to persuade M orris to re tu r n to th e o th e r Buenos A ire s, and to allow him to go along as a p assen g er. M orris accedes to th e re q u e st because he had f a lle n in love w ith Id ib a l and w ishes to fin d h e r ag a in . B efore t h e i r d e p a rtu re , and consequent d isap p earan ce, S ervian sends th e ty p e s c rip t to th e n a r r a to r through whom we have c o n ta c t w ith th e t a le o f M orris and th e d o c to r. The n a r r a to r observes th a t from th e very beginning he had b e lie v e d S e rv ia n 's s to ry to be u t t e r l y f a n ta s tic , and th a t th e d o c to r had o ffe re d no r e a l p ro o f th a t h is ta le was tru e . But one day th e n a r r a to r and a group o f h is frie n d s decided to ta k e a long-delayed journey to Uruguay. They were e a tin g lunch in an almacen when suddenly Seguido de una p olvareda, 11ego un in term in ab le Packard: una e sp e c ie de jockey b a jo . Era e l c a p lta n M orris. Pago e l alm uerzo de sus co m p atrio tas y bebio con e l l o s . M orris me conto sus av e n tu ra s: tir o te o s con l a p o li- c£a; estratag em as para te n ta r a l a j u s t i c i a y p erd er a lo s r iv a le s ; cru ce de r£ o s prendido a la c o la de lo s c a b a llo s ; b o rra ch eras y m ujeres. ("Tram a," Trama. P. 135) L iste n in g to M orris, th e n a r r a to r f e l t th a t he had made a d isco v ery . He undertook an in v e s tig a tio n , and d i s covered th a t M orris had a rriv e d in th e reg io n s h o rtly a f t e r 132 th e middle of June of the previous year and had been seen sev e ral times between the beginning o f September and the end of December. For the n a rra to r th e explanation, some what d iffe re n t from th a t of Servian, is obvious: En v ario s mundos c a s i ig u a le s, v a rio s cap itan es M orris sa lie ro n un d£a (aqu£ e l 23 de ju n io ) a probar aeroplanos. Nuestro M orris se fugo a l Uruguay o a l B ra sil. O tro, que s a lio de o tro Buenos A ires, hizo unos "pases" con su aeroplano y se encontro en e l Buenos A ires de o tro mundo. . . . E ste Ireneo M orris subio despues en e l Dewotine, v o lv io a hacer los "pases," y cayo en e ste Buenos A ires. Como e ra iden- tic o a l o tro M orris h asta sus companeros lo confun- d iero n . El n uestro (e l que e s ta en e l B ra s il) remonto vuelo, e l 23 de ju n io , con e l Breguet 304; e l o tro 8ab£a perfectam ente que hab£a probado e l Breguet 309. Despues con e l doctor Servian de acompanante, in te n ta los pases de nuevo, y desaparece. Alegar a Blanqui, para encarecer la teor£a de la p lu ralid ad de lo s mundos, fue, t a l vez, un m erito de Servian; yo, mas lim itado, hubiera propuesto la a u to ri- dad de un c la s ic o ; por ejemplo: "segun Democrito, hay una in fin id ad de mundos, e n tre lo s cu ales algunos son, no tan solo parecidos, sino perfectam ente igu ales" (Ciceron Primeras Anadam-tgas. II, XVII); o: "Henos aqu£, en B auli, cerca de Pozzuoli, ^piensas tu que ahora en un numero in f in ito de lugares exactamente ig u ales, habra reuniones de personas con n u estro s m is- mo8 nombres, re v e st idas de lo s mismos honor es, que hayan pas ado por la s mismas c ircu n s tanc ia s , y en in - genio, en edad, en aspecto, id e n tic a s a n o so tro s, dlscutiendo e s te mismo tema?" f£ d .. £ d .. I I , XL). ("Trama," Trama. p. 137) The n a r r a to r 's c ita tio n of th is c la s s ic a l source is another in stan ce of th e technique mentioned above in n o te 12. Along w ith the g re a t number o f d e ta ils ( s tr e e t 133 and p lace names, d a te s , e tc .) th ese q u o tatio n s from r e a l w rite rs c o n trib u te to the v e ris im ilitu d e o f the s to ry , and thus make accep tab le as r e a l it y th e f a n ta s tic occurrences th a t tak e p lace throughout th e n a rra tiv e . Not q u ite so com plicated as "La tram a c e le s te ," but equally in te re s tin g as an example o f th e technique pres** e n tly under d iscu ssio n , is "La sie rv a a je n a ." Like so many o f B ioy's works, th is t a l e employs th e sto ry -w ith in -a - sto ry device as a n a rra tiv e v e h ic le , b u t as in "La trama c e le s te ," i t is the la rg e number o f everyday d e ta ils which more than anything e ls e cause the f a n ta s tic events to be accep tab le as r e a l. The s to ry begins as th e n a rra to r d escrib es a p arty given by a so c ie ty m atron, T ata L aseraa, fo r Jean W auteurs, a B elgian ex p lo rer famous fo r h is work among the fero cio u s % ifb a ro s . The gu ests have been in v ite d fo r the express purpose o f m eeting th e e x p lo re r, and o f lis te n in g to him speak about the b a rb a ric h a b its o f th e Indians. As an i l lu s t r a ti o n fo r h is le c tu re , Wauteurs e x tra c ts from h is pocket a dark o b je c t: " . . . una cabeza humana, con su p ie l, su pelo, 8us o jo s, sus d le n te s , perfectam ente, es d e c ir horriblem ente, momificada y reducida por lo s in d io s; una 134 ~ ~ 13 cabeza d e l tamano de un puno." As th e g u ests a re c u rio u s ly examining th e g r i s l y tro p h y , T ata suddenly ex claim s th a t i t is th a t o f C elest£ n Bordenave, a man w ith whom she had once been in lo v e; upon r e f le c tio n , they a l l ag ree th a t i t i s indeed Bordenave, and r e c a l l th a t they had w itnessed h is d e p a rtu re "en un n o tic ie r o Pathe, acosado de p e r io d is ta s , de fo to g ra fo s y de s e n o rita s con album, a l a reg io n de lo s jfb a ro s " (" S ie rv a ," H is to ria . p. 106). When T ata f a in t s from th e shock, she i s c a rrie d to h e r room; no sooner is she gone than K e lle r, one o f th e g u e sts , i n q u ire s o f W auteurs: —Los jfb a ro s ^matan siem pre a la v£ctim a? --C laro que s£ --c o n te s to e l b e lg a . --Pues me c o n sta que lo s pigmeos d e l A fric a —afirm o K e lle r, que es uno de ta n to s d e r r o t is t a s , que no creen en America y se embesesan con todo lo que v ie n e de a fu e ra — lo g ran redu celo n e 8 sobre e l cuerpo e n te ro y, lo que es fundam ental, no mat an. (" S ie rv a ," H is to ria . p. 107) No one b e lie v e s him, o f co u rse , b u t he o ffe rs as p ro o f th e s to ry o f R afael U rbina, a poor r e la ti v e o f h is . U rbina ' 8 adventure is a p a r tic u la r ly f in e i l l u s t r a t i o n o f th is tech n iq u e o f m agical re a lism , f o r, as in th e case 13 Adolfo B ioy^C asares, H is to ria p ro d jg io sa (2a e d .; Buenos A ires: Eknece, 1961), p. 106. 135 o£ K afka's ’'The M etam orphosis/' th e f a n ta s tic happens as a p a r t o f everyday r e a l it y , and i s accepted by th e ch a rac te r s in th e sto ry as though i t were p e rfe c tly norm al, lik e b rin g in g in th e morning m ilk o r p u ttin g th e c a t out a t n ig h t. U rbina is a w rite r who a t one tim e supported h im self by working as a n o ta ry . He r e la te s in h is Aountes p ara un d ia r io fntim o (K e lle r from tim e to tim e c i t e s passages from th is book as docum entation fo r h is s to ry , a dev ice s im ila r to th e l e t t e r s in Plan de ev asio n ) th a t one o f h is c lie n ts had purchased a q u a n tity o f f u r n itu r e and a n tiq u es from th e e s ta te o f Juan L arq u ier, and th a t one September morning he had found i t n ecessary , in o rd er to o b ta in some s ig n a tu re s , to v i s i t T ji rpt-Amn th e fam ily e s ta te , which was s t i l l occupied by th e dead m an's widow and d au g h ter. When th e young n o ta ry a rriv e d a t th e house, he expected th a t a se rv a n t would open th e door, but in ste a d "en e l marco de l a p u e rta ap arecio l a misma Palas Atenea" (" S ie rv a ," H is to ria . p. 110). Learning th a t he wished to see h e r m other, F lo ra took him by th e hand to lead him through the o b sc u rity o f th e house: Por nada prendo l a lu z . P re fie ro que tro p ie c e a que vea l a t i e r r a que hay en e s to s c u a rto s . 136 L legaron a l h a l l de l a e a c a le ra ; d e l p iso a l t o ven£a alguna lu x . La e s c a le ra —una solemne co n stru c eio n de cedro— no ten£a alfom bra, y d ir£ a s e que desde anos no l a enceraban. Subieron h a s ta e l h a l l de a r r ib a , am plio y vac£o, t r l s t e segun U rbina, llum inado por una c la r a - boya. Ten£a p iso de p arq u et, clnco p u e rta s y, c o n tra la s pared es, empapeladas en g r l s , larg o s arm arlos g r ls e s . No hab£a a l l £ ningun adorno, salv o uno, monumental: un esp e jo , de toda l a a ltu r a de l a pared, curvo en l a p a rte s u p e rio r, encuadrado en pesadas c o rtin a s v io le ta s , que recordaban e l te lo n de un te a tr o . En e l extremo opuesto se agrupaban tr e s m uebles: un s l l l o n de p a ja , de r e s - paldo muy a l to y e stre c h o , con un almohadon en e l a s le n to , de c o lo r a c e ltu n a , b a s ta n te d esteS id o ; y, de algun juego de a£uera, de madera p in ta d a de b ian co , una mesa endeble, y un s i l l o n d t o con e l re sp a ld o y e l a s ie n to de Iona. (" S ie rv a ," H is to ria . pp. 110-111) As U rbina ta lk e d to th e m other, he heard th e d is a g re e a b le sq u ealin g o f a r a t , b u t paid l i t t l e a tte n tio n to i t when F lo ra to ld him th a t they had s e t tra p s f o r i t . B efore he l e f t th e house, U rbina had asked F lo r a 's perm ission to c a l l on h e r ag ain , and she had g ra c io u sly ac cep ted . Soon th e two were seein g each o th e r alm ost d a ily , and d e s p ite h is fs m ily 's o b je c tio n s , they became engaged. As a means o f e s ta b lis h in g th e r e a l i t y o f th e s to ry , Bioy again employs a d e ta ile d d e s c rip tio n o f a p a r t o f Buenos A ire s, th is tim e m entioning n o t only th e names o f r e a l s t r e e t s , b u t a ls o th e name o f a well-known r e s ta u r a n t: "M lentras b ajab a por C angallo h a c ia R econquista, un d£a en que deb£a en c o n tra rse con F lo ra , para tomar e l t e , en e l 137 London G r i l l . U rbina a d v ir tio que lle g a b a ta rd e " (" S ie rv a ," H is to ria . p. 115). D eciding to l e t h e r w a it fo r a w h ile, he continued to walk along th e s t r e e t slow ly, looking in to th e show-windows, sin g in g h ap p ily to h im se lf, and p e r v e rse ly enjoying th e image o f h e r s i t t i n g in th e r e s ta u ra n t w a itin g fo r him. F e e lin g sudden rem orse, he began to run and en tered th e r e s ta u r a n t j u s t in tim e to see h e r s i t t i n g a t th e ta b le ta lk in g to someone, alth o u g h she was ap p ar e n tly alo n e; in f a c t, she was th e only person v i s i b l e in th e e n tir e r e s ta u r a n t. C urious, he moved c lo s e r in o rd e r to h ea r th e c o n v e rsa tio n : --Te q u ie ro . Conmovido, penso que su re ta rd o habfa perturbado a F lo ra . C orrio h a c ia e l l a y exclamo: --Mi q u erid a! Con una compos tu ra un ta n to fo rzad a, desm entida por lagrim as que no enjugo, F lo ra lo m iro, como s o stie n d o le l a m irada con lo s candidos o jo s v e rd e s, y guardo e l panuelo —grande, poco fem enino— en l a e sp a c io sa c a r t e r s . (" S ie rv a ," H is to r ia . p. 116) Thinking th a t she had seen him and was ta lk in g to him, U rbina had d ism issed th e in c id e n t from h is mind. As they drank t h e i r te a , he r e c ite d some p o etry th a t he had j u s t composed, b u t he soon re a liz e d th a t she was d is tr a c te d . B eliev in g th a t she d id n o t l ik e h is v e rs e s , he apologized and proposed th a t th ey ta k e a ta x i r id e through Palermo. 138 A ll through the rid e she played w ith h er purse, throwing I t In to the a i r and catching i t ; when th e c a r stopped a t a cro ss s tr e e t deep w ith in the fo re s t, she jumped out and ran in to the woods carry in g the handbag w ith h er. Urbina, alarmed, s ta rte d to go a f te r h er, but th e d riv e r advised him n o t to bother, th a t she would soon recover from her stran g e impulse and a l l would be w ell by the next day. But a l l was not w ell by the next day; in fa c t th e two stopped seeing each o th er com pletely, and Urbina began going out w ith o th er women. D espite h is apparent lack of concern, however, he thought about her c o n sta n tly . One evening a t a p arty they met by accid en t, and Urbina was s ta r tle d to hear F lora murmur th a t she had missed him g re a tly . T e llin g him th a t they had to ta lk , F lora in v ite d him to come again to La rofarui. but before they had an opportunity to ta lk fu rth e r he was c a lle d away to meet some new a r r iv a ls . When he retu rn ed , she had disappeared. Hoping to fin d her and o b tain an explanation, he went to the e s ta te , and fin d in g the door of the house open, he entered and began moving in the darkness toward the sound o f F lo ra 's voice: 139 . . . encontro una p u erta y sig u lo avansando; antonce8 oyo algo que lo a te rro : "Estan aplaatando una rata'* se d ljo ; la verdad es que oyo unos c h lllld o s como de r a ta en e l paroxismo de l a fu rla . La escena continue, por un in o lv ld a b le fra ccio n de mlnuto, como s i no h u b iera te s tlg o s . Contra e l espejo, como en un escen arlo , con e l v e stid o bianco, con e l chal am arillo , que movla como a la s fa n ta s tlc a s , F lo ra, so la , de p ie , con lo s brazos en a lto , exclamaba: - - j Por favor, b a sta de melodrama! En ese in s ta n te se interrum pio la escena. Un o b jeto , que estab a c a s i a l ra s d e l suelo, cayo. Urbina v lo que e ra e l c e tro de dos puntas, que e l ya conoc£a. Del p reclso lu g ar donde cayo e l c e tro , un anixnallto oscuro y veloz huyo por debajo de lo s co rtin ad o s v lo le ta s , paralelam ente a l zocalo, en d lrec cio n a una p u erta e n tre a b ie rta . Como quien suefia, Urbina penso: "La r a ta que c h illa b a ." ("S ie rv a ," H isto ria . pp. 131-132) At th is p o in t, F lora saw R afael and ran toward him, crying w ith joy a t seeing him again: --Tengo que e x p lic a rte todo --anuncio F lo ra --. For m j£« que me cu e ste . Todo, todo. Aunque es i n u t il , p o r que ya lo sabes. Lo has adivinado. Urbina se pregunto aue habr£a adivinado. --Hay que c e rra r a h i —d ijo F lo ra, ya con tnejor animo, senalando l a p u erta e n tre a b ie rta —. Es capaz de escuchar. Urbina c e rro la p u erta . . . . —Es capaz de c u a lq u ier cosa. Es mal£slmo —comento F lo ra, so n rien d o --. Yo le he dlcho como te q u iero . Tiene que re sig n a rse . Lo comprende, lo acepta, porque es muy ln te lig e n te . ("S ierv a," H isto ria . p. 134) What i s tru ly rem arkable about th is sto ry , even more remarkable than the presence o f Rudolf, " la r a ta qua c h illa b a ," who had once been a full-grow n man, is R afael U rbina's re a c tio n upon seeing "un hom breclto muy pequeHo; 140 de verdad, pequeno: de tin palmo de e s ta tu r a ; v a le d e c ir , que la s dlm enslones de la s momlas re d u cid as, de lo s j£ b a- ro s , eran , aproximadamente, la s suyas" (" S ie rv a ," H is to ria . p. 137). In ste a d o£ rubbing h is eyes in d is b e lie f , U rbina adopted th e m a tte r - o f - f a c t tone o f F lo ra as they d isc u sse d th e unusual h is to ry o f R udolf. As w ith Gregor Sam sa's tra n sfo rm a tio n in to a g ia n t cockroach in "The Metamorpho s i s , " R u d o lf's re d u c tio n in s iz e by th e A frican pygmies is accepted as a p e r fe c tly normal ev e n t. In f a c t, U rbina was much more c u rio u s about th e way th a t F lo ra and Rudolf had m et, than in how Rudolf came to be in h is p re se n t s t a t e . Since he loved her*, R a fa e l's f i r s t concern was to make h e r lo s e th e sense o f being re sp o n s ib le fo r Rudolf, whom she had met a t th e home o f an E nglish co u sin , th e w ife o f an e x p lo re r who had rescued Rudolf from th e pygmies. The couple decided th a t they would g e t m arried as soon as they could convince Rudolf th a t they would co n tin u e to c a re fo r him. Since i t was so l a t e , U rbina l e f t fo r home; when he a rriv e d h is p a re n ts reproached him fo r being o u t w ith F lo ra , observing th a t i t was h a rd ly pro p er f o r a young lady to liv e in a house w ith a r ipflmn w ith o nly an in v a lid m other fo r chaperone. 141 -'N o es un mucamo. Es un hom brecito de e s te tamano --re s pond io U rbina, m ostrando la mano derecha con lo s dedos b ien a b ie r to s . —^E stas loco? —le pregunto e l p a d re --. Por £avor abre lo s o jo s, abre lo s o jo s . jTe ha hecho c re e r eso? —No me ha hecho c re e r nada —c o n te sto U rb in a --. Hoy lo he v is to . Se llam a R udolf. Me mordio e l dedo. Aqu( e sta n la s marcas de lo s d ie n te s . (" S ie rv a ," H is to ria . pp. 146-147) Since h is p a re n ts were so u p se t w ith him, he re tu rn e d to F lo r a 's house. As she was le a d in g him to th e room where he was to spend th e n ig h t, they encountered Rudolf in th e h a l l; th e tin y man did l i t t l e to d is g u is e h is anger a t th e unexpected a r r iv a l o f h is r i v a l fo r F lo r a 's a f fe c tio n s . L eft alone in th e room, R afael f e l l a sle e p im m ediately, but h is dreams were f a r from p la c id . In h is n ightm ares, he saw h is p aren ts c ry in g ; they were very f a r away, and he knew th a t he would n o t see them ag a in . F in a lly , "con una f e l i - cidad in c o n te n ib le , en un sueno encontro a su padre" (" S ie rv a ," H is to ria . p. 149), who was e n tre a tin g him to open h is eyes. He awoke w ith a s t a r t , and as he opened h is eyes he f e l t an alm ost unbearab le p ain . He became aware o f th e sound o f F lo r a 's v o ice: "Te clav o e l c e tr o en lo s o jo s" (" S ie rv a ," H is to ria . p. 149). F lo ra brought a d o cto r who was a b le to p rev en t th e eyes from becoming in fe c te d , b u t was unable to save R a fa e l's s ig h t. Because 142 o f U rb in a '8 fe a r o f R udolf, caused by th e fo rm e r's b lin d ness and consequent fe e lin g s o f v u ln e r a b ility F lo ra c a s i no se a p a rto de su lado, pero como r e s o l- v ie ro n i r s e a Europa, tuvo que d e ja r lo ocasIona lm ente, p ara p re p a ra r e l v ia je . Cuando quedaba so lo , tem£a un ataque de Rudolf y, mas aun, que F lo ra no v o lv le ra . El p e lig ro d e l ataq u e fu e , por f in , conjurado: en la s u ltim as s a lid a s , F lo ra en cerro a Rudolf en e l c a rte ro n y lo lle v o consigo. E ste re c u rso , como F lo ra lo h ab la comprobado en aquel paseo por e l bosque de Palermo y ta n ta s o tra s v eces, te n ia in c o n v e n ie n te s: d u ra n te lo s In e v ita b le s enojos de R udolf, e l c a rte ro n . . . tem blaba, se convulsionaba, lle g a b a a d a r pequenos b rln c o s . (" S ie rv a ," H is to ria . p. 149) Because o f th e la rg e number o f everyday d e t a i l s , w ith which Bioy c re a te s an extrem ely r e a l i s t i c background, th e fa n ta sy o f "La s ie rv a a je n a ," lik e th a t o f "La tram a c e l e s t e ," Plan de ev asio n , and La invencion de M orel, is a c c e p ta b le as a p a r t o f th e r e a l i t y p resen ted in th e s to ry . A ll o f th e se works, b e sid e s having in common th e use o f d e t a i l to e s ta b lis h r e a l i t y , a ls o employ th e s to ry -w ith in - a -s to ry dev ice w ith e x c e lle n t e f f e c t. In th e case o f th e two n o v els, th is l a t t e r tech n iq u e is prim ary, and th e use o f d e t a i l secondary. In th e two s h o rt s t o r i e s , p re c is e ly th e reverse is tru e : th e work w ith in a work is used as th e n a r r a tiv e v e h ic le , and p lay s a d e f in ite p a r t in e s ta b lis h ing the r e a l i s t i c background upon which th e fa n ta sy is superim posed, b u t i t i s u ltim a te ly th e tremendous q u a n tity 143 o f o rd in ary d e t a i l s , such as d e s c rip tio n s o f th e house and o f Buenos A ire s, which im parts to them r e a l i t y . T ransform ation o f th e Real in to th e U nreal Like Jo rg e Luis Borges, Bioy C asares u t i l i z e s v a rio u s techniques to achieve th e d e s ire d tra n sfo rm a tio n of r e a l i t y in to fa n ta s y : a re v e rs a l o f ev e n ts; th e double; contam ina tio n o f r e a l i t y by dream s. Although not so p re v a le n t in Bioy*8 work as in th a t o f Borges, th e use o f dreams to con v e r t r e a l i t y in to u n r e a lity does occur in th re e o f h is s t o r ie s : "El £d o lo ," "Moscas y a re n a s ," and "De lo s dos la d o s ." "De lo s dos lados" is th e s to ry o f C e lia , a young nurse-com panion to th e c h ild o f a w ealthy E nglish couple liv in g in Buenos A ire s, and o f h e r adventure w ith dreams which become r e a l i t y . As in "La s ie rv a a je n a ," Bioy e s ta b lis h e s th e r e a l i s t i c s e ttin g through a d e ta ile d d e s c rip tio n o f th e house in which th e f a n ta s tic even ts occur: A lo la rg o de lo s anos l a casa hab£a c re c id o por ag rega- cio n de c u a rto s , levantados por v a ria s generaciones de a lb a n ile s y de peones a lb a n ile s . N ecesidades re a le s o im ag in arias ac tiv ab a n , cada ta n to tiem po, e l proceso, que no sig u io plan alguno: e l re su lta d o fue una obra tan ex ten sa como c a o tic a . Aunque no e ra probable que alguna vez en c o n trara a a lg u ie n p ara in te n ta r una caram bola o p ara c ru z a r un f lo r e te , e l dueno de El Porton juzgo que en su casa no deb£a £ a lta r l a s a la de b 11la re s n i l a s a la de arm as; la prim era no se habfa e d ific a d o coda* v£a; la u ltim a e ra amp1la , famosa por la s g o te ra s, con una chimenea escondlda b ajo una campana enorme . . . que b ajab a d e l techo h a s ta m etro y medio d e l p iso , blanca, con lis to n e s de madera oscura, con dos an tig u o s f u s i- le8 de ch isp a y una p is to la de cano la rg o , tamblen de chi8pa, que conservaba aun la p ie d ra en la p a rte d e l g a t i l l o . ("L ados," H is to ria , pp. 151-152) As C elia and th e c h ild , C a rlo ta , a re ta lk in g one day, th e su b je c t a r is e s about th e r e la tiv e m e rits o f th e c a t and th e dog as p e ts . C e lia p re fe rs th e c a t because he is fre e , and is dependent upon no one fo r h is su rv iv a l; the dog, on th e o th e r hand, is com pletely dependent upon h is m aster. When th e c h ild asks h e r companion why she c a lls h er c a t "Jim ," C elia r e p lie s th a t i t is "porque Jim es un hombre como un gato" ("L ados," H is to ria . p. 153). Before C a rlo ta can speak in d efen se o f h e r dog, the maid comes to inform C elia th a t h er b a th is ready. As she soaks in th e warm b ath , C e lia r e c a lls how Jim had f i r s t come to El Porton. a kind o f vagabond looking fo r a jo b . D espite h e r warning th a t th e natro n was ev il-tem p ered , he had asked fo r, and o b tain ed , th e p o s itio n as g ard en er. That same n ig h t he came to v i s i t h e r in h er room, and continued to do so on su ccessiv e n ig h ts . As th e two came to know one another in tim a te ly , she became aware th a t th e only th in g 145 se rio u s fo r him In th is l i f e , were h is thoughts of the h e re a fte r: "E sta v ld a no es mas que un p a sa je . Debemos e v ita r que muera e l alma" ("L ad o s/' H isto ria . p. 159)* When C elia wanted to know how he knew th a t th e re was another l i f e beyond th is one, he re p lie d th a t he knew through h is dreams. But C elia was a f ra id : —Temo que la o tra v ld a no me g u ste. . . . Los suenos son h o rrib le s . —La o tra v ld a no es h o rrib le ; lo s suenos ai, mien- tr a s no aprendemos a o rle n ta ra o s en la e te rn ld a d . Un ra to , cada noche, a c le g a s, no b a sta . Hay que p ra c tlc a r icotuo d ire ? e l sonambullsmo d e l alma. ("L ad o s/' H is to r ia . p. 160) He was ab le to convince h er to help him w ith h is p rac tic e : Jim se echaba en la cama, c a ra a l techo, y se dorm£a; se dorm£a con n o ta b le fa c ilid a d ; entonces e ra e l l a la que lo su je ta b a de la mano, o, m ejor dicho, de la muneca, a te n ta a l pulso. . . . E ste genero de sonambullsmo con- s is t£ a en s a l i r por un r a to e l alma d e l cuerpo. y luego v o lv e r. ("L ad o s/' H is to ria . p. 160) According to Jim. i t was necessary to be p a r tic u la r ly cau tio u s w ith the p u lse, fo r i f i t should sto p w hile he was in th e o th er w orld, he would be unable to re tu rn . One evening, Jim announced th a t he had become s u f f ic ie n tly accustomed to the o th e r w orld, arranged him self on the bed as u su al, and l e f t th is l i f e fo r th e l a s t tim e. Because she needed someone's h elp , C elia explained th e process to 146 C arlota, and p ra c tic e d n ig h tly fo r weeks In o rder to follow her lo v er. Now, lying In th e tub, she decides th a t the tim e has a t l a s t come fo r her to leave In search o f Jim. S alio d e l bano, cantando se frego con la to a lla , se v is tio y en la mesa, durante la comlda, converso a le - gremente con C arlo ta; creo que, por excepcion, bebio un vaso de vino. Despues, en e l dorm ltorio, p id io a C arlo ta que le s u je ta ra la muSeca h a sta que ce sara e l pul8 0 . ("Lados," H isto ria . p. 164) Somewhat d if f e r e n t, although i t also u tiliz e s the dream device to d estro y r e a lity , is "Moscas y ara n a s." Raul Gigena, a recen tly -m arried young wine m erchant, moves w ith Andrea, h is b rid e , to th e suburbs of Buenos A ires. Like most of B ioy's s to r ie s , th is one begins as an ex trem ely r e a l i s t i c n a rra tiv e , in th is in stan ce a n a rra tiv e of th e d i f f ic u l ti e s , p a rtic u la rly the fin a n c ia l d i f f i c u l t ie s , so o ften encountered by newly-weds. T heir f i r s t residence is "un desolado caseron, en la c a lle Cramer, a / 14 pocos pesos de la estaclo n C o leg lales." As is so o ften the case w ith Bioy, the s tr e e t name and th e name of the s ta tio n a re re a l, and they lend a note o f a u th e n tic ity 14 Adolfo Bioy C asares, G uim alda con ~ amor es (Buenos A ires: Emece, 1959), p. 154. 147 to the background of the sto ry . The use of o th er r e a l i s t i c d e ta ils Is a lso apparent In th is sto ry , and co n trib u tes to the r e a lity necessary to the acceptance of the u ltim ate fan tasy . For Instance, the reason th a t Raul and h is b rid e decide to buy the house Is . . . que sus muchos defectos ocultaban o tra s ta n ta s ven- ta ja s . La v is ta , sobre las v£as, no era aleg re, y e l contlnuo peso de tren es aparejaba ruldos, aun trem eci- m ientos, a los que deb£a uno acostum brarse; pero, examlnadas con ecuanlmidad, e sta s m olestlas jno equi- val£an a una su e rte de mensaje c lfra d o , que revelaba a l comprador una verdad v a llo sa : usted no tendra d lf ic u l- tades para v la ja r a l centro n l para volver? En cuanto a l aspecto depremente d e l e d lflc lo , c o n st!tu fa o tra c lrc u n sta n cla m e rito rla , ya que s in duda c o n trlb u lr£ a a moderar e l preclo de tan considerable cantldad de metros de terren o , sltuados en lo mejor de la c a p ita l. ("Moscas," G uim alda. pp. 154-155) The couple decide th a t they w ill be ab le to a lle v ia te some of th e ir fin a n c ia l problems by re n tin g se v e ra l of the rooms. They are g lo rio u sly happy u n til "una fr£ a manana de septiem bre, en su s i l l a de ruedas, empujada por un jovenzuelo, en tro en la casa la se n o rita Helene Jacoba Krlg, acompanada de un perro de aguas" ("Moscas," G uir- nalda. p. 157). She is fa r from a ttr a c tiv e : "La sefio rita ten£a e l cab ello rublo, los ojos azu les, extranamente ju n to s, la p ie l rosada, la boca grande, los lab io s ro jo s, movedizos, que descubr£an d ien tes irre g u la re s y mucha 148 s a liv a ; era p a r a lf tic a , de mas de sesen ta anos, holandesa, trad u c to ra de profesion" ("Moscas," G uim alda. p. 157). Soon a £ te r th e a r r iv a l of Helene Krig, Raul begins to have h o rrib le dreams: he imagines h is w ife in the arms o f every man in th e neighborhood. He has no reason what* ever to doubt her f id e li ty , but as he dreams n ig h t a f te r n ig h t, h is suspicions become stro n g er. He sp ies on her; he asks the neighbors about her, but he is unable to c o r ro b o rate h is su sp icio n s. Hoping to put an end to h is fe a rs and susp icio n s, he confides in one of h is c lie n ts . The l a t t e r laughs, o f course, when informed th a t G igena's suspicions a re based e n tire ly upon h is dreams. Raul attem pts to dism iss these nightm ares from h is mind, b u t th e harder he t r i e s , the more in cessan t they b e come. F in a lly , in d esp eratio n a f te r h is w ife is k ille d , he goes to Helene Krig fo r advice, but in stead o f a s s i s t ance, he receiv es a su rp ris e : --R aul, yo lo amo. P rotestor --No es la oportunidad. --Oh, s i, es la oportunidad. . . . Quiero que sepa todo, desde e l p rin c ip io , lo mejor y lo peor. jSabe algo, mi caro Raul, de transm ision d e l pensamiento? T ransm itir pen8am ientos, tran sm it i r suenos, a una p e r r ita , como Jo sefin e , a personas, como u sted , como su m ujer, todo es uno y lo mismo. Evidentemente, hay su je to s reb eld es, 149 re acio s, que acaban por f a tig a r . Yo s 6 lo pretendfa que su mujer nos d e ja ra . De ningun modo. No hab£a poder en e l mundo que la aparcara de u sted . Sin embargo, los dos no formaban lo que yo estim o un matrlmonlo armonico. Opte, pues, por caminar a Andrea y la s v£as d e l tre n . Menos mal que en e l caro Raul encontre, en caoiblo, una m ateria doc1 1 . $M e guarda rencor por los suenos que le in fllg £ ? Ya pasara. Todav£a no me q u lere . Al p rin c ip le nadle me q u lere . Poco a poco lo conquistare. ("Moscas," G uirnalda. pp. 166-167) The most In te re s tin g of B ioy's s to rie s employing the dream device in the d e stru c tio n of r e a lity is "El £dolo," in which, as he does so o ften , Bioy presen ts an exceedingly d e ta ile d r e a lity which u ltim ate ly becomes fan tasy . I t is the firs t-p e rs o n n a rra tiv e of an A rgentine antique d e a le r and in te r io r decorator, who re la te s in flash-back the tragedy which b e f e ll him and h is frie n d Garmendia. The deco rato r, fe e lin g rem orseful because he had in ad v erten tly given Garmendia in c o rre c t h is to r ic a l d ata concerning some antiques the l a t t e r had bought, allows h is d e sire to acquire o b jects th a t would in te r e s t h is frien d to influence sev eral of h is purchases. One of these a c q u isitio n s is "un antiguo £dolo c e lta : una e sta tu a de madera, de menos de cincuenta cent£m etros de a ltu ra , que rep resen ta un dios con cabeza de perro, sentado en un trono" ("Id o lo ," T r a m a . p . 5 8 ). The id o l is w ithout eyes to show th a t i t has no soul, studded w ith n a ils , and 150 "segun la e x p lic a c io n mas dlvulgada en Gulnlac . . . cada clavo re p re s e n ts un alma ganada por e l d lo s . . . " (" Id o lo ," Tr<mu». p. 5 9 ), w ith th e aid o f h is p rie s te s s e s who a re "muchachas in ocentes y a g re ste s como e l o lo r d e l campo" (" Id o lo ," Trams, p. 55). The n a r r a to r r e la te s th a t upon h is re tu rn to Buenos A ires . . . concedf a Garmendia la p re rro g a tlv a de v i s i t a r , a n te s que muchos, la s co lecclo n es cjue yo hab£a reunldo en ml v la je . Garmendia se In te re so por e l de San C lr llo . Le vendf e l p e rro . Cumpliendo mis in d ie a - clo n es p re c is a s , lo coloco en un determ lnado rin co n d e l liv in g , i Eureka, eureka! No le jo s d e l Aubusson, e n tre lo s raclm os de p la ta de lo s candelabros y e l v id rio , e l ebano y e l damasco de la s v i t r i n a s , e l p erro no p are- c£a t e r r i b l e . Mas e x tra o rd ln a rlo aun: no desentonaba. (" Id o lo ,” Trama. p. 60) A ll th is d e t a i l , along with, th a t found In th e two follow ing q u o ta tio n s, not only e s ta b lis h e s th e r e a l i t y o f th e n a r r a tiv e , b u t a ls o p repares th e re a d e r to accep t th e f a n ta s tic events which somewhat l a t e r In tru d e upon, and u ltim a te ly d e stro y , th is c a re fu lly s u b s ta n tia te d r e a l it y . Some months a f te r h is a r r iv a l in Buenos A ires, the deco r a to r is s t a r t l e d one morning by th e rin g in g o f h is door b e l l . Expecting to see a custom er, he is not prepared fo r th e s ig h t th a t aw aits him: 151 V a ilj a en mano, e n tro con re s o lu c io n una muchacha. Algo en su v estim en ta, pobre y e s t r a f a l a r i a , en su cuerpo, fla c o y huesudo, en sus b razo s, la rg o s y m usculosos, me recordaba a l c la s ic o e s tu d ia n te d is fra z a d o de m ujer, d e l f e s tiv a l de 21 de sep tiem b re. Pero e l r e t r a t o de Genevieve E sterm arfa s e r f a d e l todo I n f l e l s i no ana*’ dleram os que en l a hermosa v lv a c ld a d de su m lrada habfa un c le lo incontam inable. El pelo e ra negro, l a te z b lane a, r o jl z a en la s m e jllla s ; l a confirm acion de l a f r e n te , la d ls p o s lc lo n de lo s o jo s , lnsinuaban una g a ta ; en e l ancho pescuezo h ab fa un v ig o r Inesperado; no te n fa curvas en e l cuerpo. (" Id o lo ," Trama. pp. 60-61) Learning th a t she Is one o f th e se rv a n t g i r l s whom he had seen In th e c a s tl e where he bought th e Id o l, and th a t she has come to Buenos A ires co u n tin g on him to h e lp h er fin d work, he t e l l s h e r th a t she can sta y w ith him u n t i l he can lo c a te h e r In an o th er s itu a tio n . He d ir e c ts h e r to a room on th e second f lo o r , and m entions, alm ost in p a ss in g , th a t i f she w ishes to p rep are some lunch she may do so. Allowing th e I n t e r io r d e c o ra to r to overshadow the s t o r y t e l l e r , th e n a r r a to r d e sc rib e s h is house: No recuerdo s i he dicho que ml exposicion ocupa un p a v ilio n de ch asse de l a avenida A lvear, un h o te l i t o Luis XV, con f r e n te de im ita c lo n p ie d ra . No tengo d ependiente n i mandadero: aquf h ab fa un p o sib le puesto p ara Genevieve, so b re todo s i aceptaba tr a b a ja r por la c a sa y la comida. . . . Pero vuelvo a mi c a sa . En e l sotan o . . • e s ta la c o c in a . Tengo a l l f , ademas de un dep6 s i t o de cajo n es v a c fo s, lo s elem entos in d isp e n sa b le s para prepararm e ru d im en tarias m eriendas de em ergencia. La ex p o sicio n ocupa la p la n ta b a ja y e l prim er p is o . Tambien en e l 152 prim er piso, no demasiado a trasmano de un obsoleto cu arto de bano, hay un breve desvan de baules que hace la s veces de ml d o rm itorio. El piso a lto , por f in , es francamente la zona de la b u h a rd illa , con m u ltltu d de cu arto s de s e rv lc lo , todos vac£os, que no me dan re n ta alguna y para lo s que no dispongo de objetos que podr£an c o n v e rtirlo s en indispensables d ep d sito s. A uno de esos c u a rto s, comodos aunque desnudos, rem it£ a la muchacha. ("Id o lo ," Trama. pp. 63*64) When he goes to th e k itch en , he is su rp rised to see th a t th e g i r l has prepared a marvelous lunch. But being t e r r if ie d by th e thought o f gaining excess w eight, he decides th a t he must get the g i r l out of h is house. To overcome h is fe e lin g o f having eaten too much, he goes fo r a walk, n a tu ra lly g ra v ita tin g toward Garmendia's a p a rt ment. Learning th a t h is frie n d is in bed w ith influenza, he sees an immediate so lu tio n to h is problem, and re tu rn s d ir e c tly to h is house, te llin g Genevieve th a t he has found h er a s itu a tio n . When the n a rra to r goes to v i s i t Garmendia a few days l a t e r , the g i r l is firm ly e sta b lish e d in the house. In th e course of th e ir conversation, one o f the two remarks on how maddening i t would be to f a l l in love w ith a g i r l lik e h er. They a re jokin g about the m atter when Garmendia suddenly r e c a lls a dream he had th e n ig h t b efore: "Es un sueno grotesco" me d ijo y, yo c a s i ju r a r f a , se ruborizo. Hab£a sonado que estab a perdidamente 153 enamorado de Genevieve y que e l la lo desdenaba. Gene* vieve le hab£a dlcho: "Bajo una so la condicion accedo a que me tome la mano." En e l sueno, e s ta s ultim as palabras no solam ente sig n ific a b a n e l acto , emoclonado y sublim e, de tomar de la mano a Genevieve, sino taxn- bien d esp o sarla. En cuanto a la condlclon, Garmendia no lo recordaba. ("Id o lo ," T r a m a . p . 6 8 ) When he re tu rn s a week la te r , th e d eco rato r finds Garmendia nervous and tir e d : --Es absurdo —exclamo—. Esta mujer me d estru y e. Sueno todas la s noches con e ll a . Tengo suenos roman t i c os y to n to s, que a l o tro d£a me repugnan. En cuanto me duermo empiezo a am arla con una pasion c a s ta y denodada. ("Id o lo ," f r a m a . p . 6 8 ) The world o f dreams has now begun to in tru d e upon the "re a l" world so c a re fu lly e stab lish ed by Bioy C asares. Garmendia is so d is tra u g h t, th a t he asks h is frie n d to take the g i r l away, so th a t he can fo rg e t h e r. The d eco rato r agrees. A fter a weekend in th e country, and remembering G am endia's aversion to canned foods, he decides to take him a basket o f fre sh vegetables th a t he has brought back. He fin d s Garmendia in a s ta te o f a g ita tio n th a t borders on anger, but the g i f t calms him somewhat. U nfortunately the dreams have not ceased: M e hablo de los suenos . . . y de Genevieve —con algun resquemor, con alguna n o stalg ia* * . Me confeso que su amor lleg ab a a s e r, en cada sueno, mas extravagant^. En uno de lo s ultim os hab£a regalado a Genevifeve un a n illo con un hermoso rub£, que hab£a sid o de su madre, y que e l guardaba en la c a ja de h ie rro . ("Id o lo ," Trama p. 70) 154 A few days la te r , a f te r Garmendia in s is ts th a t h is frie n d take back the id o l, th e dream becomes r e a lity , fo r the d eco rato r n otes th a t th e g i r l is wearing th e b e a u tifu l ruby rin g th a t had belonged to Garmendia's mother. When he asks her about i t la te r , she is no longer wearing i t , and a t f i r s t denies ever having had i t . He f in a lly g ets her to admit th a t she was wearing a rin g , but she t e l l s him th a t i t was only a piece o f costume jew elry and th a t she had lo s t i t befo re n ig h tf a ll. She t r i e s to change the su b ject by te llin g him th a t a sheepdog has been lo s t. When he in q u ires which dog i t is , she re p lie s " e l que hay en ese jard£n oscuro, en la esquina de Coronel Diaz" (" Id o lo ," Tram*, p. 7 4 ). He goes to th e house to in q u ire whether a dog has been lo s t, but learn s th a t no one th e re has a dog. That n ig h t he dreams th a t he was s tr o llin g through the dark garden a t the co m er o f Colonel Dfaz s tr e e t; he was about to e n te r the house when he awakes. He re la te s th a t from then on he continued to dream o f her: Jurar£a que sone con e lla , aunque n l una vez la v i en e l sueno. Estaba p resen te en s£mbolos; e ra la apasio- nada penumbra de los p arajes y e l se c re to sen tid o de mis a c to s. Yo hab£a entrado en la esquina de Coronel D£az, pero la casa era an tig u a y enorme. Estaba exhausto; me hab£a perdido por una interm inable suce- 8 ion de salo n es, con r e tr a to s y gobelinos. ("Id o lo ," Trgma, p. 80) 155 But h is f in a l dream Is th e stra n g e st and most re v e a l ing o f them a l l : Anoche, con in au d lto candor, volv£ a dormirme. Como e ra in e v ita b le , me encontre de nuevo en e l corredor estrech o y oscuro, no le jo s de la camara en <jue se ve£a e l obllcuo rayo de lu z . Desde e l corredor solo era v is ib le la p a rte de la camara que estab a fre n te a la en trad a; la se c re ta mecanica de lo s suenos me perm itio v er lo que yo tem£a. Garmendia yac£a en la cama de p ied ra; la muchacha, con una tu n ica blanca y leve, que en mis suenos denotaba a la sa c e rd o tisa , estab a a rro d i- lla d a a l borde de la cama, m irandolo estaticam en te. En e l suelo hab£a unos clavos y un m a rtillo . Genevieve tomo un clavo, levanto e l m a rtillo con interm inable le n titu d y yo me cubr£ lo s o jo s. Despues Genevieve me sonre£a, dec£a "no es nada" y, tra n q u iliz a d o ra me mos- trab a en e l cuerpo d e l £dolo dos re lu c ie n te s clavos nuevos. ("Id o lo ," Trama. p. 82) He is awakened by the concierge from Garmendia's « apartm ent house: "El senor Garmendia e sta muy malo, muy m alito" ("Id o lo ," Trama. p. 83). He rushes to th e sic k man's house and fin d s him th ere in a sem i-stupor, m uttering th a t he is b lin d . As i f obeying a w ill no longer h is own, the d eco rato r r is e s , goes home, and sees the two new n a ils g li tt e r in g in th e id o l's body. Now, as he fin ish e s th e sto ry , he s i t s aw aiting the same f a te th a t b e f e ll Garmen d ia . Dream and r e a l ity have merged. Like Borges, Bioy Casares a lso employs the double as a means of e ffe c tin g the transform ation from r e a lity to fa n ta sy . Although th is device is n o t so common w ith Bioy 156 as w ith Borges, th e re a re e x c e lle n t examples o f i t In h is work. For in sta n c e , th e Images p ro je c te d by M o rel's m achine a re a l l m a n ife sta tio n s o f th e double, and con tr ib u t e g re a tly to th e atm osphere o f u n r e a lity which i s superim posed upon th e r e a l i s t i c background c a re fu lly c re a te d by means of th e s to ry -w ith in -a -s to ry dev ice and th e accum ulation of d e t a i l s throughout th e n o v el. P a r t i c u l a r l y in te r e s tin g i s th e case o f th e n a r r a to r o f th e d ia ry . Because o f h is awareness o f th e e n tir e p ro cess, he i s a b le to view the s itu a tio n from a somewhat d if f e r e n t p e rsp e c tiv e than they, fo r u n lik e th e o th e r images, who a re unaware th a t they a re mere r e f le c tio n s o f r e a l i t y , he understands n o t only th a t he is p re s e n tly p lay in g a d u a l ro le , b u t a ls o th a t he w ill u ltim a te ly d ie as a r e s u l t o f having "photographed" h im se lf. The e n tir e concept o f "La tram a c e le s te " inv o lv es the d ouble. In t h i s s to ry , Bioy is n o t c o n te n t sim ply to p o r tra y images o f a group o f people who a t one tim e e x is te d in th e " re a l" w orld, b u t p re se n ts th e p o s s ib ility o f an i n f i n i t e number o f "mundos c a s i ig u a le s . . . " ("Tram a," TroiM p. 136), in which th e m a jo rity o f th e in h a b ita n ts o f one world a re m irro r images o f t h e i r c o u n te rp a rts in 157 o th e r w orlds. The most common o f th e techniques u tiliz e d by Bioy C asares in the conversion o f r e a l it y in to u n re a lity is the re v e rs a l of ev en ts, o r s u rp ris e , by means o f which an « apparent r e a lit y is u ltim a te ly transform ed in to fa n ta sy . There a re se v e ra l fin e examples of B ioy's use o f th is device. "Un v ia je , o e l mago in m o rta l," fo r in sta n c e , co n tain s a l l the b u re a u c ra tic re alism of a sto ry by Kafka. A businessman takes a t r i p to Montevideo to v i s i t th e branch of h is company in th a t c ity , and we are given a d e ta ile d account o f h is business a c t i v i t i e s . Because o f an e rro r in h is h o te l re se rv a tio n , he is forced to search fo r o th e r lodgings. Since th e re is a convention in th e c ity , the only room he can fin d is in a seco n d -rate h o te l in the Ciudad V ieja d i s t r i c t . That evening, exhausted from h is t r i p and from business conferences, he goes to bed and f a l l s asleep im m ediately, but sh o rtly a f te r m idnight he is awakened by the voices o f a man and woman arguing in the next room. The next n ig h t, th e same th in g occurs; by now he has become obsessed w ith the idea o f m eeting th e woman, whom he imagines to be a b e a u tifu l peruana. 158 He begins to form ulate a plan to g e t the man out o f th e room, but b efo re he com pletes th e d e ta ils o f h is strateg em , he h ears th e alarm -clock in th e ad jo in in g room, and the couple r i s e , d re ss , and leave th e room. He r is e s h im self a sh o rt tim e l a t e r , d ecid in g to com plain about the n o ise which has d istu rb e d h is sle e p , but when he m entions the couple to th e manager, he i s informed th a t he need no lo n g er worry sin c e the man has checked o u t, and th a t th e re was no woman w ith him. As th e businessm an is leav in g , he in q u ire s in p assin g : —£Como se llam a e l senor de la h a b ita c io n co n tig u a a la m£a? C onsultaron lib ro s y respondieron: —M erl£n. El nombre me suena, pero n i an tes n i despues de esa manana v i a l su je to .* * Another in te r e s tin g example o f th e tran sfo rm atio n o f r e a l i t y in to fan tasy through a re v e rs a l o f events is "Los reyes fu tu ro s ." A f ir s t- p e r s o n n a rra tiv e , i t is th e sto ry o f th re e lif e - lo n g frie n d s and th e ir e x tra o rd in a ry adven tu re . The n a rra to r r e c a lls th a t Marcos, Helena, and he had grown up to g e th e r, and th a t he had always been in love ^ A d o lfo Bioy C asares, El lado de l a sombra (Buenos A ires: Etaece, 1962), p. 106. 159 w ith Helena. When they fin ish e d co lle g e , he entered law school; Marcos read fo r h is own enjoyment, and f in a lly entered th e Escuela de C lenclas N atu rales. A b r i l l i a n t stu d en t, Marcos graduated a f te r a year, m arried Helena, and r e tir e d to a l i f e o f study and re se arc h on h is e s ta te a t S ain t Remi. B roken-hearted, th e n a rra to r withdrew from h is law p ra c tic e and went to A u stra lia where he became the a d m in istra to r o f a sheep ranch. To pass h is abundant fre e tim e, he w rote spy novels under the pseudonym S peculator; they were a commercial, but not a c r i t i c a l , success. Now, w ith the advent o f a g re a t war, th e n a rra to r has retu rn ed to h is country, hoping to e n te r the Army. But sin ce he i s too old fo r th e fro n t lin e s , he is made a counterspy in stead : "Tal vez e l tema de mis lib ro s le s su g irio l a absurda id ea de que yo ser£a un buen esp£a" (’’Reyes," Trama. p. 34). Learning th a t h is o ffic e has become susp icio u s o f the in h a b ita n ts o f S ain t Remi, th e new ly -recru ited spy confers w ith h is c h ie f, and o b tain s perm ission to in v e s tig a te th e s itu a tio n . Making d is c re e t in q u irie s in th e v illa g e , he le a rn s th a t th e fish -p e d d le r is the only person who ever goes near the v i l l a : 160 --$ E n tra a ll£ todos lo s d£as? —ln q u lr£ . --Nunca - - d ijo , son rien d o , l a m u jer. --Lo re c lb e n en e l p orton —a c la ro e l alm acenero. Despues de l a una y media ap a recio e l vendedor de p escados. --jE n S ain t Remi son c lie n te s suyos? —le p reg u n te. —Por supuesto - - d ijo e l hom bre--. Los a tien d o desde hace anos. --^Es verdad que ningun o tro re p a r tid o r tr a b a ja con l a q u in ta ? --^ P o r cjue ha de tr a b a ja r ? A ll£ so lo comen pescado. Consumen mas pescado que un e j e r c ito . ("R eyes," Trama. pp. 37-38) That same a fte rn o o n he d ecid es to in v e s tig a te the v i l l a , b u t is h ard ly prepared fo r th e c o n d itio n o f the house: Todo e sta b a como a n te s, pero c u b ie rto de polvo y de te la r a n a s . Empuje l a ven tan a; e n tre . Colgaban de la s paredes lo s tnismos cuadros con la s manadas de c a b a llo s s a lv a je s . En la s paredes y en lo s muebles d e l salo n de b a ile hab£a unas orugas b la n e a s, p a recid as a lo s gusanos de seda, pero mucho mas grandes; ten£an p e la je bianco y ro s tro s c a s i humanos y me contem plaban en a te n ta inm ov ib ilid ad , con o jo s redondos y v erd o so s. ("R eyes," Trama. p. 43) As n ig h t is f a lli n g , he sees th a t th e re a re no lo n g er any w a lls to se p a ra te th e music room, th e d in in g room, th e ballroom , and th e sm all red room. Where the red room ought to be th e re is in s te a d a kind o f swamp o r lak e w ith dozens o f s e a ls swimming about in i t . As he tu rn s to leav e , he h ears fo o ts te p s approaching: i t i s Helena, in ra g s, looking old and d i r t y and c a rry in g a n e t f i l l e d 161 w ith f is h . As he Is try in g to convince her to leave w ith him, Marcos e n te rs th e room, and orders her to take the f is h to the s e a ls . When asked fo r an explanation, they t e l l him th a t they have been expecting him to come fo r a long tim e. The n a rra to r attem pts to leave, but h is arms and legs become heavy and he can hardly move. Seeing Marcos walking away, he c a lls out and asks where he is going: —A lle v a r o tra redada de pescados - -respondio. --U stedes estan convertidos en s irv ie n te s de la s focas —comente. --No pedimos nada m ejor. ("Reyes," Trama. p. 46) When the n a rra to r begs Marcos to b rin g Helena and come away w ith him, Marcos re p lie s th a t a l l of them w ill remain. He explains h is experim ents: . . . N uestra obra m aestra son las fo cas. Hemos to rtu rad o animales jovenes --p a ra determ inar que podia conseguirse de una atencion siempre d e s p ie rta —, hemos actuado sobre c e lu la s y embriones, hemos comparado lo s cromosomas de los fo s lie s congelados de S ib eria. Pero no era s u f i- c ie n te obrar sobre individuos; debiamos e sta b le c e r cos- tumbres g en eticas. Pregunte ironicam ente: --^Por lo menos has ensenado a h ab lar a tu s focas? --No n ecesitan h ab lar. Se comunican por e l pensa- m iento. Me reprochan que no haya convertido sus a le ta s en manos. Pero son ln fin itam en te benevolas y no me guardan rencor. Estan in teresad as en las p o sib ilid ad e s evo lu tiv as d el hombre; no han querido obligam os a nada, porque uno de nosotros te n d ria que operar sobre e l o tro , y saben que nos queremos. Nos re p e tfa n : "Esperen que venga alguien de a fu e ra ." ("Reyes," Trama. pp. 47-48) 162 As th e n a r r a to r tu rn s away in an attem p t to leav e , he h ea rs an ex p lo sio n ; th e bombs have begun to £ a ll ag a in . He f e e ls a sharp pain in th e back, and alm ost lo se s con sc io u sn e ss. Marcos gives him an in je c tio n ; he begins to grow weaker, and f i n a l l y r e a liz e s th a t he, to o , has become a sla v e to th e s e a ls , " lo s rey es fu tu ro s ." Another fin e i l l u s t r a t i o n o f th is type o f sto ry is " H is to ria p ro d ig io s a ," o s te n s ib ly a p a r t i a l biography w ritte n " [p a ra d e ja r] aclarad o s algunos ep iso d io s de la v id a de Rolando Lancker, e p iso d io s que determ inados s e c to re s ultim am ente com entaron, d ifu n d ie ro n y te rg iv e rsa ro n " (" H is to r ia ," H is to ria . p. 9 ). As u su al w ith Bioy, the r e a l i t y o f th e t a l e is e s ta b lis h e d by accum ulating d e t a i l , c a ta lo g u in g r e a l s t r e e ts and s e c to rs o f Buenos A ire s, and in a d d itio n g iv in g i t th e form o f a b io g ra p h ic a l sk etch . Rolando Lancker is a w ealthy young man whose p rin c ip a l c h a r a c te r is tic s a re h is l ib e r a l a ttitu d e s and h is atheism . He is c o n s ta n tly warned th a t h is f a ilu r e to b e lie v e in God w ill someday cause him sorrow , b u t he always brushes the w arning a sid e w ith one s a r c a s tic comment o r an o th er: Nadie puede c r e e r , re lig io sa m e n te c r e e r, en un mundo f a n ta s tic o , im p ercep tib le desde la t i e r r a , poblado de d io se s y de m uertos, d e ta lla d o topograficam ente, 163 con c ie lo , in fie m o y p u rg a to rio , s i ese mundo no lo deslum bra, no lo a tr a e , n l s iq u le ra le g u sta . Vea us te d , l a m itolog£a c r ls ti a n a , por in c re £ b le que le parezca, me d e ja £r£o. ( " H is to r ia /' H is to ria . p. 21) When he i s in v ite d by a frie n d to a tte n d a masquerade b a l l , he tak es advantage o f th e presence o f s e v e ra l "d e v ils" to contin u e h is commentary over th e n o n -e x isten c e o f Heaven and H ell; b u t one of th e se " d e v ils" is offended by h is rem arks: --^D ios no e x is te ? $E1 d ia b lo no e x is te ? $No hay v a lla s para l a n a tu ra l maldad de lo s hombres? Usted se equivoca y me apena. Deponga sus b u rla s y creame: hay c ie lo , hay in fie m o , y e l in fie m o es tan n e c e sa rio como e l c ie lo . C onfiese que todo e x is te , lo esp ero de su buen corazon, y e s tre c h a re su mano. (" H is to ria ," H is to ria . p. 35) When Lancker laughs a t him and re fu se s to adm it th e e x iste n c e of Heaven and H ell, th e " d e v il" sla p s him acro ss th e fa c e and ch a llen g es him to a d u e l. They choose th e ir seconds, and r e p a ir to a q u in ta whose owner is a gentlem an o f th e old school who w ill n o t o b je c t to th e d u e l. His frie n d s attem p t to d isuade him, but Lancker i n s i s t s on co n tin u in g . When th e f ig h t begins Lancker atacab a in fa tig a b le m e n te , e l combate no p are- c£a d esp a rejo , h a s ta que por f in l a capa d e l d ia b lo se inflam o, como dos a la s r o ja s , y l a espada acom etio, ra p id a y m o rtal, como e l rayo. El cuerpo de Lancker, a la a ltu r a d e l corazon, de p a rte a p a rte quedo e n sa r- tad o . Nos p recip itam o s, generosos de tard £ o so c o rro . Un p ro d ig io , e l ultim o de l a s e r ie , nos detuvo: vimos 164 humo, como de pequena fogata, que sal£ a de abajo d el cadaver, resplram os o lo r de azu fre y o£mos un d e sc o rre r de cadenas. —Se fue a l ln £ iem o . Insensiblem ente desaparecio de n uestro lado e l m ata dor. Era e l d iab lo , e l verdadero d ia b lo , llam enlo Satanas o como q uieran. (" H isto ria ," H isto ria . p. 40) S im ilar to the sto ry j u s t discussed in i t s method of e s ta b lish in g the r e a lity which u ltim a te ly becomes fan tasy is "Los a fa n e s," the sto ry of H eladio H eller, who invents an apparatus which enables him to preserve the l i f e fo rce w ithin i t , even a f te r the ph y sical death of the body. This work w ill l a t e r be examined in d e ta il as an example of d is to rtio n of tim e. "En memoria de P au lin a," from La trama c e le s te , is s t i l l another extrem ely in te re s tin g example of d e ta ile d r e a lity which is transform ed q u ite suddenly in to fa n ta sy . As in the o th e r s to rie s discussed in th is sec tio n , r e a l it y is e stab lish ed through an accum ulation of d e ta il: in te rio rs o f houses are m inutely described, and the appearance of the ch a racters is photographically reproduced. This minute d e sc rip tio n is ab so lu tely necessary to the acceptance o f the fan tasy by the read er, since i t is th e d e ta il, and the lo g ic w ith which the fa n ta s tic event is explained th a t u ltim a te ly e sta b lish e s th a t the transform ation from r e a lity 165 to u n r e a lity has been e ffe c te d . As the t i t l e su g g ests, th e s to ry Is In th e form o f a memoir in which th e n a r ra to r r e c a lls h is l i f e w ith P au lin a. The two had grown up to g e th e r, and u n t i l two y ears b e fo re , had always been in love. D espite th e young m an's l i t e r a r y su ccess, h e r p a re n ts in s is te d upon postponing t h e i r m ar ria g e u n t i l he re ceiv ed h is d o c to ra te . S h o rtly b e fo re h is f i n a l exam ination, he was informed th a t he had been awarded a fe llo w sh ip to study in England fo r two y e a rs. The couple began to make p la n s, to co n sid er "pormenores de econom£a dom estics; la s p rlv a c io n e s, c a s i d u lc e s, a que nos some- terlam o s; l a d is trib u c io n de horas de e stu d io , de paseo, de reposo y, t a l vez, de tra b a jo ; lo que har£a P aulina m ien tras yo a s i s t i e r a a lo s cu rso s; l a ropa y lo s lib r o s que llevar£am os" (" P a u lin a ," Trama. p. 11). But, a f t e r th e excitem ent o f planning t h e i r t r i p had d is s ip a te d , they re a liz e d th a t he would have to giv e up th e fe llo w sh ip i f they were to m arry soon, sin c e h e r p a re n ts were obviously opposed to th e i r union. One o f th e n a r r a to r 's acquaintances was J u lio M ontero, a somewhat in e p t w r ite r who c o n tin u a lly imposed h im self upon o th e rs . When he announced one day th a t he wished 166 to meet some famous w rite rs , frie n d s o f th e n a rra to r, the l a t t e r , more to g et r id o f him than anything e ls e , agreed to have a group o f them fo r te a the follow ing day. At th e p arty th e In e v ita b le happened: P aulina and Montero, d e sp ite th e l e t t e r 's v u lg a rity , f e l l In love. When he became aware o f P a u lin a 's fe e lin g s fo r Montero, the n a rra to r accepted the fellow ship and q u ie tly prepared to leave fo r England. The n ig h t befo re he was to leave, Paulina came to v i s i t him. She stayed only a sh o rt w hile, and then l e f t in th e d riv in g ra in , re fu sin g to allow him to c a ll a ta x i. As he turned to go u p s ta irs , th e n a rra to r saw M ontero's face pressed a g a in st th e window. During h is two years In Europe, th e young man tr ie d to fo rg e t P aulina, avoiding everything th a t could p o ssib ly remind him o f h er: " . . . lo s encuentros con arg en tln o s, . . . los pocos telegram as de Buenos A ires que publicaban lo s d la rio s " (" P a u lin a ,” T£ama> p. 18). N ow he is back In Buenos A ires, and a l l the memories o f the p a st flood h is mind, as the ra in he hears o u tsid e floods th e s tr e e ts . As he i s s i t t i n g in h is study le a fin g through a book, he hears th re e knocks a t th e door. He Is n o t r e a lly su rp rised to see th a t i t is P aulina, but he 167 Is taken aback when she asks him to make love to her: . . . M e abandone a la d ich a. Nos mlramos en los ojos y, como dos r£os co n flu en tes, n u estras almas tamblen se unleron. Afuera, sobre e l techo, c o n tra la s paredes, llo v £ a. La emocion no me im pidio, sin embargo, d esc u b rir que Montero hab£a contamlnado la conversaclon de P aulina. Por momentos, cuando e lla hablaba, yo ten£a la In g ra ta im preslon de o£r a ml r iv a l. ("P au lin a," Trama, p. 21) L ater, as she stands before the m irror, he looks over, h er shoulder; h is Image seems an im perfect one. Saying th a t she must go, she runs from the bedroom and down the s t a i r s . He follow s, but when he goes o u tsid e she Is no where In s ig h t. In s p ite of the heavy ra in th a t has ju s t ceased, he notes th a t the s tr e e ts are p e rfe c tly dry, as though I t has not rained In months. Unable to subdue h is thoughts of Paulina, he attem pts l a t e r th a t evening to r e c a ll the joys o f the afternoon: Eleg£ una imagen de esa tard e --P aulina ante la oscura y te rs a profundidad d el esp e jo -- --y --p ro cu re evocarla. Cuando la entrev£, tuve una rev elaclo n In stan tan ea: dudaba porque me olvldaba de Paulina. Quise consagrarme a la contemplaclon de su Imagen. La fantas£a y la memorla son facu ltad es caprlchosas: evocaba e l pelo despelnado, un pllegue d el v estld o , la vaga penumbra clrcundante, pero ml amada se des- vanecia. Muchas lmagenes, anlmadas de In e v ita b le energ£a, pasaban ante mis ojos cerrad o s. De pronto hlce tin descubrim iento. Como en e l borde oscuro de un ablsmo, en tin angulo d e l espejo, a la derecha de Paulina, apareclo e l c a b a llito de pled ra verde. 168 La v isio n , cuando se produjo, no me extrano; solo despues de unos minutos recorde que la e s ta tu ita no estab a en casa. Yo se la hab£a regalado a P aulina hac£a dos anos. Me d ije que se tra ta b a de una superposicion de recuerdos anacronicos (e l mas antiguo, d e l c a b a llito ; e l mas re c ie n te , de P au lin a). ("P a u lin a ," Trama pp. 23-24) Thinking th a t h is ex planation is c o rre c t, he s e tt l e s him self to sleep , but remembers w ith a s t a r t th a t he had never placed the s ta tu e tte in h is bedroom. Hoping to fin d an acceptable ex planation of the phenomenon, he goes the next day to v i s i t h is old frie n d , Luis A lberto Morgan, and asks him where Montero liv e s . Morgan re p lie s th a t Montero is in p riso n ; notin g h is f r ie n d 's su rp ris e a t th is news, he continues th e s to ry : su sp ectin g th a t P aulina was going to v i s i t h er form er fia n c e , Montero had gone to h is house and hidden in the garden. Seeing her leav e, he caught up w ith h er in the s tr e e t, forced h e r in to h is c a r, and drove around w ith h er th e e n tire n ig h t. The next morning, in a cheap h o te l room, he shot h er to death: "Esto no hab£a ocurrido la noche a n te rio r a esa manana; hab£a ocurrido la noche a n te rio r a mi v ia je a Europa; hab£a ocu rrid o hac£a dos anos" ("P a u lin a," Trama. p. 27). The ex planation is now very c le a r to him: 169 La clav e de lo ocurrldo e sta o c u lta en la v i s i t a que me hlzo Paulina en la v fsp era de mi v ia je . Montero la sig u io y la espero en e l jard £ n . La rin o toda l a noche y, porque no creyo en sus expllcaclones . . . la mato a la madrugada. La lmagen que en tro en casa, lo que despues o cu rrio a ll£ , fue una proyeccion de la horrenda £antas£a de Montero. No lo descubr£ entonces, porque estab a tan conmovido y tan f e liz , que solo te n ia voluntad para obe- decer a P aulina. Sin embargo, lo s in d ie io s no fa lta ro n . Por ejemplo, la llu v ia . Durante l a v i s i t a de la verda- dera Paulina --en la v£spera de mi v ia je - - no o£ l l w i a . Montero que estab a en e l jard£n, la s in tio directam ente sob re su cuerpo. A1 im aginam os, creyo que la hab£amos o£do. Por eso anoche o£ H o v er. Despues me encontre con que la c a lle estab a seca. Otro in d ic io es la e s ta tu ita . Un solo d£a la tuve en casa; e l d£a d e l recib o . Para Montero quedo como un 8 £mbolo d e l lu g ar. Por eso aparecio anoche. N o me reconoc£ en e l espejo, porque Montero no me imagino claram ente. Tampoco imagino con p re c isio n e l dorm ltorio. U rdir e s ta £antas£a es e l tormento de Montero. El m£o es mas r e a l. . . . Obedec£ a un ruego de Paulina que e lla nunca me d ir ig io . ("P au lin a," Trama. pp. 29-30) The b e st example among B ioy's works of th e type of s to rie s p re se n tly under d iscu ssio n , those in which a p a in s tak in g ly prepared r e a lity is converted in to fan tasy through a re v e rsa l of events, is "El o tro la b e rin to ." An extrem ely com plicated sto ry , i t takes place a g a in st th e background of the A ustrian occupation o f Hungary during the e a rly p a rt of th is cen tu ry . In order to observe th e manner in which th is transform ation from r e a l ity to fantasy is e ffe c te d , i t w ill be necessary to undertake a ra th e r d e ta ile d 170 exam ination o f th e work. R ecently re tu rn e d from P a ris , and b rin g in g w ith him a c e r ta in p re s tig e as a n o v e lis t, A nthal Horvath Is In v ite d to be th e house g u est o f Istv a n Banyay w hile th e l a t t e r 's p a re n ts a re away on v a c a tio n . Banyay was n o t p re se n t when Horvath a rriv e d fo u r days p re v io u sly , b u t he had l e f t a n o te . R eca llin g th a t h is frie n d had been con cerned, alm ost obsessed, w ith th e s u b je c t o f th e n o te b e fo re he l e f t fo r P a ris , Horvath m usingly read s I t ag ain : En 1604, en una h a b lta c lo n de l a posada d e l Tunel, ap a re c lo un hombre m uerto. Nadle lo v lo lle g a r . Nadle lo conoc£a. Nadle lo reco n o clo . E staba atav lad o con una capa o scura, unos pan talo n es a ju sta d o s y unas san - d a lla s de cu ero . Parec£a de co n d lclo n hum llde: no ten£a pelu ca n l espada. Era c o rp u le n to , pero no obeso. En un b o l s l ll o de la capa se encontro un m an u scrito : la s au to rld ad e s d e c la re ro n que se tr a ta b a de una b lo g ra f la d e l m uerto, in c re £ b le y poco In te re s a n te ; pero conviene re c o rd e r que la s a u to rld a d e s eran tu rc o s y que, segun e lla s mlsmas, la b io g ra f£ a e sta b a re d actad a en un in d e- term inado d la le c to hungaro. Sobre e l asp ecto m a te ria l d e l documento d ejaro n observaclones p re c ls a s : con stab a de v e ln tlc u a tro paglnas e s c r lta s de un so lo lado, en p a rte en l£neas cruzadas; e l p ap el e ra te rs o y b r i l l a n t e , y la t l n t a , m is te rlo s e (lo s tra z o s parec£an hechos con t l n t a , pero no se ad v ert£ a en e llo s nlngun r a s tr o de t l n t a ; e n tre e llo s y e l r e s to de l a p£glna no hab£a nlnguna d ife r e n c ia de n lv e l) . Se d ljo que esos v e l n t l c u a tro paglnas fueron envladas a C o n stan tin o p le, p ara que la s exam inara una com lslon de f£ slc o s y de p o etas; desde entonces hay n o tlc la s d e l m an u scrito , que se co n sld e ra perdldo p ara l a c le n c la o c c id e n ta l. En e l cadaver no hab£a slgnos de v lo le n c la . La u n ica p u e rta de la h a b lta c lo n e sta b a c e rra d a con pasador 171 (co rrid o desde ad e n tro ); la ventana e stab a ce rrad a ; no hab£a o tra s a b e rtu ra s en la h a b lta c lo n . ("L a b e rin to ," Trama. pp. 140-141) I t Is easy to understand Banyay' 8 In te r e s t In th e dead man and h is m anuscript, sin ce th e b u ild in g th a t had been th e Tunnel Inn u n t i l th e m iddle o£ th e eig h teen th century was now a p a rt of h is e s ta te . Horvath has ju s t la id the no te asid e when Banyay comes in to h is room w ith the news th a t he has found th e lo s t m anuscript; o r, more a c c u ra te ly , th a t P ro fesso r L lptay, a h is to r ia n , had found i t in th e u n iv e rsity a rc h iv e s. Horvath le a rn s th a t h is frie n d is engaged in w ritin g b io g rap h ies o f seventeenth-century Hungarians fo r th e E nciclopedia Hungara. and th a t he is fa sc in ated w ith h is work: Estoy acostumbrado a e s ta epoca; la s demas se me fig u ran ir r e a le s : la Antlgiiedad me parece fa n ta s tic a , la Edad Media mesquina, e l s ig lo XVIII, groseram ente modemo. Si no me v ig ilo creo que e l s ig lo XVII es la epoca n a tu ra l de la v id a humana; mas aun, de mi propia v id a . Me parece mas n a tu ra l s e r uno de esos personajes que s e r yo, porque yo vivo en e l in cre£ b le sig lo XX. ("L ab erin to ," Trama. p. 148) Horvath suggests th a t they go out somewhere, b u t a t th a t moment a group o f th e ir old frie n d s a rriv e fo r a m eet ing of the P a trio ta s Hunearos. an o rg an izatio n dedicated to th e overthrow of the A ustrian regim e. As is u su al w ith old frie n d s who have n o t seen each o th e r in some time, 172 th e re is a t £ i r s t co n sid erab le good-natured b a n te r; b ut when th e m eeting begins form ally, they reach a d e c isio n q u ick ly : "Hay que m atar a l j e f e d e p o lic £ a , . . . [porque es] la causa de todos los m ales; . . . [porque s ig n if ie s ] e l f in de la s esperanzas de lo s p a trio ta s " ("L ab erin to ," Trama. p. 154). A few days a f te r th e m eeting, Horvath is s i t t i n g in a ca fe when Banyay rushes in , b re a th le s s ly exclaim ing th a t P ro fesso r L iptay has found a long paragraph concerning th e Tunnel Inn m anuscript in T a v e m le r: ^ Afirma T av em ler que en Hungr£a nadie le hablo d e l m is- te rio s o muerto de la posada d e l Tunel, pero que en C onstantinople, en 1637, conocio a un tr a f le a n te de p ie d ra s p re c lo sa s, co rresp o n sal de su suegro, que en una conversacion menclono e l e p iso d io . T av em ler s i n t io un vivo in te r e s , p id io recom endaciones, espero y adulo a b u ro c ratas y co n sig u io por f in , te n e r a sus manos e l m anuscrito. ("L ab erin to ," T-rum*. p. 163) Banyay's obsession is now alm ost u n c o n tro lla b le , and P ro fesso r L iptay comes to Horvath fo r help in channeling Jean B a p tiste T av em ler (1605-1689), a noted French tr a v e le r and pioneer o f tra d e w ith In d ia , w rote in 1676 Les Six Vovaees de J . B. T av em ler. in which he d isc u sse s h is v i s i t s to C onstantinople and o th e r E astern c i t i e s . The re fe re n c e to the Tunnel Inn m anuscript i s , of co u rse, apoc ry p h al, and is intended by Bioy C asares to make th e e x i s t ence o f th e m anuscript c re d ib le , fo r once the r e a l i t y of th e m anuscript is accepted, the f a n ta s tic conclusion of th e sto ry can a ls o be accepted. 173 h is in te r e s ts and energies away from the m anuscript. Horvath goes to the lib ra ry and fin d s an e c s ta tic Istv an Banyay, fo r although th e a u th o ritie s w ill n o t allow him to remove the m anuscript from th e b u ild in g , they have given him perm ission to photograph i t page by page. N ow he can work on i t c o n stan tly , n ig h t and day. But a week la te r , Istv an Banyay disappears w ithout a tra c e . With th e ir son gone, Banyay*s parents accept Horvath in h is p lace, and Anthal vows to continue th e m issing man's work on th e Enciclonedia and w ith the P a trio ta s Hunearos. In th is l a s t cap acity , he begins to atten d the m eetings re g u la rly , and learn s th a t Liptay is now c o n sta n tly watched, because he is considered a t r a i t o r . When i t is decided th a t he must be k ille d , Horvath volun te e rs . The n ig h ts befo re he is to k i l l L iptay, Horvath s i t s down a t h is desk to w rite a Comunicacion a lo s amigos, in which he explains what happened to Banyay and the re a l tru th about the m anuscript: "Yo fragile la h is to r ia d e l hombre encontrado muerto en la posada d e l Tunel, e l manu s c r ito que e l pro feso r L iptay encontro y que obsesiono a Istvan" ("L aberinto," Trama. p. 187). In P a ris, he had met 174 a French g i r l whom he had to ld about Istv a n , and i t occurred to her th a t they could play a joke on Banyay by fo rg in g th e lo s t m anuscript th a t was found w ith th e man who died a t th e Tunnel Inn in 1604. At f i r s t , Horvath re je c te d th e id ea as too d i f f i c u l t , b u t th e g i r l p e rs is te d , and he f in a lly decided to tinder” take the p ro je c t. Horvath w rote th e te x t o f the manu~ s c r ip t, a paraphrase o f Banyay*s own l i f e , and th e g i r l copied i t . Having fo rg o tte n th a t th e lo s t o rig in a l was w ritte n in a d ia le c t, he composed i t in modem Hungarian w ith a sp rin k lin g o f archaism s. He had a ls o fo rg o tte n th a t th e pages had w ritin g on only one sid e , and th a t they were smooth and g lo ssy , so he used parchment. These v a ria tio n s went unnoticed by both Banyay and L iptay. He continues in h is Comunicacion: No pretendo, ahora, que e l documento que preparamos con M adeleine, en Par£s, en 1904, fu e ra e l que encon- tra ro n en e l b o ls illo d e l hombre que aparecio muerto, en 1604, en una p ieza de la posada d e l Tunel. Afirmo, solam ente, que e l m anuscrito encontrado entonces era una copia fo to g ra fic a d e l que preparamos n o so tro s. Se tra ta b a de la s fo to g raf£ as que tomo Istv an . . . la ta rd e que lo v i en e l g ab in ete de lo s m anuscritos, en la B ib lio te c a de la U nlversidad. Por eso e l m anuscrito encontrado en e l hombre de la posada d e l Tunel, aunque ten£a e l mismo numero de paginas que e l m£o, d ife r£ a en que la s paginas estaban e s c r ita s de un so lo lado; por eso e l papel era te rs o y b r illa n te ; por eso lo s 175 tra z o s de l a t l n t a eran im p ercep tib les a l ta c to . . . . Juzgaron que e l documento e sta b a e s c r lto en un descono- cld o d la le c to hungero: e ra , sim plem ente, e l hunjgaro modemo (p a ra e llo s lm p re v is ib le ). Cuando Istv a n , en lo s la g o s, me hablo d e l e r ro r de l a c l t a d e sc u b le rto por T a v e m le r, comprendf que yo hab£a en trad o en un mundo m agico. Por su g a rte Istv a n so lo e n tro en e l pasado. Fue e l qulen lle v o , en e l b o l s l l l o de su capa, l a co p la fo to - g r a f ic a a l s ig lo XVII. (" L a b e rin to ," Trama pp. 1 9 5 - 196) H orvath n o te s th a t he can evoke th e scene o f B anyay's d e p a rtu re : Ten£a, como yo, a la izcjulerda e s ta p u e rta , que da a l "museo." Entonces Istv a n v lo aue unos hombres que ven£an d e l lado de l a c o n flte r£ a se reun£an con un hombre fla c o , v e s tld o de g r ls , que desde hac£a un r a to e s ta b a de p ie e n fre n te . Istv a n comprendio que e ra l a p o lic £ a s e c re ta ; penso, con d esesperada in te n sid a d , en e l c u a rto que e sta b a mas a l l £ de l a p u e rta de l a iz q u le rd a , en e l "museo." Slempre hab£a imaginado que a l l £ e sta b a e l s ig lo XVII; ahora, su Im agination de aquel s ig lo se co ncentraba obsesivam ente en una p ie z a de l a posada d e l Tunel, de la posada que hab£a entonces en e l s i t i o donde sus abuelos e d iflc a ro n e l p ab e llo n . Guardo e l documento en e l b o l s i l l o de su capa, a b rio l a p u e rta y paso. E staba muy a g lta d o . Su corazon, que slem pre hab£a sid o deb 11, f a l l o . Pero Estvan no cayo m uerto en e l "museo"; cayo en e l c u a rto de l a posada d e l Tunel, en e l s ig lo XVII. (" L a b e rin to ," Tr*IM P. 197) As he f in is h e s h is Comunicacion. H orvath looks o u t th e window and see s th a t a group o f men have jo in e d a th in man in grey who i s stan d in g a c ro ss th e s t r e e t . But th ey w ill n o t fin d him; ta k in g a g la s s o f w ater and a packet o f a rs e n ic , he e n te rs th e "museum" and b o lts th e d oor. As w ith a l l th e works d iscu ssed in th is se c tio n , the fan tasy o f "El o tro la b e rin to " is not combined w ith r e a lit y . R ather, th e r e a l i t y o f th e s itu a tio n is e s ta b lish e d (through th e apocryphal testim ony o f T avem ier, through the h is to r ic a l background o f A u s tria 's occupation of Hungary, and through the numerous d e ta ils concerning the c ity o f Budapest, th e b u ild in g th a t had been th e Tunnel Inn, and the m anuscript i t s e l f ) , and is u ltim a te ly transform ed in to u n r e a lity . U n til th e f in a l pages of the sto ry (although co n sid erab le p re fig u ra tio n of the outcome is p resen t throughout), we have every in d ic a tio n th a t we are reading nothing more than a d e ta ile d h is to r ic a l account o f the attem pt by a group o f Hungarian p a tr io ts to fre e th e ir c ity from the c o n tro l of th e A u strian s. The m a te ria l concerning the m anuscript seems to be secondary, an anec dote appended to the p rin c ip a l a c tio n to add in te r e s t to the h is to r ic a l account o f events in Budapest in 1904. But w ith the end o f the n a rra tiv e , we become aware th a t the sto ry o f th e m anuscript and Istv an Banyay's m agical journey in time is the prim ary su b je c t o f the work. 177 D isto rtio n of Time and Space Bioy C asares, lik e Borges, dem onstrates In h is work a fundamental concern w ith qu estio n s o f time and space: El pensamiento d e l tiempo, que como hombre y como e s c r ito r le preocupa, . . . es un tema co nstante de muchas de la s producciones de Bloy C asares. El ritm o a que estamos acostumbrados en n u e stra concepcion d e l tiempo como unico, lin e a l y sucesivo, se rompe en con respecto a l hombre y a l One o f the methods th a t Bioy Casares u t iliz e s in the d e stru c tio n of the usual tem poral concepts, and in the consequent d is so lu tio n of r e a lity , is the voyage in tim e. Unlike Borges, who does not employ "tim e machines" to e ffe c t a d isru p tio n of time, Bioy a t tim es does make use o f various kinds o f machinery fo r th is purpose. An e x c e lle n t illu s tr a tio n of B ioy's use o f th is tech nique is found in La invencion de M orel, in which " la 8 upervivencia por medio de imagenes a c tu a liz e e l mi to d el etem o re to m o , la p o sib ilid a d de la vida h a sta e l i n f i - n ito , siempre igual y siempre renovada, con e l futuro 18 siempre d isp o n ib le ." M orel's invention, which Eduardo d iv ersas maneras, lo mismo 17 Kovacci, pp. 22-23. 18 Ibid.. p. 23. 178 Gonzalez Lanuza sees as "un finfsim o aparato de re lo je r£ a IQ que no se propone m edlr e l tiempo, slno la e te m id a d ," 7 Is the means fo r a kind of voyage in tim e, since the images produced by the machine, which in no way can be d i s t i n guished from " re a l" human beings, continue to perform, in succeeding epochs, a l l the a c tiv it i e s o rig in a lly recorded by the inventor. As Indicated above, the c y c lic a l n atu re o f th e machine suggests the E ternal Return, and is a l i t e r a l re p re s e n ta tio n of im n o rta lity . Although th e re is evidence th a t the soul passes in ta c t w ith the co rporeal Image onto the re - 20 cording, th is g i f t o f im m ortality possesses one major 21 flaw : the images do n o t have th e a b ility to th in k . That ^Review of La invencion de M orel, by Adolfo Bioy C asares, Sur. No. 75 (diciem bre, 1940), p. 159. 20 That the soul remains w ith th e body is apparent from th e d eath of the " tra n s m itte rs ." Once they have been photographed, they cease to e x is t in th e " re a l" w orld. This idea, which is a lso found in "Los afa n e s," probably is based upon the b e lie f o f c e rta in p rim itiv e peoples th a t they w ill d ie i f they ever allow themselves to be photo graphed . 21 N evertheless, the fu g itiv e observes th a t "El hecho de que no podamos comprender nada fu era d e l tiempo y d el espacio, t a l vez e s te sugiriendo que n u e stra vid a no sea apreciablem ehte d i s t i n t s de la sobrevivencia a obtenerse con e s te aparato" (Morel. pp. 123-123). 179 i s , they do n o t have th e a b i l i t y to observe and p erceiv e any person o r o b je c t which in tru d e s upon t h e i r w orld; they a re t o t a l l y unaware, fo r example, o f th e f u g i t i v e 's e x i s t ence. T his la c k o f cognizance on th e p a r t o f th e Images i s th e so u rce o f th e f u g i t i v e 's trag e d y , fo r he r e a liz e s th a t even though he may be a b le to in tro d u ce h im self in to F a u s tin e 's w orld, she w ill probably never be conscious o f h is p resen ce, sin c e he was n o t a p a r t o f th e o r ig in a l re c o rd in g . Because M orel and h is frie n d s do n o t have th e a b i l i t y to th in k c r e a tiv e ly o r to a l t e r t h e i r a c tio n s (th e re i s no boredom o r d isco m fo rt in th is r e p e titio n , sin c e w ith each cy c le th e recorded week beg in s ag ain , and th e images have no memory o f th e previous c y c le ), th e ir s is a hollow im m o rtality , fo r i f an im m ortal s t a t e i s to be w orthw hile, a c a p a c ity fo r c r e a tiv ity and fo r change would be n ec e ssa ry . In "Los a fa n e s ," Bioy re so lv e s th is problem . The p ro ta g o n is t, H e lle r, i s a b le to tra n sm it th e soul o f a liv in g being to "un b a s tid o r. Un a p a r a tito con dos columnas de n£quel, de unos v e in te cent£m etros de a ltu r a " ("A fanes," Lado. p. 186). Beginning w ith experim ents on h is dog, M arconi, he r e ta in s n o t only th e a n im a l's s p i r i t , 1 8 0 but also h is bark, h is odor, "aun lo s pelos . . . y la m irada esperanzada, pero muy t r l s t e , de un perro" ("A fanes," Lado. p. 177). F in a lly , H eller p e rfe c ts h is Invention, and su cc essfu lly tran sm its the l i f e substance and the soul of a human being, him self, in to the apparatus, where i t w ill remain throughout e te rn ity so long as the b a stld o r remains in ta c t. His b ro th er explains how i t fu n ctio n s: Eladio me d ilo que durante anos perfecciono esos b a s ti- d o res. Queria tra n s m itirle s una alma, como se transm ite un sonido a una antena de ra d io o una imagen a una antena de te le v is io n . Parece que hay algo unico en la s almas y que h a sta se d ife re n c ia n de un sonido y de una imagen. Me d ijo : Puedes te n e r v a rie s copias de una misma imagen o lle v a r a un disco un sonido, pero cuando transm ites a l b a stld o r e l alma de un perro o de un gato, e l animal muere. Muere en e l perro o en e l gato y sigue viviendo en e l b a s tld o r. Para una pobre b e s tia , . . . la nueva vida es c a s i nada; . . . pero un hombre, en e l b a stld o r, puede pensar. Mas claram ente: lo que de un hombre recoge e l b a stld o r es la fa c u lta d de pensar. E sta fa c u lta d no queda a isla d a , como e l alma de un perro, porque la transm ision d el pensamiento e x is te . Sin que nadie a b rie ra la boca, . . . uno conversaba con E ladio. ("A fanes," Lado. pp. 187-188) H e lle r's invention is sim ila r to th a t o f Morel in one re sp e c t: the " tra n sm itte r" d ies once the transm ission has taken place. But th is invention o ffe rs a d if f e r e n t, a more d e sira b le s o rt o f im n o rtality , fo r even though th ere is no corporeal existence w ith the cap acity to experience p h y si c a l p leasu res, the human essence re ta in e d in H e lle r's 181 Invention m aintains the g i f t of c re a tiv e th in k in g , and in ad d itio n possesses the a b ility o f thought transm ission, which enables i t to communicate w ith those s t i l l liv in g . In "La trama c e le s te ," Bioy again employs a machine, in th is in stan ce an a irp la n e , to e f fe c t a somewhat d i f f e r ent s o r t of voyage, one which im plies tra v e l through space as w ell as tim e: a journey to o th er worlds alm ost id e n tic a l to our own, e x is tin g sim ultaneously, y et independently, on d iffe re n t p lanes. Here, tem poral and s p a tia l d is to rtio n are employed not only to cause a d is s o lu tio n o f r e a lity , but a lso to i l l u s t r a t e by means of th is m u ltip lic ity o f p a r a lle l w orlds, th e hypothesis th a t i t is p o ssib le fo r one person to e le c t sim ultaneously an in f in ite number of p o ssib le d e s tin ie s . As O felia Kovacci observes: Lo in te re sa n te re sid e en que la idea d el in f in ito no im plica su ex p licacio n n i su ju s tif ic a c io n , sino su aceptacion como una a p e rtu ra para lo humano; p o s ib ili- dades de re a liz a c io n d e l d e stin o . De e s te modo la te o rla de la m u ltip lic id a d de lo s mundos supone una forma de sim bolizar la lib e rta d d e l hombre, capaz de in te rp re te r, de ordenar, de mantener una conciencia lu cid a e n tre cuyas potencies estan e l razonar y e l im aginar. 22Adolfo Biov C asares. p. 15. This theory o f an in f in ity o f d u p lic a te worlds is q u ite s im ila r to th a t advanced by Borges, p a r tic u la r ly in "El ja rd ln de senderos que se b ifu rc a n ." 182 Another voyage in tim e, in th is case w ithout th e aid o f a machine, occurs in "El o tro la b e rin to ." Istvan Banyay's journey in to th e past i s i llu s t r a ti v e of another of B ioy's co n stan tly re c u rrin g themes: " . . . que e l tiempo sucesivo es una mera ilu s io n de los hombres y que vivimos en una etem id ad donde todo es sim ultaneo . . . " ("Labe- 23 r in to ," Trama. p. 198), where nothing is lo s t and every thing c o e x ists. The presence of o b jects which are ana c h ro n is tic when viewed from the standpoint o f lin e a r time (th e document c a rrie d by Istvan in to the seventeenth cen tu ry , the rin g presented to Dr. Servian by M orris, M orel's m anuscript), f o r t i f i e s th e theory, and proposes the hypothesis th a t the p ast is not in vulnerable to change. That the past may be re v e rs ib le is the only hope o f the fu g itiv e in La invencion de Morel when he introduces him s e lf in to the world of h is beloved F au stin e. O ccasionally, the d is to r tio n o f th e time continuum occurs through constant re p e titio n of an event o r s e rie s 23 This concept of e te rn ity , in which p ast, p resen t, and fu tu re are synchronic, is a lso a fundamental one in the works o f Borges. See the d iscu ssio n of "El jard £ n de senderos que se bifu rcan " and "Examen de la obra de H erbert Quain" in Chapter I I of th is study. 183 of ev en ts. This r e p e titio n produces th e e f f e c t o f stopping tim e. For example, in M E1 p e rju rio de la n ie v e ," when Vermehren, the Danish p ro p rie to r o f the ranch, "La A dela," le a rn s th a t one o f h is daughters has only a sh o rt time to liv e , he decides th a t he must "imponer a todos una vid a escrupulosam ente re p e tid a , 'p a ra que en su casa no pasara e l tiem po'" (" P e rju rio ," Trama. p. 237). S im ilarly , in "El o tro la b e rin to ," th e concept of lin e a r tim e is d is to rte d through Is tv a n 's co n tin u a l p re occupation w ith th e problem o f the dead man in th e inn. As A nthal Horvath observes, "es como s i d e tu v ie ra e l tiempo, o como s i yo no hubiera estado en P a ris; an tes de irme hablaba de e sto ; ahora sigue hablando. I n s is te en e s te episodio d e l pasado; o lv id a e l p resen te" ("L ab erin to ," Trama. p. 139). Even th e innumerable o b je c ts in the "museum" where Banyay p e n e tra te s th e p a st suggest th is same p rin c ip le of the n u llif ic a tio n o f th e su ccessive time concept through co n stan t r e p e titio n , sin ce each o b je c t is sim ultaneously a m an ife sta tio n of u n ity and p lu r a lity , a symbolic la b y rin th : Ahl, amontonados en la penumbra, yaclan re lo je s que eran como extensos p u e b lito s, con munecos y ca sas; . . . rudim entarios instrum entos de o p tic a , de astronom la y 184 de to r tu r e ; . . . un a je d re z en cuyo ta b le ro todas la s h is to r la s y leyendas conocidas sobre e l o rlg en d e l juego; . . . una muneca ru sa , . . . que in clu £ a, su p er- p u esto s, doce av a ta re s d e l Jud£o E rran te; . . . un b l l l a r con munecos jugadores y donde la s p a rtid a s se d e sa rro lla b a n prim ero en un se n tld o y despues en e l In v erso . . . . Segun A nthal Horvath, la v is io n de e s te c u a rto produc£a una d e sllu slo n a d a t r i s t e z a , como s i a ll£ acecharan todas la s esperanzas, todas la s fru s - tra c io n e s y todas la s m odestas lo cu ras de lo s hombres. ("L a b e rin to ," T r a m a . pp. 142-143) "Homenaje a F rancisco Almeyra" co n tain s another s o r t o f tim e d is to r tio n , an im p lic a tio n th a t fo r a man who d ie s , th e s t a t e o f th e world a t th e tim e o f h is d eath is e te m a il. A pseudo-essay, i t n a r ra te s th e events in th e l i f e o f a young po et who liv e d in th e tim e o f th e Rosas d ic ta t o r sh ip . Bioy e s ta b lis h e s th e r e a l i t y o f h is p ro ta g o n ist by making him a fo llo w er o f Juan Cruz V arela (1794-1839), and by having Andres B ello comment on h is p o etry . The s to ry co n tain s no f a n ta s tic elem ents, b u t th e im plied tem poral d is to r tio n is in te r e s tin g . The d e sire d e f f e c t is a tta in e d when th e young man is k ille d , fo r as Bioy p o in ts o u t "p ara quienes mueren d u ran te una tira n £ a e l tira n o es e te m o " (H is to ria . p. 8 ). One of th e most fa s c in a tin g examples o f th e d is s o lu tio n o f r e a l i t y through a d is to r tio n o f tim e i s found in th e novel El sueno de lo s h ero es, a m agical adventure 185 superimposed upon an extrem ely r e a l i s t i c framework. In 1927, Eknilio Gauna, a young autom obile mechanic in Buenos A ires, wins a la rg e sum o f money a t th e horse ra c e s, and in v ite s a group of h is frie n d s to c e le b ra te th e C arnival w ith him a t h is expense. Always w illin g to o b tain some th in g fo r nothing, they re a d ily accede. Through th re e days and th re e n ig h ts, th e c e le b ra tio n co n tin u es, and th e re v e le rs draw sc a rc e ly a sober b re a th . As in d icated e a r l ie r in th is ch ap ter, fo r Bioy Casares the naming of o b je c ts, o f s tr e e ts , o f d i s t r i c t s , is eq u iv alen t to making r e a l i t i e s o f everything and every event th a t comes in con ta c t w ith them. Consequently, th e d e s c rip tio n o f the itin e r a r y o f th e c e le b ra n ts is a v e r ita b le c a ta lo g o f s tr e e ts and landmarks in Buenos A ires: Maidana (o t a l vez Pegoraro) propuso que empezaran por e l corso de V illa U rquiza. V aleria d ijo que fueran a V illa Devoto: " t o t a l , ” agrego, "todos acaba- remos ah£" (a lu sio n , muy celeb rad a, a la c a rc e l de e s te b a r rio ). Con e l m ejor animo se d irig ie ro n a la esta c io n Saavedra. Por C olegiales y La P atern al l l e - garon a V illa Devoto. . . . S aliero n a re fre s c a rs e por la s o l i t a r i a p laza A renales. . . . Gauna llamo una v ic to r ia . V alerga ordeno a l cochero: "a R ivadavia y a V illa Luro." Pqsadas la s tr e s , d ejaro n V illa Luro. P roslguieron con e l coche h acia F lo res y, luego, hacia Nueva Pom- peya. 186 Recordaba . . . haber caminado por la c a lle Peru; . . . haber entrado en un cinema to ^ ra fo ; haber almorzado . . . e n tre lo s b illa r e s de un ca£e de la Avenlda de Mayo; . . . haber a s is tld o a una funcion d e l Cosmopolita, creyendo que estaban en e l B a ta c la n .^ On th e l a s t n ig h t o f th e C arn iv al, they go to th e H otel Arm enonville, where th e Crand B all is being held, and Gauna meets a b e a u tifu l masked woman w ith whom he imne- d ia te ly f a l l s in love. But b efo re he is able to become b e tte r acquainted w ith h er, he lo ses h er in the crowd. At th e end o f the dance, in a g lo rio u sly drunken s ta te , they re tu rn home and begin again t h e i r ra th e r monotonous liv e s . Because o f h is having been so drunk, Gauna is sc a rc e ly ab le to remember a few disconnected scenes from h is th re e days and n ig h ts o f c e le b ra tio n , and as time passes he becomes obsessed w ith h is attem pts to remember what he had done during th e C arnival. He vaguely remembers th e g i r l , fo r example, and goes to look fo r h er, b u t is unsuccessful in h is e f f o r ts to fin d h e r. He a lso remembers having a k n ife f ig h t on the l a s t n ig h t o f th e C arnival, a f te r the dance, but dism isses i t as a dream. 24 * Adolfo Bioy C asares, El sueno de los heroes (Buenos Aires: Editorial Losada, 1954), pp. 21-24. 187 G radually, E m ilio 's l i f e begins to s e t t l e In to a p a tte r n , and when he m eets C lara, th e daughter o f El Brujo Taboada, he f a l l s In love w ith h e r and they a re m arried . But In 1930, th e b l i s s f u l monotony o f h is l i f e Is I n t e r ru p ted when he w ins, as In 1927, more than a thousand pesos on a h o rse ra c e , and, m ag ically , th e events o f th a t y ear begin to re p e a t them selves. Hoping to re c a p tu re th e fo rg o tte n adventures o f 1927, he goes once again to h is frie n d s and In v ite s them to accompany him to th e C arn iv al, and ag ain they accep t h is in v ita tio n . Although Gauna r e a liz e s th a t i t is Im possible to re p e a t e x a c tly t h e i r a c tio n s of th re e y ears b e fo re , he i n s i s t s , sin ce he is paying, th a t they follow th e same itin e r a r y , and do the same th in g s, as in 1927. S u rp risin g ly , th e events o f 1930 * a re alm ost id e n tic a l to th o se o f 1927: th ey tra v e l along th e same s t r e e ts (ag ain , th e se a re l i s t e d in d e t a i l , so th a t th e u ltim a te d is s o lu tio n o f r e a l it y w ill be a c c e p t a b le ) ; they e a t in th e same re s ta u r a n ts ; they spend one n ig h t a t a q u in ta belonging to a frie n d o f V alerga. When, on the l a s t n ig h t o f th e C arn iv al, they e n te r th e Armenon v i l l e "empieza la p a r te magica de e s te r e la to ; o t a l vez todo e l fu e ra magico y so lo n o so tro s no hayamos ad v e rtid o 188 su v erd ad era n a tu ra le z a " ( Suefio. p. 193). As Em ilio e n te rs th e ballroom , wanders among th e masked co u p les, and li s te n s to th e m usic, he begins to d u p lic a te th e em otions he f e l t in 1927, to f e e l th a t he has done e x a c tly th e same th in g b e fo re . T his ex p erien ce, known to p sy c h o lo g ists as d e ia vu. is n o t a t a l l u n u su a l. As Bioy observes: D iran algunos que nada muy ex tran o hay en todo e s to : que e l se hab£a preparado psicologicam ente, prim ero buscando e sa re cu p eracio n y luego o lv id an d o la, como quien d e ja una p u e rta a b le r ta ; y que tam blen f i s i c a - mente se hab£a preparado, ya que e l can san cio , a l cabo de andar tr e s d£as com pletos bebiendo y trasnochando por lo s c a m a v a le s, deb£a de s e r p arecid o en la s dos o casio n es; y que por u ltim o , e l A m en o n v ille, ta n lu jo s o , ta n in te n so de lu z , de m usica y de m ascaras, e ra un s i t i o unico en su e x p e rie n c ia . Por c ie r to que e sto no parece l a d e sc rip c io n de un hecho p sic o - lo g ic o . . . . Pero me pregunto s i despues de e s ta d e sc rip c io n no quedan s in e x p lic a r algunas c irc u n s ta n - c ia s de l a u ltim a noche. M e pregunto tam bien s i ta le s c irc u n s ta n c ia s no sera n in e x p lic a b le s o, por lo menos m agicas. (Sueno, pp. 193-194) When th e masked woman appears ag ain , he i s c e r ta in th a t th e ho p ed -fo r m ira c le has o ccu rred . He goes over to h e r, they ta lk , and i t is as though?they had seen each o th e r only hours b e fo re . And in r e a l i t y , th is i s th e c a se , fo r th e woman i s C la ra . Gauna f a i l s to reco g n ize h er because o f h is drunken s t a t e , th e circu m stan ces, and h e r d is g u is e . The f i r s t tim e they m et, a t th e C arn iv al th re e y ears e a r l i e r , she had saved h is l i f e , because h e r fa th e r, knowing th a t fin llio would f ig h t w ith V alerga, had se n t h er to In te rv e n e . She had done so j u s t a t th e beginning o f th e d u e l. Now she has come to look f o r him as she d id In 1927, because h er deceased f a th e r had v i s i te d h e r In h er dreams to re p e a t h is e a r l i e r w arning: "La te rc e ra noche va a r e p e tlr s e . Culda de Eknilio" (Sueno, p. 199). But th is tim e she i s too l a t e ; they a re se p a ra te d , as b e fo re , b u t d e s p ite f r a n tic e f f o r ts to lo c a te him, she is unable to do so. When E tailio fa ces V alerga, k n ife in hand, he fin d s h is "sueno de lo s h e ro e s ," fo r now he r e a liz e s th a t he is 25 brav e, d e s p ite h is lif e - lo n g fe a rs to th e c o n tra ry . As th e f ig h t b eg in s, Gauna "vagamente sospecho ya haber estad o en ese lu g a r, a e sa h o ra, en ese ab ra, e n tre esos a rb o le s cuyas formas eran ta n grandes en la noche; ya haber v iv id o ese momento" (Sueno. p. 215). Time i s now t o t a l l y d is to r te d , and r e a l i t y com pletely d estro y e d , as 1927 and 1930 converge and become one, fo r Gauna has "remembered" h is fu tu re : "Ya en e l 27 Gauna s im ila r s itu a tio n is found in "E l s u r ," by Borges. Juan Dahlmann, a man o f th e c i t y , re p re s e n ta tiv e o f c i v i l i z a tio n , d u e ls, w ith no hope o f w inning, an armed gaucho, symbol o f a form er way o f l i f e . Like Gauna, he p re fe rs d eath to cow ardice. 190 en tre v io e l o tro lado. Lo recordo fa n testicam en te: solo as£ puede uno re c o rd a r su p ro p la m uerte" (Sueno. pp. 215* 216). Im p lic it in th is id ea o£ remembering o n e 's fu tu re i s the theory o f synchronic planes o f tim e and th e p o s s i b i l i t y of e le c tin g sim ultaneously a m u ltitu d e o f d e s tin ie s : "En e l fu tu ro c o rre , como un r£o, n u estro d e stin o , segun lo dibujamos aqu£ ab ajo . En e l fu tu ro e s ta todo, porque todo es p o sib le" (Sueno. p. 4 3 ). N evertheless, as Kovacci p o in ts o u t, " la p e rsp e c tiv e de l a eleccio n es, en u ltim a in s ta n c ia , enganosa para e l p ro ta g o n ista , porque lib ra d o a s£ mismo e lig e , como todos lo s hombres, un d e stin o unico e ir r e v e r s ib le . Appeal to a R e stric te d Audience As in th e case o f Borges, an in te lle c tu a l d isreg a rd fo r th e o rd in ary re a d e r is a fundamental c h a r a c te r is tic of the l i te r a t u r e created by Adolfo Bioy C asares. Enrique Anderson Imbert has noted th a t . . . e s te tip o de l i t e r a t u r e a n a l£ tic a , a je d r e c is ta , no tie n e nada que v e r con la "scien ce f i c t io n ," lo s "m ysteries" o los "d e te c tiv e s to rie s " que en lo s E sta- dos Unidos se d irig e n a l m illo n . . . . Bioy Casares . . . 26 Adolfo Biov Casares. p. 25. 191 [e sc rib e ] para le c to re s de mente a l e r ta , enterados de m etaf£ slca, a fic io n a d o s a l a n a lis is , d is c ip lin a d o s en la s ley es de un juego refinado.*' The f i r s t in d ic a tio n o f B io y 's la c k o f concern fo r the mass o f re a d e rs i s the com plicated s tru c tu re s o f h is p lo ts , Which a re somewhat d isco u rag in g to any but a r a th e r d e d i cated re a d e r. The la b y rin th in e c o n stru c tio n o f La inven- cio n de M orel. Plan de evasion. "La tram a c e le s te ," and "El o tro la b e r in to ," a l l d iscu ssed a t some le n g th e a r l ie r in th is c h a p te r, i s an e x c e lle n t i l l u s t r a t i o n o f th is asp e ct o f B io y 's work. I t re q u ire s more than a l i t t l e co n c e n tra tio n to o rganize in th e mind n o t only th e c h a ra c te r s and t h e i r a c tio n s , but a ls o the tim e in which the events tak e p la c e ; th e p lo ts tu rn in upon them selves to such a degree th a t i t i s alm ost n ecessary to make a c h a rt in o rd e r to determ ine w hether a c h a ra c te r is perform ing a p a r tic u la r a c tiv ity in th e p a s t, p re se n t, o r fu tu re . As Anderson Imbert observes in th e above q u o ta tio n , Bioy w rite s fo r re a d e rs who a re a l e r t and fond o f a n a ly s is . Almost every page o f h is works co n ta in s some remark, some 27 H is to ria de la l i t e r a t u r e hisnanoam ericana. Vol. I I : Enoca confpmnr>ran ea (Mexico: Fondo de C u ltu ra Economica, 1961), p. 241. 192 c lu e , which must be perceived in o rd e r to comprehend the work com pletely. He is c o n tin u a lly p lay in g a game w ith th e re a d e r, te s tin g h is m ental a g i l i ty , and, lik e Borges, ex pecting to be understood. O ften, th is game assumes the form o f a s e r ie s o f c lu e s, p resented in a s ty le s im ila r to th a t o f th e d e te c tiv e s to ry , which p re fig u re s the outcome of the n a r r a tiv e . In La invencion de M orel, fo r example, th e re a re many in d ic a tio n s th a t th e stra n g e rs on th e isla n d do not e x is t w ith in the same r e a l it y as the fu g itiv e , long b efo re we le a rn o f M o rel's fabulous machine. When the n a r ra to r o f th e d ia ry f i r s t a rriv e s on the is la n d , fo r in sta n c e , he enters- th e museum and n o tic e s th a t th e f is h in th e aquarium a re a l l dead, and when he goes o u tsid e to the swimming pool, i t is p r a c tic a lly im possible to swim because i t is so com pletely overrun w ith p la n t and anim al l i f e . But l a t e r , when the people appear, a l l the v in e s, alg ae , fro g s, and snakes in th e pool cease to e x is t, and the f is h swim about again in th e ir aquarium. O ther c lu es a re th e app ear ance o f th e double sun and moon, th e f a ilu r e o f F au stin e to n o tic e the f u g itiv e 's poem in flo w ers, and th e f a ilu r e o f any o f M o rel's p a rty to recognize th e e x isten ce o f 193 the fu g itiv e , even though he o fte n stands d ir e c tly in fro n t of them. Plan de evasion is s im ila r to Morel in th is re sp e c t; Bioy c o n sta n tly suggests th e conclusion o f the novel in N evers' conversation s w ith Deloge, Favre, and D reyfus; in th e p h y sical co n d itio n o f the "enferm os"; in the unique s tru c tu re and c o lo r scheme o f the c e ll s . But i t is neces sary to analyze p r a c tic a lly every statem ent, to remain c o n sta n tly a le r t, in o rder to keep pace w ith th e develop ment o f events. Cesar Fernandez Moreno recognizes th is asp ect o f B ioy's s ty le , b u t views i t as a d e fe c t: La le c tu ra de e s ta novela no es f a c i l; hay d i f ic u l- tades que no se pueden e v ita r ; . . . pero hay o tra s d ific u lta d e s que s£ podrfan haberse ev itad o : Bioy Casares co n fia demasiado en la in te lig e n c ia d e l le c to r, en su lab o rio sid ad para l a re co n stru ccio n y en sus con- d icio n es para la e l ip s i s ; e s te optimismo es p elig ro so en tin tip o de novela donde la an g u stia por conocer e l se c re to f in a l a r r a s tr a a l le c to r a una velocidad poco p ro p ic ia a l a n a lis is . . . . Bioy Casares ser£a mas e f i - c ie n te s i concediera tin poco menos a l sobreentendido, cosa f a c i l para quien, como e l, no cree en la ab u rrid a d o c trin a de que la buena l i te r a t u r e es fatalm ente m in o rita ria y a la in v e rsa .^ ° Everything th a t Bioy has w ritte n , from La invencion de Morel to El lado de l a sombra. seems to d isa g re e w ith 9fi Review of Plan de evasion, by Adolfo Bioy C asares, Sur. No. 133 (noviembre, 1945), p. 6 8 . 194 Fernandez M oreno's opinion th a t Bloy shares h is b e lie f th a t good l i t e r a t u r e is n o t to be d ire c te d p rin c ip a lly toward an in te lle c tu a l m in o rity . I t is p re c ise ly B ioy's purpose to address him self to th is m in o rity ; i f he confides in the in te llig e n c e and a n a ly tic a l s k i l l s o f h is re ad er, he does so w ith f u l l knowledge of h is a c tio n s . O fe lia Kovacci sees Bioy as . . . un tlp ic o a r t i s t a in te le c tu a l, entendiendo por " in te le c tu a l" un e s c r ito r para quien la im aginacion e s ta fis c a liz a d a por la in te lig e n c ia —c la ro , p re c iso , c e re b ra l en e l rig o r de sus argumentos—, un creador que tambien es un te o ric o de la l i t e r a t u r a y un cr£ - tic o agudo. Las palab ras de Bioy C asares . . . nos con~ firm an en la in te rp re ta c io n de que es un e s c r ito r in te le c tu a l, por lo menos en la a rq u ite c tu ra de sus creacio n es, s in duda minuciosamente pensadas y re su e l- ta s por razcmamientos que tra b a ja n a menudo, s in embargo, con elementos no ra c io n a le s que podemos llam ar f a n ta s tic o s .29 Another e x c e lle n t example o f th is game w ith the re ad er occurs in "En memoria de P au lin a." When Paulina comes to v i s i t the n a rra to r upon h is re tu rn from England, he hears th e r a in , but when he goes o u tsid e th e s tr e e ts a re dry; he sees th e s ta tu e tte in h is bedroom, b u t he re a liz e s th a t he has never put i t th e re , th a t in fa c t P aulina had taken 29 Adolfo Biov C asares. p. 10. 195 I t w ith h e r two y ears b e fo re ; when he looks over P a u lin a 's sh o u ld er In to th e m irro r, he sees h is Image, b u t I t Is Im p erfect; he l i s te n s as P au lin a murmurs h e r words o f love, b u t she speaks In M ontero's v o ic e . A ll o f th ese th in g s a re c le a r in d ic a tio n s th a t th e ex p erien ce o f th e n a r r a to r i s th e product o f h is r i v a l 's im ag in atio n . T his a sp e c t o f th e game i s most h ig h ly developed in "E l o tro la b e r in to ." S ix ty pages b e fo re th e s to ry a c tu a lly ends, Bioy re v e a ls th e co n clu sio n w ith h is d e s c rip tio n o f th e "m anuscript" in B anyay's n o te , an ex act d e lin e a tio n o f a photographic copy: th e paper is smooth and g lo ssy ; th e re i s w ritin g on only one s id e ; th e in k appears to be p a r t o f th e paper, w ith no d iffe re n c e in le v e l between th e two. A f u r th e r in d ic a tio n o f th e tru e n a tu re o f th e s itu a tio n i s th e d e s c rip tio n o f th e dead man: lik e Banyay, he is c o rp u le n t, b u t n o t obese, wears a d ark cape and tro u s e r s , and p o ssesses n e ith e r wig nor sword. O ther c lu e s a re B anyay's in t e r e s t in th e sev en teen th c e n tu ry , and h is sudden d isap p earan ce. I t is n o t d i f f i c u l t to n o te th e se sig n s o r p re fig u ra tio n s a f t e r having read th e w orks; they a re obvious th e n . But what Bioy hopes fo r, and ex p e cts, i s th a t th e re a d e r 196 w ill be ab le to accept each clu e as i t is p ro ffere d , and reach a conclusion through a n a ly sis and by follow ing th e ru le s of th e game. At o th er tim es, th e t e s t o f the re a d e r's m ental a g i l i ty and knowledge is m anifested through B ioy's e ru d i tio n . As in th e case o f Borges, th ese referen ces are u su a lly employed as a v a ria tio n o f th e sto ry -w ith in -a -sto ry device to make c re d ib le some f a n ta s tic event. This i s the fu n ctio n o f the re fere n ce to Blanqui in "La trama c e le s te ," fo r example, and to T avernier in "El o tro la b e rin to ." In o th er in sta n c e s, however, th e re fere n ce is an iro n ic a l a llu s io n intended to c o n trib u te yet another c lu e toward th e so lu tio n o f the problem the author has presented to th e re a d e r. In "El o tro la b e rin to ," Anthal H orvath's con tin u a l comparison of him self w ith Thomas C h atterto n oper a te s in th is c a p a c ity . Horvath mentions th a t he is w ritin g a biography of C h atterto n , re fe rs to the Englishman as " e l poeta que inventaba m anuscritos y poetas" ("L ab erin to ," Tram*, pp. 188-189)» and when he goes in to th e "museum" to escape from the s e c re t p o lic e , he does so w ith "solam ente un vaso de agua, un poco de arsenico y e l ejemplo de C hatterton" ("L ab erin to ," T^a^ia. p. 198). The f u l l Impact o f th e re fe re n c e s to C h a tte rto n and o f th e cone 1 vis ion o f th e s to ry is achieved only i f th e re a d e r is aware th a t Thomas C h a tte rto n (1752-1770) was a young genius who succeeded in d eceiv in g some o f th e forem ost l i t e r a r y c r i t i c s o f e ig h te e n th -c e n tu ry England ( ju s t as Horvath deceived th e e x p e rts on th e Tunnel Inn docum ent), by f a b r i c a tin g a number o f works o f high l i t e r a r y q u a lity by im aginary f ifte e n th - c e n tu ry a u th o rs, which he w rote on b i t s o f parchment found in th e B r is to l C ath ed ral. He k ille d h im self by a rse n ic poisoning s h o rtly b e fo re h is e ig h te e n th b irth d a y . Because o f h is fo rg ery o f th e Tunnel Inn manu s c r i p t , Horvath id e n tif ie s w ith C h a tte rto n ; th e re fo re , i t i s lo g ic a l th a t he should d ie in th e same manner as th e E nglish p o et. F in a lly , Bioy C asares dem onstrates h is concern fo r th e s o p h is tic a te d re a d e r in h is s e le c tio n o f themes, a l l o f which have been d iscu ssed in d e t a i l e a r l i e r in th is c h a p te r: th e concept th a t tim e i s n o t lin e a r , and th a t p a s t, p re se n t, and fu tu re e x is t sim ultan eo u sly ( La in ven- cio n de M orel. "La tram a c e le s te ," El sueno de lo s h ero es. "El o tro la b e r in to " ) ; th e id ea th a t th e p a s t is v u ln e ra b le to change (M orel. Sueno); th e d o c trin e o f th e E te rn a l Return and im m ortality (M orel. "Los a fa n e s" ); the theory o f a m u ltip lic ity o f p a r a lle l w orlds ("Trama," M o rel): th e i d e a l i s t view o f Berkeley th a t o b je c ts in th e world e x is t only through our p ercep tio n s and se n sa tio n s, th e ab so lu te sy n th e sis o f su b je c t and o b je c t (M orel. Plan de e v a sio n ). Summary The purpose of th is c h a p te r has been to analyze the p e rtin e n t f ic tio n a l production o f Adolfo Bioy Casares in o rd e r to determ ine w hether th ese works possess a s i g n i f i c a n t r e la tio n s h ip to m agical re a lism . Through a d e ta ile d exam ination o f th e fo u r p rin c ip a l elem ents o f m agical 30 re a lism (com bination o f fa n ta sy and r e a l i t y ; tran sfo rm a tio n o f th e r e a l in to th e u n re a l; d is to r tio n o f time and space; appeal to a r e s tr ic te d audience; as they occur in th e f ic tio n o f Bioy C asares, a p o s itiv e correspondence has been shown to e x is t between th e se works and m agical re a lism . 30 As d efin ed in Angel F lo re s, "M agical Realism in Spanish American F ic tio n ," H isnania. XXXVIII (May, 1955), 190-191. CHAPTER IV SILVINA O C A M P O The l a s t o f th e w r ite r s d esig n ated by Angel F lo re s as I n i t i a t o r s o f m agical re a lism In Spanish America Is S iIv in a Ocampo. The w ife o f Adolfo Bioy C asares, she c o lla b o ra te d w ith h e r husband and Jorge Luis Borges on the h ig h ly in f l u e n t ia l A ntologfa de la l i t e r a t u r a f a n ta s tlc a . m entioned above, passim . I t i s th e purpose o f th is c h a p te r, as w ith th o se on Borges and Bioy C asares, to analyze c e r ta in o f th e s h o rt s to r ie s o f S ilv in a Ocampo In o rd e r to determ ine w hether a re la tio n s h ip can be e s ta b lis h e d between th e se works and n a g ic a l re a lism as i t Is d efin e d by F lo re s. During th e p erio d o f our I n te r e s t (1940-1963), S ilv in a 4 Ocampo published th re e c o lle c tio n s o f s h o rt s t o r i e s : Auto- b io a r a f f a de Ire n e (1948), La f u r ia v o tro s cuentos (1959), and Las in v ita d a s (1 9 6 1 ).1 For th o se works o f Ocampo which Hforks w ritte n by S ilv in a Ocampo in c o lla b o ra tio n w ith o th e r au th o rs a re n o t co n sid ered in th is stu d y . 199 200 a re p e rtin e n t to th e su b je c t p re se n tly under d isc u ssio n , th e method o f a n a ly sis i s th e same as th a t employed w ith th e f ic tio n of Borges and Bioy C asares. Combination o f F antasy and R e a lity S ilv in a Ocampo, c o n tra ry to th e p ra c tic e o f Borges and Bioy C asares, does n o t employ to a g re a t degree th e work- w ithin-a-w ork technique to e s ta b lis h a r e a l i s t i c s e ttin g fo r h er fa n ta sy , p o ssib ly because h er s to r ie s are g e n e ra lly so b r ie f th a t th e re is In s u ff ic ie n t space to develop th is 2 d ev ice. In "El im postor," th e one sto ry by Ocampo in % which th is technique i s tr u ly s ig n ific a n t, i t i s used in a r a th e r conventional manner: a fam ily frie n d comments upon a jo u rn a l w ritte n by th e p ro ta g o n ist o f th e p rin c ip a l n a r r a tiv e . This sto ry w ill be examined in d e t a i l in a l a t e r se c tio n o f th is ch a p te r. In stead o f the work w ith in a work, Ocampo r e l i e s upon th e enum eration o f everyday d e ta ils fo r the c re a tio n o f 2 I t i s unusual fo r any o f Ocampo's s to r ie s to co n tain more than fiv e pages, and o fte n they a re even s h o rte r. Most o f th e exceptions occur in A utobioarafla de Irene. in which one o f th e works, "El im postor," i s 100 pages in len g th . 201 a r e a l i s t i c background upon which to superimpose f a n ta s tic events th a t occur as a p a rt of r e a l i t y . Although Ocampo employs th is technique in se v e ra l s to r ie s , the fo u r d iscu ssed below a re re p re s e n ta tiv e , and a re th e re fo re s u f f ic ie n t to i l l u s t r a t e th e a u th o r's use o f th is device. In "Tales eran sus r o s tr o s ," fo r example, in o rd er to make th e f a n ta s tic episodes o f th e s to ry b e lie v a b le , she p re se n ts a d e s c rip tio n of the c h ild re n 's a c t i v i t i e s in a school fo r the d eaf and dumb: En lo s d o rm ito rio s, a l dorm irse; en e l comedor, a l comer; en la c a p illa , a l re z a r; en lo s p a tio s , a l ju g a r a la mancha o a M artin Pescador, sentados fre n te a lo s pupi- tr e s , a l hacer lo s deberes o cumpliendo la s p e n lte n c la s; en l a p laza, cuando se hamacaban; o en lo s bafios, d edi- cados a la h ig ie n e c o rp o ra l, . . . con la misma m lrada hosca y a b s tra id a , sus m entes, como pequefias maqulnas, h ilab an l a trama de un mismo pens ami en to , de un mismo anhelo, de una misma e x p e c ta d o n .3 In th e presence o f th is c a ta lo g o f normal school task s and games, i t i s not d i f f i c u l t to accept th e m iraculous clim ax o f th e sto ry , which occurs as the c h ild re n a re r e tu rn in g from a v acatio n provided by an unknown b en e facto r: 3 S ilv in a Ocampo, Las in v ita d a s (Buenos A ires: Edi t o r i a l Losada, 1961), p. 7. A fter th e I n i t i a l c ita tio n in each case, subsequent re fere n ces to Ocampo's works w ill be documented w ith in th e te x t. 202 „ Emprendleron e l regreso a la eluded, con e l corazon reboaando de dlcha, puea v iajar£ a n , de reg reso , en avion. t La n o t l d a apareclo en lo s p erlo d lco s; he aqu£ un te x to : a jy jg n « q m v ia lita a .g w rc g n tt nln9§ d* m COlettlO d« «nr-rfnyir!na volvCan Ati mi n r ^ r «»r«n»n m ml mar, a u frlo un accid en ts tm prevlafo. Una p y rte - zu ela que se ab rlo an pleno v u flo ocaslono la c a ta s - tr o f e . La a a n o rlta Fabla Hernandez, oue fue en trev lsad a. aseeura qua lo s ni£oa a l preclpfrtarse en e l abismo ^ tfflUn *U t- df tm r . *1 vlfcjffgj qvs g .y grange de sus brazos para s e a u lr como un angel d e tra s de lo s o tr o s . ( " R o s t r o s . " In v ltad as. p. l l r * Another In te re s tin g example o f Ocampo's use o f th is device Is found In "El s ln le s tro d e l Ecuador," In which the fa n ta s tic n o t only occurs as a p a rt of r e a lity , b u t Is also accepted alm ost w ithout question by the c h a ra c te rs In the sto ry . P rio r to I t s to ta l d e stru c tio n and the d eath of a l l I t s employees a year e a r lie r , the n a rra to r (a sm all boy) and h is fam ily were re g u la r custom ers o f the Ecuador R estaurant. When I t reopens a t a new lo c a tio n , they decide to go th e re fo r d in n er. Although the new place bears no resemblance to the old one, th e ir w a ite r Is remarkably fa m ilia r, and even though they place th e ir customary o rd e rs, they a re astonished by h is a b ility to a n tic ip a te 4 This newspaper account of th e d is a s te r Is , o f course, a m an ifestatio n of the w ork-wlthin-a-work device, and has the e ffe c t o f making c re d ib le the event describ ed . 203 th e ir d e s ire s : --A rroz a l n a tu ra l, y un b lf e . - S f , ya se --In terru m p io e l mozo_ -. Un b if e blen cocido con pure de papas y ensalada de lechuga. ( " S ln le s tr o ,” In v lta d a a . p. 77) I t is only a t th is p o in t th a t th e fa th e r examines th e w a ite r c a re fu lly : Ml padre a lso lo s o jo s, asombrado. jQuien e ra e l que hablaba as£? R ecorrio de nuevo e l d e la n ta l manchado d e l mozo p ara aseg u rarse de que sus o jo s ve£an b len . Cuando lle g o a la a ltu r a de la cabeza encontro la c a ra pa- lld a de Is id ro Ebers, esa c a ra que h u b lera reconocldo e n tre un m illo n de c a ra s. Lo m lro, le m lro la s manos: eran la s mlsmas manos coloradas con la s unas comldas. (’'S ln le s tr o ,” In v ltad as. p. 77) Is id ro Ebers Is th e w a ite r who always served them In the old restaurant**~but he had been k ille d in th e ac cid en t w ith a l l th e o th e rs. When th e w a ite r Is questioned about th e ac cid en t, he adm its th a t everyone, in clu d in g Is id ro Ebers, had been k ille d ; b u t when they ask h is name he re p lie s th a t i t Is Is id ro Ebers. And i t Is Indeed the same Is id ro Ebers. A fter a few m inutes o f d isc u ssio n between th e fam ily and th e w a ite r, th e m attre d 'h O te l walks to th e ir ta b le and begins to b e ra te Ebers fo r s i t t i n g w ith th e custom ers, p o in tin g out th a t th e ru le s o f the estab lish m en t s t r i c t l y 204 fo rb id such a c t i v i t i e s . He is unmoved when he is t o ld 'th a t Is id ro Ebers, d e s p ite h is presence a t th e ta b le , has been dead fo r a year: --No lm porta. No estamos hablando de casos p erso - n a le s . Se t r a t a d el p ersonal y de lo s reglam entos que todos deben re s p e ta r—. D irlgiendose a l mozo, que no se hab£a movido de la s i l l a , g r ito : --U sted queda de8 pedido. ("S ln le s tr o ," In v lta d a s. p. 79) Unconcerned th a t he has been ta lk in g to a dead man, the m «tfro 4*hfltel. along w ith th e r e s t o f th e c h a ra c te rs, accepts th e ex isten ce o f the deceased w a ite r as though i t were th e most normal o f ev en ts. In o rd er fo r the re ad er also to accept th is f a n ta s tic s itu a tio n as normal, a r e a l i s t i c background i s e sta b lish e d by means o f a c a ta lo g of th e poorly-prepared foods sometimes served by the w a ite r: Hab£a d£as en lo s que todo cuanto tra £ a estab a f a l s i - flca d o : e l arro z p arecfa fid e o ; lo s fld e o s, chauchas; la s papas, b a ta ta s ; la s bananas f r l t a s , pescado; e l dulce de m enbrlllo, pure de remolacha; e l agua, cam e; la ca m e , vino. Lo peor de todo es que mis padres culpaban de e sto s inconvenient es a l mozo, no a l c o c i- n ero . (M S in ie s tro ," In v lta d a s. p. 76) L ater, in th e new re s ta u ra n t, th e c a ta lo g o f foods continues as a kind o f le itm o tif : Mis padres se pasaron e l menu y d lsc u tle ro n un buen ra to . A ml madre l e g u sta la comlda pesada. Se d e le lta con un p la to de o s tra s o con una carbonade. 205 Le g u sta e l peto con n a ra n ja y s a ls a negra, lo s c a la - mares en su t i n t a y la s empanadas con un sln f£ n de so rp re sa s, como s i £uesen pequenas y hedlondas madias de Navldad lle n a s de alim entos. Ml padre se atrev £ a a veces a comer una m ilanesa. (" S ln le s tro /* In v lta d a s . P. 77) Also employing th e technique o f enum erating d e ta ils Is "El medico en can tad o r," In which a fam ily d o cto r In fe c ts h is p a tie n ts w ith such ailm ents as f»nlm«n«ra a noctum os. cromoala tla u la r . and a ste re o a n o sls lnsomne. d ise a se s which are as In c re d ib le as they a re im aginary. To make th ese f a n ta s tic d ise a se s b e lie v a b le , Ocampo f i r s t c a ta lo g s th e v ario u s treatm en ts which a re given to th e young n a rra to r o f the sto ry by the d o cto r "que me au scu ltab a de p ie s a cabeza, logrando que reso n ara ml abdomen como un tambor, que hac£a s a l t a r mis p le m a s y mis brazos con un sim ple g o lp e c lto , que escuchaba e l corazon o la s a r te r la s a trav e s de lnstrum ento8 parecldos uno a un te le fo n o y o tro a un r e l o j , que pro h ib fa allm entos y p re sc rlb £ a gotas azu les, ro ja s o verdes, lnyecclones, ja ra b e s , enemas de leche s in v a c lla r" ("M edico," In v lta d a s . p. 81), and then gives extrem ely d e ta ile d d e sc rip tio n s o f tn e symptoms o f each o f the d ise a se s. Colmenares noctum os. fo r example, Is d escrib ed as an I lln e s s which 206 . . . se m anifestaba con un lave d o lo r de cabeza, con mareos que ae prolongaban durante la noche sobre la s slan es h a sta ab arcar toda l a cabeza d e l p a d e n te . Un zumbldo s im ila r a l que clrcunda y desborda en d£as de c a lo r una colmena, atorm entaba lo s o£dos. SI a l- gulen se acercaba a l enfermo pod£a, en algun momento, o£r ese zunbldo, pues t a l vez lo proyectaba e l a lr e a l a a l l r de lo s la b io s secos y contra£dos por la d o le n d a . El p a d e n te cre£a v e r en l a oscurldad, en tonos am arlllos v lo le n to s, lo que podr£a parecem os a prim ers v is ta una v isio n abradable: un panal p e r fe c t ament e dibujado. Simultaneamente sent£a en la boca un sabor a m iel qua lo obllgaba a beber agua s in ln te rru p c io n . Encendiendo la lu z , l a in ten sld ad de la v isio n se moderaba. . . . Algunos sonaban que de lo s g ri£os d e l la v a to rio d e l bano, en lu g ar de agua sal£ a m iel. O tros, para ap la c a r una sed in ten se, tomaban un v s b o de m iel. ("M edico," In v lta d a s. p. 82) J u s t as unusual is cromoais t i s u l a r : En comun con la a n te r io r ten£a un s£ntoma: e l insomnio. En lanas de colores vivos e l p a d e n te im aginariam ente bordaba la v id a de sus antepasados; e l esfuerzo que hac£a por reco rd er lo s d e ta lle s mas ted lo so s de la vida de personas que conoc£a solo en £otograf£as lo o b ll gaba a encender la lampara para buscar en l a m eslta de lu z, como s i e stu v le ra ah£ la lan a g r is , la lana cas- tan a, que conven£a para border t a l o cual p asaje de una b lo g raf£ a. El es£uerzo, precedldo de un dolor agudo de estomago, dejaba postrado a l enfermo, que no pod£a c o n c ilia r e l suefto. Si e l p a d e n te e ra d e l sexo m ascullno, pensaba: Soy hombre, no tendr£a que d ed l- carme a e sta s labores absurdas. S i e ra d el sexo feme- nlno, pensaba: Es rid £ cu lo no poder descansar n l de noche. No soy una n ine de un o rfa n ato ; jquien me o b lig e a e ste tra b a jo ? ("M edico," In v lta d a s. pp. 82- 83) But th e s tra n g e st of th e th re e d iseases i s a ste re o g - 207 Ningun d o lo r de cabeza n i de estomago c a ra c te rlz a b a e s ta enfermedad mas incomoda, pero menos abrum ante que la s o tr a s . Los s£ntomas se m an lfestab an so lo de noche, s in lu z , o en l a oscu rld ad t o t a l de un c u a rto en horas d iu rn a s . El enfermo no reco n o cia e l o b je to que palpaba. En algunos casos un hombre buscando fo sfo ro s confundlo la mesa de lu z con e l pecho de su m ujer; en o tro una madre confundlo l a cabeza de su h ijo con un melon y estuvo a punto de p o n erlo en l a h e la d e ra . Pero mucho mas t e r r i b l e fu e l a h l s t o r l a , que todo e l mundo conoce, de a q u e lla n o v la de d ie c is e ls anos, p erd id a en e l bos- que de Palermo con su novlo, l a noche en que ten £ a una bom bllla y que sim ultaneam ente, dejando e l bosque a o scu ras, la s nubes c u b rie ro n l a lim a que alum braba apenas la s ramas p e lig ro s a s de lo s a rb o le s . ("M edico," P- 83) Even though th e re is o b v io u sly an elem ent o f ir o n ic a l humor in th e above d e s c rip tio n s , th e com bination o f fa n ta sy w ith r e a l i t y is prim ary to th e humor and to th e s to ry as a w hole. C onsequently, th e p o s itio n o f t h i s s to ry w ith in th e d e f in itio n o f m agical re a lis m i s u n d en iab le. A nother extrem ely in te r e s tin g s to ry which makes use o f th is same d ev ice i s "Los o b je to s ." In th is t a l e a woman fin d s , one by o n e --in p ark s, on th e s t r e e t s o f Buenos A ire s, In th e p o ssessio n o f people whom she has n ev er seen b e fo re —a l l o f th e o b je c ts th a t she has l o s t d u rin g h e r lif e tim e . In o rd e r f o r th is unusual s e t o f circum stances to be accepted as r e a l i t y , Ocampo ag ain p re se n ts numerous o rd in ary d e t a i l s , a r e a l i s t i c background upon which to superim pose r e a l i t y : 2 0 8 Alguien re g a lo a Camila Ersky, e l d£a que cumplio v e ln te anos, una p u lse ra de oro con una ro sa de rub£. Era una r e llq u la de £ am llia. La p u lse ra le gustaba y so lo la usaba en c le r ta s o casto n es, cuando ib a a alguna reunion o a l te a tr o , a una funcion de g a la . Sin enibargo, cuando l a p erd io , no compart lo con e l re s to de l a fa m ilia , e l duelo de su p erd id a . Por v a lio so s que £ueran, lo s o b je to s l e parec£an reem plazables. A lo larg o de su v id a , creo que llo r o por l a de d e sa p a rlc lo n de una cadena de p la ta , con una m edalla de l a v lrg en de Lujan, engarzada en oro , que uno de sus novios le hab£a re g alad o . La id ea de i r perdiendo la s co sas, esas cosas que fatalm en te perdemos, no l a apenaba como a l re s to de su £ am ilia o a sus amigas, que eran todas ta n v an ld o sas.5 What makes th is s to ry so in te r e s tin g is th e s im ila r ity o£ C am ila's l o s t o b je c ts to the h rfln ir o f B orges' "Tlttn, Uqbar, O rbis T e r tiu s , " 6 fo r lik e th e h rfln ir. which must be thought about b efo re they a re d u p lic a te d , C am ila's posses sions always appear s h o rtly a f te r she has re fle c te d upon them in h e r mind: A veces lo s ve£a. Llegaban a v i s i t a r l a como personas, en pro cesto n es, especlalm ente de noche, cuando esta b a por dorm irse, cuando v ia ja b a en tre n o en autom ovil, o simplemente cuando hac£a e l re c o rrld o d la r lo para i r a su tra b a jo . ^ S ilv in a Ocampo, La v o tro s cuentos (2a e d .; Buenos A ires: Sur, 1960), p. 95. ^For a d e ta ile d d e s c rip tio n o f th e h rtin ir. see Jorge Luis Borges, F lccio n es (2a e d .; Buenos A ires: Bmece, 1958), pp. 27-28. 209 Una ta rd e de in v iem o volv£a de cum plir unas d i l i - gencias en la s c a lle s de la ciudad y a l c ru zar una p laza se detuvo a descansar en un banco. Durante un larg o ra to mlro a l c ie lo , acarlclen d o sus guantes de c a b r l t l l l a manchados; luego, a tra fd a £or algo que b r i - lla b a en e l su elo , bajo lo s ojo s y v io , despues de unos in s ta n te s , la p u lsera que hab£a perdido hacfa mas de quince anos. ("O b jeto s," F u rla. p. 95) On many subsequent occasions she fin d s o th e r o b je c ts s h o rtly a f te r having thought about them. This In tru sio n of the mind upon r e a l ity , as suggested above, Is a mani fe s ta tio n o f the Idealism expounded by Borges in "Tldn, Uqbar, Orbis T e r tiu s ," as w ell as In se v e ra l o f h is o th er s to r ie s . Transform ation o f the Real In to the U nreal In common w ith Borges and Bioy C asares, S ilv in a Ocampo employs d iv e rse methods o f transform ing everyday r e a l it y in to fan tasy : contam ination o f r e a l i t y by dreams; the double; a re v e rs a l o f ev en ts. Although the use o f the device is n o t so ex ten siv e in the work o f Ocampo as in th a t o f Borges o r o f Bioy C asares, the contam ination o f r e a l ity by dreams is a s ig n ific a n t technique in se v e ra l o f h er s to r ie s . In "La ultim a ta rd e ," fo r example, a dream which becomes r e a l it y conveys th e e n tir e p o in t o f the sto ry . 210 P o rflrlo L asta, a sheep rancher who has a tta in e d a modest success, th in k s and dreams c o n sta n tly o f " la h l ja d e l capataz d e l Recreo, . . . una s e n o rlta opulenta, con medlas de seda y tacos a lto s " ("La u ltim a ta rd e ," F u rla. p. 127). At n ig h t, alone, a f te r the d a y 's la b o r, th e dream Is h is reward fo r h is e f f o r ts ; I t Is always th e same: . . . se casaba con l a h l^ a d e l capataz d e l Recreo en la lg le s la de Azul. Despues de la cerem onla lle g a b a a l Recreo, con su novla en un su lk y . esco ltad o por toda la fa m llla , que ven£a en un vagon, remolcando un piano con ruedas. El piano e ra una c a s lta a l t a y negra, con un escen arlo cerrado en e l c e n tro . Una fa m llla geque- n£slma de enanos vlv£a dentro de esa ca sa. La m uslca surg£a aparentem ente de la s manos de la p la n ls ta , cuando tocaba la s n o tas, pero e l proced im lento e ra mas compllcado y se c re to : la m uslca surg£a de la boca de lo s en an lto s. ("La u ltim a ta rd e ," F u rla . p. 130) On th e l a s t n ig h t o f h is l i f e he Is dreaming h is u su al dream; the newly m arried couple have r e tir e d fo r th e n ig h t, and "lo s desposados ya [deben] de e s ta r durmlendo, cuando la p u erta se [abre] de pronto" ("La u ltim a ta rd e ," F u rla. p. 130). P o rflrlo , In h is dream and in r e a lit y , h ears the dog bark from f a r away. As a shadowy form Is o u tlin e d a t the door, a g a in st th e n ig h t sky, P o rflrlo moves "unos pesos mas a l i a de su sueno; aun creo que tuvo tlempo de asom- b ra rse , de se r sonambulo, e l que jamas lo hab£a sldo, cuando s ln tlo que le hund£an un h le rro muy ro jo en e l 211 pecho" ("La u ltim a t a r d e / ' Fur la . p. 131). Long moments a f te r th e com pletion o f h is crim e, Remlglo L asta rem ains, h is hand s t i l l c lu tc h in g th e k n ife , . b en t over th e form o f h is b ro th e r. Though n o t a sound can be heard , th e man f e e ls , "en la ir r e a lid a d d e l c u a rto , una p re se n c la viva" ("La u ltim a ta rd e ," F u rla . p. 131). He a b ru p tly tu rn s h is head and sees, . . . por prlm era vez, un fantasm a. Era una s e n o rlta o p u len ta, con medias de seda y taco s a lto s . Oyo la in so p o rta b le m uslquita de un piano. In sta n te s despues, s ln tio e l co n tacto de una mano sobre una de sus manos y tr e s dedos se l e quedaron dorm idos. ("La u ltim a ta r d e ," F u rla . p. 131) He removes th e k n ife burled in h is b r o th e r 's c h e st and wipes i t c le a n . F inding a match, he lig h ts a candle and looks about th e room to be su re th a t he is leav in g no thing behind th a t w ill b e tra y him. As he mounts h is horse fo r th e rid e home, he notes th a t th e th re e fin g e rs remain p aralyzed, b u t he f a i l s to r e a liz e th a t he i s n o t only In h e ritin g h is b r o th e r 's money, b u t a ls o h is b r o th e r 's dreams. Another s to ry in which dreams a re o f prim ary impor tance in th e d is s o lu tio n of r e a l i t y i s "Los sueftos de L eopoldlna." The o ld e s t o f the th re e Yapurra s i s t e r s , Leopoldina has Che a b i li ty to cause th e o b jects she has dreamed about to appear w ithin the world o f r e a lity ; un fo rtu n a te ly fo r the d e s ire s o f her two s i s t e r s , Ludovica and Leonor, she always dreams o f w orthless th in g s: a sto n e, a thorn, a fe a th e r, the branch o f a tre e . The s is te r s want h er to dream of autom obiles, o f precious sto n es, o f b e a u tifu l clo th in g , but Leopold in a has no c o n tro l over h e r dreams. The g i r l s b o th er h er so much th a t one day she Is unable to sleep a t a l l . A fter twenty days o f Insomnia, and a f te r her s is te r s have journeyed to a v illa g e some m iles d is ta n t in search o f m edication to make h er sleep , Leopoldina f a l l s in to a sound sleep . When she awakes, they are eager to know what she has dreamed; showing them some sheets o f d ir ty , w rinkled paper, she r e la te s h e r stra n g e st dream o f a l l : "--Sofie que un perro escrib £ a mi h ls to r ia : aqu£ e sta " ("L eopoldina," F u ria. p. 143). When h er s is te r s th re a te n to give h er an in je c tio n to fo rce her to sleep , Leopoldina, t e r r if ie d , f a l l s again in to a deep slumber. When she awakes and they want to know h er dreams, she r is e s from h er c h a ir w ithout answering, c a lls h er dog, and walks o u tsid e . Her stra n g e st dream becomes r e a lity ; b u t i t is a m agical r e a lity : 213 Inmedlatamente comenzo a so p la r e l v ien to Zonda. Para lo s c ris tla n o a se hab£a anunclado slem pre con a n tlc ip a c lo n , con un c ie lo muy llm plo, con un s o l des- teHido y b len d ib u ja d ito , con un amenazador ruido de mar (que no conozco) a lo le jo s . Pero e a ta vez lle g o coiso un relampago, b a rrio e l p iso d e l p a tio , amontono hojas y ramaa en lo s huecos de lo s c e rro s, degollo, e n tre la s p ied ra s, lo s anlm ales, destruyo la s m ieses y en un remollno levanto en e l a ir e a Leopoldina y a m£, su perro p ila , llamado Changulto, que e sc rlb lo e s ta h is to r ia en e l penultlm o sueno de su p atro n s. ("L eopoldina," F u rla. p. 145) S ilv in a Ocampo's lo n g est and most com plicated sto ry , "El im postor," a lso employs th e dream device to a g re a t e x te n t, but in a somewhat d if f e r e n t manner from th e two discussed p reviously in th is se c tio n , fo r i t is an extended ex e rc ise in the question o f dream versus r e a l it y . Through most o f i t s length, "El im postor" appears to be Luis M aidana's n a rra tiv e o f th e p ro g ressiv e in sa n ity o f h is frie n d Armando H eredia. The outcome, however, is to ta lly d if f e r e n t from the one expected, fo r the e n tir e ta le , as we le a rn from Romulo Sagasta, th e fam ily frie n d who p re sen ts the jo u rn a l to us, i s th e product o f H eredia's Im agination, th e h a llu c in a tio n s o f a schizophrenic boy who c o n sta n tly dreams th a t he is someone e ls e . D espite th is "lo g ic a l" so lu tio n to a stran g e s e rie s o f e v e n ts ,.th e re is no tru e re so lu tio n to th e problem posed by the sto ry : whether dreams happen as a p a rt o f r e a lity , o r whether r e a l it y happens as a p a rt o f dreams. Although th e re Is co n sid erab le su b tle foreshadowing of th e fin a l r e s u lt, u n til Sagasta*s re v e la tio n o f th e "tru e " n atu re of events, p ra c tic a lly every in c id e n t in the sto ry is designed to in d ic a te th a t Luis Maldana and Armando Heredia a re two d iffe re n t in d iv id u a ls. Right a t the out* s e t, fo r in stan ce, when Maldana boards th e tr a in th a t w ill c a rry him to Cacharf^ and to h is encounter w ith Heredia a t "Los C lsnes," he meets a woman who recognizes him as the g " h ijo de Jorge Maldana," and who is a lso acquainted w ith Armando Heredia and h is fa th e r. S hortly a f te r the two men meet, Luis becomes acu tely aware th a t he and Armando a re f a r from a lik e , fo r w hile he is calm, tim id, an in cessan t dreamer, and not a t a l l a s tu te , Heredia i s a v io le n t, courageous, extrem ely c le v e r young man whose n ig h ts a re devoid o f dreams. In a d d itio n to th is d iffe re n c e in per* so n a lity , th ere is also a lack o f ph y sical id e n tity which ^To lend g re a te r realism to th e lo c a le , and thus to the events in the sto ry , Ocampo Informs us th a t Cachar£ is near Azul and Tondil, both o f which a re re a l towns in A rgentina. ® Silvina Ocampo, A utobiograffa de Irene (Buenos A ires: Sur, 1948), p. 34. i s emphasized in one in sta n c e when Armando i s s e rio u s ly h u rt in a f a l l from h is h o rse and Luis goes to v i s i t him in h is room. There i s no evidence th a t Maidana s u s ta in s any s o r t o f in ju ry . In s e v e ra l l a t e r ep iso d es, Luis r e la te s th a t he fo llo w s Armando and observes h is a c tio n s when he goes to meet h is n o v ia. a g i r l named Mar£a G is- mondi, who n ever appears a t any o f th e rendezvous. But th e s tro n g e s t in d ic a tio n th a t th e re a re two young men occurs when Armando d isc o v e rs th a t Luis has w ritte n to th e e ld e r H eredia to inform him o f h is s o n 's madness, fo rc e s Maidana to read th e l e t t e r aloud, and pursues him in to th e co u n try , gun in hand. The d e s c rip tio n s o f th e se ev en ts a re th e f i n a l e n tr ie s in L u is' jo u rn a l, and a re o b v io u sly intended to e s ta b lis h firm ly w ith in th e mind o f th e re a d e r th e id ea th a t he is d e a lin g w ith two d i s t i n c t in d iv id u a ls . As In d ic a te d above, however, th e re i s c o n sid e ra b le evidence, s u b tly in te rs p e rs e d throughout th e n a r r a tiv e , which p re fig u re s i t s co n clu sio n : Luis Maidana i s a product o f Armando H e re d ia 's Im agination. An e x c e lle n t example o f th is foreshadow ing is th e i n i t i a l m eeting o f th e two young men, in which Luis th in k s th a t he reco g n izes Armando: 216 Algunas personas que vemos por vez prim ers nos su- g ieren fa lso s recuerdos; creeoos h ab erlas v ls to an tes; seguramente tien en algun parecldo con o tra s que cono- clmos en algun cafe o en alguna tle n d s . Heredia no e ra como 7 0 lo habla imaginado, pero en camblo se pare- c£a a alguien: no pod£a d esc u b rir a qulen. ("Im postor,” Irene, p. 42) I t subsequently becomes apparent th a t th e person whom Luis recognizes in Armando is him self. S im ilarly , as Luis is shown through th e house, he vaguely recognizes o b je c ts th a t he has never seen b efo re: a b lu e p o rcelain vase, a rocking c h a ir, a p ain tin g which re p resen ts a b a ttle between a tig e r and a jag u ar deep in the ju n g le. M aidana's d e ia vu experiences occur not only during th e day, but also a t n ig h t, In h is dreams, when he sees innumerable o b je c ts, unknown to him a t th e tim e, b u t which he recognizes la t e r . F in a lly , Ocampo re v eals the u ltim a te p re fig u ra tio n , In th is in stan ce not so su b tle , concerning th e sin g le Id e n tity o f the two men. Maldana d esc rib es h is journey in to th e v illa g e one Sunday, h is encounter w ith Marla Glsmondi (who he thought was dead), h is follow ing h er home, and fin a lly , h is en try w ithout her knowledge in to h er bedroom: Primero v i una s l l l a , despues la mesa de lu z, e l co stu - re ro lla n o de c a rre te le s de h ilo , e l d espertador de m etal pintado, e l vaso con flo ra s de papal, la cama 217 an g o sta, donde l a muchacha y ac fa con lo a o jo s a b le r to s . "Hay personas que duermen con lo s o jo s a b le r to s ," pense, a l a c e rc a m e . Me in c lin e . S en tf su d e llc a d a r e s p ir a - cio n . Vi sus manos sobre l a co lch a b la n c a , su c a b e lle ra s u e lta esp a reId a so b re l a funda de l a almohada, que ten£a bordadas grandes m a rg a rlta s . "M arfa, ah o ra, por prim era vez, podre a b ra z a rte como 8 lempre lo hago en pen sam len to ," le d i j e , en voz b a ja , con l a sen sacio n de d e c ir lo a g r i to s . T ratab a de re s* g u ard ar mi cuerpo de l a lu z d e l esp ejo que a tra v e sa b a l a h a b lta c io n . R etrocedf unos pasos y tro p ec e con l a mesa de lu z ; cayo e l d e sp e rta d o r. Permanec£ un r a to . . . 8 in atreverm e a h ac er un movlm iento. Me a r r o d l ll e de nuevo en e l borde de l a cama. En l a suave lu z d e l esp ejo e l r o s tr o de l a muchacha r e s a lta b a con extra** o rd in a r la c la rid a d . De p ro n to , como s i mi in s is te n te m irada l a h u b iera d esp e rtad o , se incorporo en l a cama. Me m iro con h o rro r. Quiso g r i t a r , pero l e ta p e l a boca. Quiso h u ir , pero la re tu v e . C lareaba e l a lb a cuando me a le je de su c a sa . ("Im p o sto r," Ire n e , pp. 113-114) The n e x t day, Armando approaches L uis, saying th a t he must ta lk to him about Mar£a, and reco u n ts th e fo llo w in g t a l e : —Para m£ . . . M arfa Gismondi no m urio hace c u a tro anos. £Sabe us te d p a ra q u len y como m urio? Hace c u a tro anos, en e l mes de fe b re ro , yo quer£a e n tre g a rle una c a r ta . Una noche (recu erd o que e ra dom ingo), abnm ado, vague por e l pueblo y r e s o lv i e n tr a r , como un lad ro n , en su c u a rto . Pensaba d e ja r l a c a r ta debajo de l a c o l cha de su cama o en e l ca jo n de l a mesa de lu z y h u ir s in v e r v is to . E ntre por l a v en tan a. Me escond£ en un hueco, e n tre e l rop ero y l a pared. Sobre e l p iso de madera o f lo s pasos de unos p ie s desnudos. M arfa G is mondi erttro en e l c u a rto ; c e rro l a v en tan a, se ac o sto y apago l a lu z . Espere que se durm iera. Cuando me p a re c io que e sta b a dorm ida, d e je l a c a r ta so b re la mesa de lu z y me acerque, a t e r r ado, a la v en tan a . Tropece con a lg o . En l a o scu rld a d , M arfa Gismondi buscaba 218 fo sfo ro s y encend£a la lam para. Al verme q u iso g r l t a r ; l e tap e la boca. La tuve e n tre mis brazos por prim era vez. Cuando dos personas luchan, parece que se abrazan. H ast a e l a lb a luche con Mar£a Gismondi. Despues hu£ de su ca sa, d ejan d o la c a s t dorm lda. Al d£a slg u le n te me anunciaron su m uerte. Durante unos d£as pense que yo la hab£a m atado; luego pense que l a hab£an matado la s personas que la creyeron m uerta. Comprend£ que n u e stra v id a depende de un numero determ inado de personas que nos ven como se re s v iv o s. SI esas personas nos lmaglnan m uertos, morimos. Por eso no l e perdono que u sted haya d ie ho que Mar£a Gismondi e s ta m uerta. ("Im postor/* Iren e, pp. 115-116) The two events a re f a r too s im ila r to be m erely coincidence; r a th e r , M aidana's encounter w ith Mar£a Is a dark fa b ric woven on th e loom o f Armando H ered ia's to rtu re d mind, an Im aginary in c id e n t lik e a l l th e o th e rs in which Luis Maidana tak es p a r t. At le a s t th i s i s the " lo g ic a l" conclusion u ltim a te ly reached by Romulo S agasta. But d e s p ite h is r a tio n a l th in k in g , S agasta s t i l l e n te r ta in s some doubts about h is s o lu tio n to th e problem o f Armando H eredia: Todav£a sle n to un profundo m a le sta r cuando pienso en e s te cuadem o. El mis t e r lo que envuelve sus paginas no ha sid o to talm en te aclarad o para m£, ya que la m uerte s e llo para siem pre lo s la b lo s d e l a u to r y a c to r, de la v£ctlm a y d e l asesin o de e s ta lnveros£m il h i s t o r ia . Las consecuencias de c u a lq u ie r hecho son, en c ie r to modo, i n f i n i t e s . A voces pienso que en un sueno he le£do y he medl- tado e s te cuadem o, y que l a lo cu ra de H eredia no me es a je n a . 219 No hav d ls tln c lo n alsu n as son v iv id a s. en la raz de n u e stra s ex n erlen clas o tra s opacas: alsunas a a ra d a b le s. o tra s son una asonia nara e l recuerdo: nero no hav como t o r / ' Iren e, pp. 129-130) As in d ic a te d p rev io u sly , th e re is no r e a l so lu tio n o ffe red to the q u estio n o f dream versu s r e a l i t y . S agasta, the r a tio n a l man, b e lie v e s th e ex p lan atio n which is th e r e s u lt o f h is com pilation of evidence, but only to a lim ite d degree, fo r he s t i l l fe e ls a c e r ta in uneasiness when he review s in h is mind th e stran g e events in the l i f e o f Heredia-M aidana. S a g a sta 's doubts a re j u s t if ie d , fo r th e re a re in d ic a tio n s th a t both Heredia and Maidana e x is t l i t e r a l l y , but th a t a t th e same tim e they a re one and th e same person. Ocampo suggests th e id ea of th e double, o f metempsychosis and th e E tern al Return in a lengthy passage in which Maidana recounts h is conversation w ith E ladio Esquivel, one o f the serv an ts a t "Los C isnes": Pense en la transm igracion de la s alm as. E studie de nuevo l a ca ra de E ladio: v i sobre su cabeza un tu rb a n te cenido y oscuro como la f l o r a te r - ciopelada que mi madre hab£a llam ado, en un jard£n de O livos, c r e s ta de g a llo . Pregunte a E squivel: —iU sted no recuerda haberme v is to an tes que yo v in ie ra a e s ta e sta n c ia ? , Mirandome con 8us enormes o jo s, respondio: —Tengo mala memoria. 220 —£N o l e parece que me ha conocido an tes? jNo hay algo en m£ que u sted reconoce? Con m lrada c u rlo sa re c o rrlo ml c a ra , miro ml pelo, ml fre n te , como s i re c o rd a r alg o . Sacudlo la cabeza y d ijo sIn c o n v lc d o n : —Creo que no. Le respond£: —Yo lo v l en l a In d ia, hace mas de un s lg lo . Se q u ltab a e l humilde tu rb a n te para baSarse de noche en la s aguas d e l r£ o . Despues robo p lezas de seda en una tle n d a y a l m orir se reencam o en un ave. —R ecite en a l t a voz e s ta s p a la b ra s— : "El alma no puede m orir: s a le de su prim er a morada para v iv i r en o tr a . Yo lo recuerdo, estab a en e l s l t i o de Troya, me llamaba Euforbo, h ijo de Panto, y e l mas joven de lo s a trid a s atra v eso ml pecho con su la n z a ." Como P ita g o ras, yo tambien creo en l a transm lgracion de la s alm as. ("Im postor," Iren e, pp. 66*67) In "T ales eran sus r o s tr o s ," discussed prev io u sly in th is ch ap ter, th e double i s used as a means of d estro y in g r e a l it y In stead of as a p o ssib le ex p lan atio n f o r an unusual s e rie s o f ev en ts. In th is case, th e double does n o t in volve two, o r even th re e o r fo u r, In d iv id u a ls, b u t fo rty , and once th e prem ise o f th e ir id e n tity is accepted, then th e f a n ta s tic conclusion o f th e sto ry is accep tab le as w e ll. A ll th e c h ild re n in th e school fo r deaf-m utes a re portrayed as being l i t e r a l l y id e n tic a l: La gente que lo s ve£a p asar endomingados, limp lo s y b ien peinados, en lo s d ie s p a trio s , en la s f ie s ta s de l a ig le 8 la , o en c u a lq u le r domingo, dec£a: "E stos nlnos pertenecen a una misma fa m ilia o a una c o fra d ia m iste rlo sa . Son id e n tic o s . iFobres padres! iNo reconoceran a l h ijo ! . . . Una misma t i j e r a c o rta 221 todos lo s n in o s (la s n in e s parecen varones y lo s varones n ifia s). . . . " En e fe c to , sus c a ra s eran ta n p are c ld a s e n tre si, ta n In ex p resiv as como la s c a ra s de la s e sc a ra p e la s o de la s v£rgenes de Lujan en la s m edallas que lu c la n sobre sus pechos. (" R o s tro s ,” In v lta d a a . pp. 7-8) The th ir d method employed by Ocampo in th e tran sfo rm a tio n o f r e a l i t y in to fa n ta sy i s th e re v e rs a l o f ev en ts, alth o u g h she i s somewhat le s s s k i l l f u l in th e use o f th is tech n iq u e than Borges and Bioy C asares. Sometimes th e o u t come o f th e s to ry i s so obvious th a t much o f i t s im pact i s l o s t . In "Fuera de la s j a u la s ," fo r in sta n c e , Enrique Donadfo, a te a c h e r o f draw ing and E nglish in an elem entary school, o fte n tak es th e c h ild re n in h is c la s s to th e zoo, where they draw p ic tu re s o f th e anim als and le a rn th e ir names in E nglish and German. Almost sin c e h is f i r s t v i s i t to th e zoo, Donadfo has thought c o n s ta n tly o f opening th e cages and s e ttin g the anim als f r e e . One afte rn o o n in November he d ecid es to c a rry o u t, w ith th e a id o f th e c h ild re n , h is p lan to lo o se th e anim als. Having to ld h is stu d e n ts on many occasio n s th a t "cada uno de n o so tro s se parece a uno de e s to s anlm ales . . . " ( " J a u la s ," In v ita d a s . p. 58), th e te a c h e r ex p erien ces l i t t l e d i f f i c u l t y in cau sin g th e c h ild re n to id e n tif y w ith 222 the caged anim als and to understand th e ir fe e lin g s . Giving them c a re fu l in s tru c tio n s so th a t a l l the anim als w ill be re le ased sim ultaneously, Donadfo c a rrie s o u t h is scheme. At f i r s t the anim als do n o t understand th a t they are fre e , and remain hmnobile in th e ir cages, but soon one, then another, begins to run from th e cages. F in a lly , a l l the anim als a re fre e except th e leopard, th e jag u ar, the tig e r , and th e pan th er, but d e sp ite the c r ie s o f the c h ild re n , they re fu se to leave th e ir cages. One o f the boys runs away and re tu rn s minutes l a te r , h is pockets f u l l o f sto n es: —Fuera de la s ja u la s , fu e ra —y a rro jo la s p ied ra s. Ese g rito destemplado se esp arcio como un l£quido h irv ie n te . Los rugldos cubrieron l a noche e n tre co rtad a por lo s g r ito s . A v e in te o cuarenta cuadras se o£a e l mismo ru id o , o un ruido muy parecido a l que se desprende de la s trib u n a s de un p a rtid o de fu tb o l en d£a domingo. Se ve£an apenas la s prim eras luces d e l alb a cuando Enrique Donadio y sus alumnos a d v irtie ro n que estaban adentro de la s ja u la s . El publico que lo s m iraba, unas horas mas ta rd e , se compon£a en gran p a rte de lo s a n i mates que hab£an puesto e llo s mismos en lib e rta d . As£ f f ^ f f pensaron; *fl * honbres. ("J a u la s ," In v ita d a s. p. 62) Ordinary r e a l it y is converted in to fa n ta sy , as w ith Borges and Bioy, but the re v e rs a l o f events comes as no re a l su rp rise , fo r u n lik e "B iograf£a de Tadeo Isid o ro C rus," by Borges, and "El o tro la b e rin to ," by Bioy C asares, to c i t e only two examples, i t is p e rfe c tly apparent from 223 th e o u ts e t whet Ocampo has in mind. N ev erth eless, the s im p lic ity o f th e s to ry does n o t a l t e r th e r e s u l t , which i s to cause an ap p aren t r e a l i t y to become u n re a l. S im ila r to "Fuera de la s ja u la s ," b o th in i t s te c h nique f o r c o n v e rtin g r e a l i t y in to fa n ta sy and in i t s s im p lic ity o f co n cep tio n , i s "E l goce y l a p e n ite n c la ." In th is s to ry , a young m other, a t th e in sta n c e o f h e r h u s band, ta k e s h e r son, S an tiag o , to an a r t i s t to have h is p o r t r a i t p a in te d . One afte rn o o n , a f t e r s e v e ra l s i t t i n g s , th e c h ild b eg in s to m isbehave and to punish him h is m other lo ck s him in th e a t t i c . Almost b e fo re they r e a liz e what i 8 happening, th e p a in te r and th e m other a re embracing, k is s in g , making lo v e . T h e re a fte r, every tim e she tak es S antiago fo r h is s i t t i n g , th e m other c o n triv e s to make th e boy behave badly so th a t she w ill have an excuse fo r lo c k in g him in th e a t t i c and she can be alo n e w ith h e r lo v e r. As work on th e p o r t r a i t p ro g re sse s, som ething stra n g e b eg in s to happen: each tim e th e m other examines th e p a in t in g i t looks le s s lik e S an tiag o . When a t l a s t th e p ic tu re i s com pleted, th e f a th e r goes in to a rag e because i t does n o t a t a l l resem ble h is son, b u t th e m other persuades h e r husband to keep i t anyway. For a week th e p o r t r a i t is 224 moved from c h a ir to c h a ir , and shown to a l l th e i r frie n d s , b u t in s p it e o f t h e i r e f f o r ts to d is c o v e r a resem blance to S antiago, they a re u ltim a te ly forced to adm it th a t th e re i s none; th e p ic tu re i s p laced in a c lo s e t and fo rg o tte n . S h o rtly a fte rw a rd , th e m other le a rn s th a t she i s p reg n an t, and th e end o f th e s to ry i s alm ost a n ti- c lim a c tic : Cuando mi h ijo manor tuvo clnco aftos, d u ra n te una mudanza mi m arldo comprobo que e ra id e n tic o a l r e tr a t o de S antiago. Colgo e l cuadro en l a s a la . ("G oce," F u rla . p. 208) Another work which employs th e r e v e rs a l o f events to co n v ert r e a l i t y in to fa n ta sy , and which a ls o makes use o f th e unexplained appearance o f a m ental Image w ith in th e sphere o f co n c re te r e a l i t y , i s "La re v e la c io n ," from Las in v ita d a s . A pparently th e r e a l i s t i c c h ro n ic le o f a men t a l l y re ta rd e d b o y 's p i tia b le im aginings, th e s to ry becomes fa n ta sy in th e f in a l paragraph. Throughout h is l i f e , V ale n tin Brumana i n s i s t s th a t one day he w ill m arry an a c tr e s s , and because o f t h i s ch e rish ed b e l ie f , and because o f th e c h ild is h games he i s always p lay in g , he becomes th e o b je c t o f th e good-natured and a f fe c tio n a te te a s in g o f h is c o u sin s. One morning V a le n tin Brumana is unab le to r i s e from h is bed; th e d o c to rs sad ly inform th e fam ily t h a t he i s going to d ie . 225 The fo llo w in g morning he i s on th e p o in t o f d ea th when h is fa c e i s illu m in a te d w ith jo y when th e long-aw aited loved one, in v is ib le to a l l th e o th e rs , e n te rs h is room. He c r ie s o u t a t th e s ig h t o f h e r b eau ty , b u t a l l h is fam ily can do i s ask "^Qulen? iQ uien es b o n ita ? " ("R ev elacio n ," In v ita d a s . p . 2 4 ). V alent£n i n s i s t s th a t they be p h o to graphed to g e th e r, and even though they see no one, they comply w ith h is w ishes to make h is l a s t moments happy. A s h o rt tim e l a t e r th e photographer sends th e film to be d ev elo p ed : E ntre la s s e is fo to g ra f£ a s, pense que por un e r r o r me habfan entregado una sacada por o tro a fic io n a d o . S in embargo, Pigmeo, mi pony, e s ta b a p a te n te ; T apioca, la p e r r l ta de Facundo, tam bien; e l n ido de horn ero , aun- que muy confuso y oscuro, se reconoc£a; en cuanto a G ilb e rta , en t r a j e de baHo, bueno, bueno, po d rfa f ig u ra r en c u a lq u ie r concurso, aun hoy, y l a fachada de l a e s- c u e la , s in i r mas le jo s , en e l huecograbado de La Nacion. Todas esas ln sta n ta n e a s yo la s hab£a sacado a q u e lla misma semana. En e l prim er momento, no m ire dem asiado l a b o rro sa y desconoclda fo to g ra f£ a . Indignado, f u i a p r o te s te r a l la b o ra to rlo , pero me aseg u raro n que no hab£an com etido ningun e r r o r . . . . No fue sln o despues de un tiem po y de un d e ta lla d o e stu d io que d is tin g u £ , en l a famosa fo to g ra f£ a , e l c u a rto , lo s m uebles, l a b o rro sa c a ra de V alent£n. La flg u ra c e n tr a l, n £ tid a , te rrib le m e n te n £ tid a , e ra l a de una m ujer c u b ie rta de v e lo s y de e a c a p u la rlo s , un poco v ie ja ya y con grandes o jo s ham brlentos, que r e s u lto s e r Pola N egri. ("R ev elacio n ," In v ita d a s . p. 25) P^gtPUiWR..9t TlffiS ftnd Sp^fig. 226 U nlike Borges end Bioy C asares, S ilv in a Ocampo i s only o c c a sio n a lly concerned w ith tem poral d is to r tio n , and n o t a t a l l w ith s p a tia l d is to r tio n , a s methods o£ d is s o lv in g r e a l i t y . Both th e n a r ra tiv e s in which Ocampo dem onstrates an i n t e r e s t in tem poral q u e stio n s appear in A u to b io g raffa da Ire n e , h e r £ i r s t c o lle c tio n o£ s h o rt s t o r i e s . One o£ th e se , "El im p o sto r," has a lre a d y been d isc u sse d in con n e c tio n w ith i t s im p lic a tio n s o f Im m ortality and th e E te rn a l R eturn, a v a r ia tio n o£ th e voyage in tim e te c h n iq u e. The o th e r, "A utobiograffa de Ire n e ," d e a ls w ith th e id e a o£ synchronic tim e. A f i r s t person n a r ra tiv e , th e s to ry p re se n ts th e prem ise th a t p a s t, p re se n t, and fu tu re occur sim u ltan eo u sly through th e sim ple ex p ed ien t o f th e n a r r a t o r '8 r e la tin g h e r ex p erien ces w ith th e "remembrance" o f fu tu re e v e n ts, in c lu d in g , as in th e case o f B n ilio Gauna in B lo y 's El sueno de lo s h e ro e s, h e r own d e a th . In o rd er to make th is d is to r tio n o f th e u su a l concept o f lin e a r tim e a c cep tab le to th e re a d e r, Ocampo f i r s t makes th e p ro ta g o n is t b e lie v a b le through a re co u n tin g o f d e t a i l s from h e r l i f e : 227 Me llamo Iren e Andrade. En e s ta caea a m a rilla , con balcones de £ ie rro negro, con hojae de bronce, b r illa n - te s como de oro, a s e ts cuadras de la Ig le s ia y de l a plaza de la s F lo re s, nac£ hace v e in tic in c o aHos. Soy la mayor de cu atro hermanos tu rb u le n to s, de cuyos juegos p a rtic ip e en la in fa n c la , con paslon. Ml abuelo macerno era franees y raurio en un n au frag io que abrumo y oscure- cio de m lste rlo sus ojo s en un r e tr a to a l oleo, venerado por la s v ls lta s en la s penumbras de la s a la . Ml abuela m atem a naclo en e ste mismo pueblo, unas horas despues d e l Incendlo de la prlm ara lg le s la . Su madre, ml b ls a - buela, l e hab£a contado todos lo s pormenores d e l Incen- dio que hab£a apresurado su nacim lento. E lla nos tra sm ltio esos r e la to s . Nadle conoclo m ajor aquel i n cendlo, su proplo nacim lento, l a plaza sembrada de a lf a lf a , la muerte de Seraplo Rosas, la ejecuclon de dos reos en 1860, cerca d e l a tr l o de la lg le s la an tlg u a. (’•Iren e," Iren e, p. 150) I r e n e '8 f i r s t re c o lle c tio n o f th e fu tu re Is a sim ple one; she Imagines a sm all w hite dog, which she c a lls Jaz- m£n, and plays w ith him fo r hours: Con una soga lo ataba a la s s l l l a s , le daba agua y comlda, lo a c a rlc la b a y lo c a stlg a b a , lo hac£a la d ra r y morder. E sta con stan cla que tuve con un perro im agi- n a rlo , desdenando o tro s ju g u etes modestos pero re a le s , alegro a mis padres. Con frecu en cla me preguntaban por e l p erro , me ped£an que lo t r a je r a a la s a la o a l come- dor, a la hora de la s comldas; yo obedec£a con en tu - siasmo. (" Ire n e ," Irene, p. 152) A sh o rt tim e la te r , when a sm all w hite dog a rriv e s fo r Irene, a g i f t from her uncle, "nadle dudo que e l perro se llam ara Jazm£n y que ml t£o hubiera sld o complice de mis juegos" (" Ire n e ," Irene, p. 152). As Irene observes, how ever, h er uncle has been absent fo r more than fiv e years, 228 and she has n o t w ritte n to him about her imaginary dog, fo r she sca rcely knows how to w rite . When her p arents show h er th e dog, i t recognizes h er, and n e ith e r she nor the dog is su rp rise d . She has a s im ila r experience w ith a sta tu e o f the V irgin, to whom she prays s e c re tly , o ffe rin g h er flow ers, sw eets, l i t t l e m irro rs, and cologne. At f i r s t h er mother sm iles w ith s a tis f a c tio n a t Ire n e 's prayers, but soon becomes alarmed a t her d a u g h te r's f a ith in a n o n -e x isten t s ta tu e . She t r i e s to p resen t Irene w ith a San Antonio and a Santa Rosa which had belonged to h er mother, but the c h ild re fu se s, p o in tin g out th a t she already has a V irgin . . . toda v e stId a de c e le s te y de oro. Indicandole con mis manos e l tamano de l a v irg en , le explique tfm ida- mente que su c a ra e ra ro ja y pequeSa, to stad a por e l s o l, sin d ulzura, como la ca ra de una muneca, pero ex- p re siv a como la de un angel. (" Ire n e ," Irene, p. 154) That same sterner, in the window o f a s to re where h er mother shops, Ire n e 's V irgin appears. I t is th e V irgin o f Lujan, o f ex a ctly th e same s iz e , c o lo r, and appearance as the V irgin o f h e r im agination. In another episode, she r e la te s the lack o f s u rp rise she fe e ls upon th e death of her fa th e r, although he has been in e x c e lle n t h e a lth and d ies unexpectedly: 229 Cuando u u rlo yo ten£a preparado, desde hac£a tr e e meses e l v e s tid o de lu to , lo s cresp o n es; ya hab£a 1lo rad o por e l , en a c titu d e s n o b les, re c lin e d a sobre la baranda d e l b alco n . Ya hab£a e s c r lto l a £echa de su m uerte en una estam pa; ya hab£a v ls lta d o e l cem enterio. (" Ire n e ," Ire n e , p. 158) A fte r h e r f a th e r d ie s , Ire n e begins to f e e l th a t she was re sp o n s ib le fo r h is d e a th , rep ro ach in g h e r s e lf as H eredia reproaches Maidana in "E l im postor": "Me cre£ c u l p able de l a m uerte de ml p ad re. Lo hab£a matado a l im agi- n a rlo m uerto" ( " Ire n e ," Ire n e , p. 159). B eliev in g h e r s e lf capable o f b rin g in g about fu tu re ev en ts through h er im agin in g s, she attem p ts to e ra s e from h e r mind a l l images o f " la s sequ£as, de la s inundaciones, de l a pobreza, de la s enferm edades de l a g ente de ml casa y de mis conocldos" (" Ire n e ," Ire n e , p. 159). For a tim e h e r e f f o r ts a re su c c e ss fu l, b u t she soon r e a liz e s th a t they a re as f u t i l e as they a re c h ild is h , because h e r remembrances o f th e fu tu re a re In v o lu n ta ry ; i t is u s e le s s to attem p t to avoid th ese images, because "en la s h elad as reg io n es d e l p o rv e n ir la re a lid a d es im periosa" (" Ire n e ," Ire n e , p. 160). She f in a ll y comes to understand th a t . . . p erd er e l don de re c o rd e r es una de la s mayores d esd ich as, pues lo s aco n tecim ien to s, que pueden s e r in f in ito s en e l recuerdo de lo s se re s norm ales, son brev£sim os y c a s t in e x ls te n te s p ara quien lo s preve 230 y solamente lo s v lv e. El que no conoce su d estln o in v en ts y enriquece su v ida con la esperanza de un porvenlr que no sobreviene nunca: ese d estin o tmagi- nado, a n te rio r a l verdadero, en c ie rto modo e x is ts y es tan n ecesario como e l o tro . Creo que esa f a lt a ese n cial de recuerdos, en mi caso, no proven£a de una £ a lta de memoria: creo que mi pensamiento, ocupado en ad lv in ar e l fu tu re , tan llen o de imagenes, no pod£a demorarse en e l pasado. ( " Ire n e /' Ire n e , pp. 160-161) This l a s t passage, which suggests th e idea th a t time is synchronic, th a t p a st, p resen t, and fu tu re are sim ul taneous , p refig u res Ire n e 's f in a l re c o lle c tio n from her fu tu re : th e memory o f h er own death. Having lo s t the man she loves, she re a liz e s th a t only death w ill enable h er to recover h is memory: "Viv£ esperando ese l£m ite de vid a que me acercar£a a l recuerdo" (" Ire n e ," Ire n e , p. 169)* Besides the im pression th a t time is synchronic, con veyed by Ire n e 's re c o lle c tio n s from h er fu tu re l i f e , time is d is to rte d in y e t another manner in th is same sto ry : Para lo s que recuerdan, e l tiempo no es demasiado larg o . Para lo s que esperan es Inexorable. "En un pueblo todo se term ina pronto. Ya no habran casas n i personas nuevas que conocer," pensaba para consolacme. "Aqu£ lle g a mas pronto la m uerte. Si hubiera nacido en Buenos A ires, interm inable hublera sido ml vida, interm inables mis penas." (" Ire n e ," Irene, p. 170) In o th er words, once everything is known to h er, and th ere is nothing new fo r h er to see, then l i f e comes to an end more ra p id ly ; time is accelera te d . This conception 231 o f tim e Is the exact opp o site o f th a t expounded by Bioy C asares In "El p e rju rio de la nleve" (discussed in Chap t e r I I I o f th is stu d y ). In B ioy's t a l e , th e continued and unvaried re p e titio n o f a c ti v i t i e s undertaken in Vermehren's household i s designed *:o prolong h is d a u g h te r's l i f e , to impede, in e f f e c t, th e tim e continuum. I t may a t f i r s t seem p aradoxical th a t Ocampo can look upon p a s t, p re se n t and fu tu re as sim ultaneous, and in th e same sto ry suggest th a t tim e can be ac c e le ra te d through r e p e titio n . Never th e le s s , th e re i s no in co n sisten cy in h er id eas, j u s t as th e re is none in the th e o rie s o f Bioy C asares, fo r i t is only w ith in th e framework o f synchronic tim e th a t the a c c e le ra tio n , d elay , o r permanent o b stru c tio n of tim e is conceivable. Appeal to a R e stric te d Audience In th e work o f S ilv ln a Ocampo, th e re i s only lim ite d evidence o f h er appeal to " le c to re s de mente a le r ta , e n te redos de m etaf£slca, aficio n ad o s a l a n a lis is , d isc ip lin a d o s o en la s leyes de un juego re fin a d o ." O ften, q u ite the a Enrique Anderson Im bert, H is to ris de la l i te r a t u r e hlspano^|ffi|-jffgm Vol. I I : Epoca contemporanea (Mexico: Fondo de C ulture Economica, 1961), p. 241. o p p o site is tr u e . Borges and Bioy C asares, fo r in sta n c e , p lace b efo re th e re a d e r numerous c lu e s which suggest th e outcome o f t h e i r l i t e r a r y c re a tio n s , and which lead th e a l e r t and re so u rc e fu l, long b e fo re i t i s rev ealed to th e u n in itia te d , to th e s o lu tio n o f t h e i r e la b o ra te p u z z le s .^ As has been dem onstrated p re v io u sly in th is ch a p te r, Ocampo, on th e o th e r hand, i s g e n e ra lly extrem ely obvious in h e r p re fig u ra tio n s o f a s to r y 's outcome, p o ssib ly b e cause o f th e b re v ity o f most o f h e r n a r r a tiv e s . There i s , however, one e x c e lle n t ex cep tio n , "El im p o sto r," in which th e im p lica tio n s o f th e id e n tity o f H eredia and Maidana a re su p e rio r in t h e i r conception, and th e com plicated s tru c tu re o f th e sto ry i s worthy o f e ith e r Borges o r Bioy. D espite th e sim p lic ity o f h e r works, however, Ocampo does, on occasion, dem onstrate h e r concern fo r th e i n t e l le c tu a l m in o rity . Some o f th e m a n ife sta tio n s o f th is i n te r e s t have been d iscu ssed in some d e t a i l e a r l i e r in ^ S e e , fo r example, Borges: "Las ru in a s c irc u la re s " and "El sin:"; Bioy C asares: El o tro la b e rin to " and "En memoria de P a u lin a ." The works c ite d a re by no means th e only ones which i l l u s t r a t e th is a sp e c t o f m agical re a lism , fo r th is in te lle c tu a l game w ith th e re a d e r i s c o n sta n tly apparent in th e l i t e r a r y production o f th e se two a u th o rs. 233 th is c h a p te r: th e concept o f synchronic tim e ("Auto- b lo g ra f£ a de Ire n e " ); th e tra n sm ig ra tio n o f so u ls and th e E te rn a l Return ("E l im p o sto r"); the i d e a l i s t philosophy o f B erkeley, which holds th a t persons and th in g s e x is t only when someone b e lie v e s them to e x is t o r th in k s about them ("Los o b je to s " ). There a re a ls o examples o f th is id ealism in "El Im postor" (H e red ia's reproaching Maidana fo r saying th a t Mar£a i s dead) and in "A utoblograf£a de Irene" ( I r e n e 's blam ing h e r s e lf fo r th e d eath o f h e r fa th e r b e cause o f h e r having Imagined him dead). Another ex p ressio n o f Ocampo's in te lle c tu a l appeal, th e theory o f thought tran sm issio n , im p lic it in "La u ltim a ta rd e ," i s th e b a s is fo r the e n tir e sto ry in "La casa de a z u c a r." Because o f th e s u p e rs titio u s n a tu re o f h is novia. who i s d e a th ly a f ra id o f "una moneda bo rrad a, una maneha de t i n t a , l a luna v i s t a a tra v e s de dos v id r io s , la s i n i - d a l e s de su nombre grabadas p o r a z a r sobre e l tronco de un cedro . . . " ("C asa," F u rls, p . 32), a young man spends weeks search in g fo r a house o r apartm ent in which no one has liv e d b e fo re , f o r h e r w orst fe a r i s th a t th e d e stin y o f any previous occupants w ill in flu e n c e h e r l i f e . F in a lly , because he is unable to fin d a new dw ellin g fo r 2 3 4 them, he l i e s to h er, saying th a t th e house he has found has n ever been occupied; sin c e I t Is fre s h ly p ain ted and extrem ely w ell k ep t, she b e lie v e s him. S h o rtly a fte rw a rd , they a re m arried and begin t h e i r l i f e to g e th e r. For a tim e th e c o u p le 's days a re u n ev en tfu l and happy: C ris tin a cooks, sews, and keeps th e house, w hile h e r hu s- w band goes c h e e rfu lly to work. Then stra n g e events begin to occur. F i r s t , th e re Is a telephone c a l l , la te a t n ig h t, fo r a person named V lo le ta . Thinking th a t I t Is only some one w anting to speak to the form er te n a n t, and w ishing to keep th e tr u th about th e house from h is w ife, the husband th e r e a f te r leav es th e re c e iv e r o ff th e hook. A few days l a t e r th ey a re about to have b re a k fa s t when th e d o o rb e ll rin g s and a m essenger leav es a box c o n ta in in g a v e lv e t d re s s . When th e husband asks h is w ife where she obtained the money to buy i t , she re p lie d vaguely th a t h er m other gave h e r "unos p eso s." Not w ishing to offend h er, he says no more. Even though they a re s t i l l w ild ly in love, th e man begins to no te c e r ta in changes in h is w ife: "A dvertf que su c a ra c te r hab£a cambiado: de a le g re se c o n v irtlo en t r i s t e , de com unicativa en rese rv ad a , de tra n q u ila en 235 n e rv lo sa . No te n ia a p e tito " ("C asa," F u ria. p. 35). Then one aftern o o n he comes home from work unexpectedly, and h ears h is w ife ta lk in g to an other woman. Hiding, he l is te n s to the co n v ersatio n . The g i r l says th a t she has come fo r her dog, B ruto, who has wandered in to th e house as a s tra y . D espite C r is tin a 's p ro te s ts to th e co n tra ry , th e woman c o n sta n tly r e fe rs to h e r as V io le ts, and inti** mates th a t she has known h er fo r some tim e. When C ris tin a asks the v i s i t o r to take th e dog away, b efo re she grows to love him, th e g i r l a b ru p tly changes h e r mind: —V io le ts, escucheme. S i lle v o e l perro a mi case, se m orira. No lo puedo c u id a r. Vivimos en un d e p a rta - mento muy ch ico . Ml marldo y yo trabajam os y no hay n ad le que lo saque a p asear. jQ uiere quedarse con el? Yo v endrla a v i s l ta r l o de vez en cuando, porque lo qu iero mucho. ("C asa," F u ria. pp. 36-37) C ris tin a a t f i r s t re fu se s, p o in tin g out th a t h er husband does n o t lik e to have stra n g e rs in h is house. But when the young woman suggests th a t they can meet "todos lo s lunes a la s s le te de l a ta rd e en la plaza Colombia, . . . fre n te a la lg le s la Santa F e llc lta s , o s i no la esp erare donde u sted q u le ra y a la hora qua p re fie ra ; por ejemplo, en e l puente de C onstitu cio n o en e l parque 236 Lezama" ("C asa," F u ria. p. 3 7 ),11 C ris tin a agrees to keep th e anim al. When C ris tin a , who has never been p a r tic u la r ly fond o f music, begins to sing c o n sta n tly , day and n ig h t, the husband determ ines to le a rn a l l th a t he can about V io leta, th e g i r l who had form erly liv e d in th e house. He f in a lly d isco v ers th a t she is in a m ental in s titu tio n . Going to th e h o 8 p its l, he fin d s th a t she is no longer th e re , b u t he o b tain s th e address o f h er voice teach er, A rsenia Lopez, from whom he le a rn s th a t V io le ta is dead: Murio de en v id ia. R epetla s in c e sa r: "Alguien me ha robado l a v id a, pero lo pagara muy caro . No tendre mi v e stid o de te rc io p e lo , e ll a lo ten d ra; Bruto se ra de e l la ; . . . perdere la vox que tra n s m itlre a esa o tra g arganta lndigna; no nos abrazaremos con Daniel en e l puente de C o n stltu cio n ." ("C asa," F u ria. p. 42) When A rsenia Lopez has fin ish e d h er account o f Vio- l e t s 's l a s t days, th e husband, h o rrif ie d , runs from the house, fo r he re a liz e s th a t h is w ife, as she had always feared , has become another woman, assuming n o t only h er thoughts, but o th e r asp ects o f h er p e rso n a lity as w ell: ^ T h e se places a c tu a lly e x is t in Buenos A ires: as w ith Borges and Bioy C asares, they a re used as a means o f im p a rtin g r e a l i t y to th e f a n ta s tic conclusion o f th e s to ry . 237 Desde ese d£e C rls tln e se transform o . . . en V io le ts. T ra te de s e g u lrla a todas h o ras, para d e s c u b rlrla en lo s brazos de sus am antes. Me a le je ta n to de e l l a que l a v l como a una e x tra n a . Una noche de in v lern o huyo. La busque h a sta e l a lb a . ("C asa," F u ria. p. 43) sw p u nr I t has been th e purpose o f th is c h a p te r to analyse the p e rtin e n t f ic tio n o f S ilv in a Ocampo in o rd er to d e te r mine w hether th ese works possess a s ig n if ic a n t re la tio n s h ip 12 to m agical re alism as i t i s d efined by Angel F lo re s. Through a thorough exam ination o f th e fo u r p rin c ip a l e le ments o f m agical re a lism (com bination o f fan tasy and r e a lity ; tran sfo rm atio n o f th e r e a l in to th e u n re a l; d i s to r tio n o f time and space; appeal to a r e s tr ic te d audience) as they appear in th e f ic tio n o f S ilv in a Ocampo, a d e f in ite connection has been shown to e x is t between h e r l i t e r a r y production and m agical re alism , although th e re la tio n s h ip is not so ex tensive and d iv e rse as th a t o f Borges and Bioy C asares. 12 "Magical Realism in Spanish American F ic tio n ," flig £ ialg , XXXVIII (May, 1955), 190-191. CHAPTER V SANTIAGO D A B O V E Santiago Dabove (1889*1951), one o£ th e young w rite rs (Borges was an o th er) who used to g a th e r a t " la t e r t u l i a , hoy c a s t le g e n d a ria , de Macedonio [F ern an d ez],"1 is th e £ i r s t o f th e w rite rs chosen £or d isc u ssio n in th is study as re p re s e n ta tiv e o f th e group which, according to Angel F lo re s, follow s th e lead o£ Borges, Bioy C asares, and S ilv in a Ocampo. Even though he i s s t i l l com paratively un known, h is re p u ta tio n was firm ly e sta b lish e d among th e I n te lle c tu a ls o f A rgentina when "S er p olvo," a s to ry which " la s v en id eras generaciones no se re sig n a ran a d e ja r A m o rir, . . . " appeared in th e famous Antolog£a de la l i t e * r a tu r a f a n ta s tic a . c ite d p rev io u sly in th is d is s e r ta tio n . 1 Jorge Luis Borges, Prologue to Santiago Dabove, La m uerte v su t r a l e (Buenos A ires: E d ito ria l A lcandara, 1961), p. 7. 2Ib id . . p. 9. 238 239 N icolas Ccaro has c a lle d him "un a u to r ta n im portante como tgnorado, acaso e l mas d e fin id o , d en tro de e s te tlp o de l i t e r a t u r e [ la £ o n ta s tic a ], en esos momentos . . . [around 3 1940]" d e s p ite h is r a th e r lim ite d pro d u ctio n : only th e posthumous La m uerte v su t r a l e (1961), a c o lle c tio n o f sh o rt s to r ie s , sk etch es, and poems, has been published to d a te . I t is th e purpose o f th is ch a p te r, as w ith those con** c e m ln g th e authors p re v io u sly d iscu ssed in th is study, to analyze c e rta in o f Santiago Dabove's n a r ra tiv e s in o rd er to determ ine w hether a re la tio n s h ip can be e s ta b lish e d between th ese works and m agical re a lism as i t is d efin ed by Angel F lo re s. The method o f a n a ly sis fo r th e sh o rt s to r ie s o f Dabove which a re p e rtin e n t to the su b je c t p re s e n tly under d isc u ssio n is the same as th a t employed w ith th e f ic tio n o f Borges, Bioy, and Ocampo. Combination o f Fantasy and R e a lity One o f the methods o f combining r e a l i t y and fa n ta sy employed by Dabove i s th e sto ry w ith in a atory. This 3 * N icolas Cocaro (e d .), Cuentos fa n ta s tic o s arg en tin o s (Buenos A ires: Bntece, 1963), p. 25. 240 d ev ice is used, In a r a th e r conven tio n al fa sh io n , as the n a r ra tiv e v e h ic le fo r " F in is ." The n a r ra to r o f th e f i r s t s to ry r e la te s th a t he once found I t necessary to go to an an c ie n t sep u lch er to remove th e rem ains o f a d is ta n t r e l a tiv e because th e cem etery was to be re lo c a te d elsew here. In sid e th e c a sk e t he found, b esid es th e urn co n tain in g h is r e l a t i v e 's ash es, a m etal c y lin d e r co n tain in g a crum bling m anuscript. D eciding n o t to read th e document u n t il re tu rn in g home, in s p ite o f h is c u r io s ity , he fin ish e d th e ta sk o f removing th e rem ains and h u rrie d to h is house. A rriv in g a s h o rt tim e l a t e r , he s a t down in fro n t o f the f i r e to examine th e m anuscript, which . . . p a re c la a ra to s una profec£a y o tro s un sim ple desahogo l i t e r a r i o . Pero n o te c ie r to acento conmo- v ld o , como s i e l a u to r h u b iera ten ld o una prem onicion. H asta creo que e l "sabe" mas d e l fu tu ro que muchos h ls to ria d o re s acerca d e l pasado.^ The m anuscript, w ith two d i g its o f the d a te erased so th a t i t i s im possible to determ ine w ith c e r ta in ty th e year In which i t was w ritte n , is th e work o f Marcos P re sc o tt, and com prises th e sto ry w ith in th e s to ry . P re sc o tt r e la te s ^S antiago Dabove, La m uerte v su t r a l e (Buenos A ires: E d ito ria l A lcandara, 1961), p. 20. F uture re fe re n c e s to th is work w ill be documented w ith in th e te x t o f th e chap t e r . 241 th a t because of th e Influence of a number o f p lan eto id s Which had Inex p licab ly a lte re d th e ir course, the e a rth a t f i r s t had begun to gy rate stra n g e ly , then to slow I t s ro ta tio n u n ti l I t u ltim a te ly stopped com pletely. Besides the c e ssa tio n of I t s ro ta tio n , which l e f t one sid e dark and the o th er lig h t, as In th e case o f the moon, the e l l i p t i c a l rev o lu tio n o f th e e a rth around the sun had b e come p ro g ressiv ely longer u n t i l I t was alm ost a s tr a ig h t lin e , thus imposing a death sentence, by fre e z in g , upon a l l o f humanity. Because th ere Is a w itness to th e fin d in g o f the manu s c r ip t, as w ell as a w itness (P re sc o tt) to the f a n ta s tic events described in i t , the e f fe c t of th e sto ry -w ith in -a - sto ry device is to make these In c re d ib le occurrences acceptable as r e a l it y . But th is is n o t the only technique employed by Dabove to Impart v e ris im ilitu d e to h is un r e a lity ; he a lso uses a la rg e number o f ordinary d e ta ils as background fo r the fa n ta sy . For example, P re sc o tt observes th a t since th e e a r th 's ro ta tio n was a lte re d , . . . ten£amos d£as cort£sim os y o tro s muy la rg o s. Apuros y desordenes de toda esp ecie. T rastornos en la s C lancies economicas. Por ejemplo: un pagare a 90 o 180 d£a8, hab£a que h acerlo por horas, de acuerdo con un re lo j patron. (" F in is ," M uerte. p. 23) 242 Although th ere were many d if f i c u l t i e s because o f the e a r th 's new and ra d ic a l behavior, such as th e widespread panic, the te r r ib le floods and o th e r c a ta stro p h e s, and the complete m odification o f th e seaso n s: " . . . e l verano mas to rrid o y e l lnvierno mas crudo se suced£an en up espacio de d£as y aun de horas . . . " (" F in is ," Muerte. p. 23), the n a rra to r p o in ts out th a t Algunas v en tajas tuvo la raza humana e n tre ta n ta desdicha: con los bruscos cambios de tem perature, la s moscas y m osquitos desaparecieron. La hedionda e lnmunda chlnche no sal£ a de sus re fu g io s, de miedo a un enfriam lento brusco, as£ fue murlendo de in an icio n . (" F in is ," Muerte. p. 24) These d e ta ils , because o f th e ir extrem ely r e a l i s t i c n atu re , aid in making c re d ib le th e in c re d ib le transform a tio n undergone by the e a rth , but Dabove uses the same technique to make b eliev ab le another fabulous in c id e n t: P resco tt is ab le to f ly .^ He is a tra v e lin g salesman fo r a company c a lle d "Alas para e l Hombre," m anufacturer of Another c h a ra c te r in Spanish American l i te r a t u r e a lso has th e a b ility to fly : Pedro P rado's A lsino. But th e re is one b asic d iffe re n c e between th e two; A lsin o 's f lig h ts a re meant to be symbolic, and P re s c o tt's a re meant to be taken l i t e r a l l y . But even P re s c o tt's f lig h ts a re not so stran g e as Dabove might have thought when he wrote th e sto ry , fo r modem science has developed a p o rta b le machine, designed to be strapped on a man's back, which enables him to su s ta in f lig h ts of sev e ral m inutes' d u ra tio n . 2 4 3 an apparatus which places the power o f f lig h t w ith in the budget of the common man. D espite th e irre g u la r co n d itio n s of l i f e on e a rth a f te r th e d is a s te r, P re sc o tt r e la te s , . . . hab£a c ie r to optimismo. Se confiaba qulza en que todo pasar£a. Los com erciantes e in d u s tria le s eran lo s que mas "sent£an" y proclamaban e s ta conflanza llaaando d e r r o tis ta s a lo s asu stad o s. El f in e ra se* g u lr vendlendo sus productos. (" F in is ," Muerte. p. 26) This same technique, the ju x ta p o sitio n of extrem ely r e a l i s t i c d e ta ils w ith fa n ta s tic occurrences, is employed in o rder to lend v e ris im ilitu d e to the u n re a lity in "El espantapajaros y la melod£a." During th e ir u n iv e rsity years, a group o f young men have met from time to tim e in a la rg e ly unsuccessful attem pt to invoke the s p i r i t s o f another w orld. One year, a f te r th e ir f in a l exam inations, the n a rra to r is walking along the s tr e e t w ith another o f the c liq u e , when they encounter Ale jo , who is o f a l l of them the p rin c ip a l b e lie v e r in th e p recepts o f s p i r i t u a l ism. Since they have n o t seen one another in some tim e, Ale jo suggests th a t they a l l go to h is ranch a t Lujan** to spend a p a rt o f the simmer v acatio n . Deciding to in v ite town some fo rty m iles to th e w est o f Buenos A ires, Lujan, because i t r e a lly e x is ts , c o n trib u te s to the r e a lity o f th e fa n ta s tic events which occur in the sto ry . 2 4 4 two o r th re e more o£ th e ir frie n d s to go along, they re a d ily ag ree to th e p ro sp ect o f a b r i e f h o lid a y , sin c e No es muy larg o e l v ia je a Lujan, r u ta de p e re g ri- no s. N uestras madres algo preocupadas cuando nos v iero n em balar algunas lig e r a s armas de case y c a rtu - chos, nos exhortaron para que no fueramos a "hacer lo c u ra s ." Pero cuando oyeron "L ujan," se t r a n q u ili- zaron. Ibamos a una t i e r r a s a n tiflc a d a , donde la d e sg ra c ia es mas r a r a que en o tra s p a rte s . Deberfan h acerse e s ta d f s tic a s com paratives. ("E sp an tap ajaro s," p. 42) Upon a rriv in g a t th e ranch, the f i r s t th in g they a l l want to know i s w hether F e lix , th e " e sp a n ta p a ja ro s," is s t i l l liv in g th e re . An old frie n d o f Ale jo who came to th e ranch fo r a v i s i t some years e a r l i e r and has sim ply r e mained as a permanent g u est, he earned th is r a th e r unusual a p p e lla tio n when th e n a r ra to r o f the s to ry m istook him f o r a scarecrow in th e f ie ld : --$Dan re su lta d o lo s esp an tap ajaro s? --^ re g u n te a l d iv is a r dos de e llo s de esp a ld a s, como cadaveres d esen - te rra d o s y secos que aun conservaran sus coyunturas, mas propios p ara a s u s ta r a lo s honbres que a lo s pa- ja r o s . —El e sp a n ta p a ja ro s, q u erras d e c ir, porque e l o tro es e l " lin y e ra " F e lix —y se r io . Era e x tra o rd in a rio de v e r ese hombre flaq u lsim o , inm ovll, en un ademan e x ta tic o con un brazo flex io n ad o y e l o tro brazo e sq u e le tic o e s tira d o la te ra lm e n te ; e l enorme saco con agu jero s p o r lo s que se ve£an pedazos d e c ie lo y e l sombrero quebrado y con b riz n a s de p a ja . ("E sp a n ta p a ja ro s," H uerta, p. 44) Odd as he i s , because o f th e numerous d e ta ils used 245 to d escrib e him, F e lix Is a p e rfe c tly b eliev ab le c h a ra c te r, and n e c e ssa rily so, since our acceptance o f the u n re a lity In th e sto ry Is la rg e ly dependent on our b eliev in g In th e r e a lity o f h is ex isten ce . T o ta lly unconcerned about h is personal appearance, F e lix c a re fu lly guards a broken phono* graph record, which he explains i s th e re p o sito ry o f h is dead lo v e r's voice. When they o ffe r to glue i t to g eth er and play i t fo r him, he re fu se s, b elie v in g th a t " la s voces grabadas se velan en lo s d isco s cuando muere la persona a quien pertenecen" ("E spantapajaros," H uerte. pp. 4 4 -4 5 ).7 A sh o rt tim e a f te r A lejo and h is frie n d s a rriv e a t the ranch, F elix becomes extrem ely i l l and lap ses in to a coma, near death. A lejo suggests th a t they a tte n p t, w ith the aid of a medium who has sin ce a rriv e d , to evoke the s p i r i t of the dying man. To aid in th e ir experim ent, they glue th e record to g eth er and p lace i t on th e phonograph; b u t they a re sca rcely ab le to hear anything, fo r the sound i s lik e "un camino con muchos baches. Se o£an, apenas, p alabras 7Thls passage vaguely suggests an idea of^im m ortality sim ila r to th a t expressed in B loy's La invencion de Morel. th a t the l i f e substance can continue to e x is t through being m echanically recorded. 246 a is la d a s , y una melod£a a n tlg u a e n tre c o rta d a " ("E spanta- p a ja r o s ," H u erta, p. 50). When th ey a re a l l sea te d around th e ta b le , and th e medium has en te re d h is tra n c e , th e fig u re o f F e lix appears In th e m irro r, "como un e s ta n d a rte hecho jI r e n e s y d e rro ta d o . En su r o s tr o hab£a su frim ie n to y a n sia " ("E sp a n ta p a ja ro s," M uerte. p. 4 9 ). A lejo, not having taken a p lace a t th e ta b le , leav e s th e room and re tu rn s s h o rtly a fte rw a rd s, Inform ing h is frie n d s th a t F e lix , aroused from h is coma, w ants th e phonograph brought to h is bedside* Even though they r e a liz e th a t he w ill be unable to understand any o f th e words, th ey comply w ith h is w ishes. Almost as soon as they p la c e th e phonograph on th e n ig h tsta n d , th e v o ic e and th e m usic become m iracu lo u sly c le a r . Hearing th e song, which e n tr e a ts him to come away to th e o th e r w orld, F e lix tu rn s h is fa c e to th e w a ll and d i e s . This same d ev ice i s employed in "E l experlm ento de V arln sk y ," to make th e young p h y s ic ia n 's r e v iv if ic a tio n o f g a corpse ac c e p ta b le as r e a l i t y . Using a v a r ia tio n o f th e ®This re v iv a l i s n o t to be confused w ith the alm ost ro u tin e procedures perform ed by a surgeon when h is p a tie n t " d ie s" on th e o p e ra tin g ta b le . V arlnsky i s a b le " a c tu a r con buena s u e rte en p lazo s mas la rg o s y aun cuando lo s 247 technique o£ nesting a c tu a l p ieces fo r purposes o f adding v e ris im ilitu d e , Dabove h ere c o n trib u te s to th e r e a l i t y of th e f a n ta s tic event by u sin g only i n i t i a l s in re fe re n c e to V arln sk y 's h o s p ita l: " . . . Venga a l a s a le T d e l h o sp i t a l X, pronto. (El e ra je f e de esa s a le y se a d lv ln a ra que no doy lo s verdaderos datos por d ls c re c lo n .) ” ("V arlnsky," &££££> P* 85). In a d d itio n to th e type o f d e t a i l o u tlin e d in th e p re ceding paragraph, Dabove m inutely d e sc rib e s th e corpse and h is background: a young e le c tr ic ia n W ho has murdered h is m istre ss and h er lo v e r, and then committed su ic id e by e le c tro c u tin g h im self, he is "un muchacho b len c o n s titu id o , de p le l algo mate aceitu n ad a, de ojos muy larg o s y ra s - gados, de hombros y b raso s fu e rte s que c o n tra sta b an con c i e r t a delgadea d e l to rso " ("V arlnsky," M uerte. p. 85). But th e most d e ta il o f a l l is devoted to th e o p er a tio n I t s e l f , and to th e m iraculous, though tem porary, recovery o f th e p a tie n t, fo r th e success o f th e s to ry cadaveres e sten f r lo s . No se co n ten ta con conseguir un poco mas de lo que hacen l a a d re n a lin e , e l m asaje c a r d iac o, y la re sp lra c lo n a r t i f i c i a l , adm lnistradas en los casos sim ila re s" ("V arlnsky," M uerte. p. 84). In th is in sta n c e , th e su b je c t has been dead fo r over h a lf an hour. 248 depends upon our accep tin g as r e a l th is f a n ta s tic ev en t. A fte r th e surgeon has prepared h is p a tie n t and re ad ied h is equipm ent, a sm all m otor, rubber tu b es, and a fla s k con ta in in g a m ysterious red liq u id , Los ayudantes acudieron con e l In stru m en tal y V arlnsky y e llo s se en cam izaro n con e l pecho h a st a a b r ir una ventana resecando la s c o s t i l l a s . V arinsky aproximo su a p a rato y m etio la s gomas por l a b rech a. A ll! estuvo trab ajan d o y, cuando se acercaron lo s medicos para t r a t a r de e n te ra rs e , le v o lv io a ro g a r con c i e r t a b ru s- quedad que se a p a rta ra n . A1 v o lv e r a sus s i t i o s , me p a re c io v e r alg o de ra b ia y decepcion en sus r o s tr o s . ("V arln sk y ," M uerte. p. 86) As th e o p e ra tio n co n tin u es, th e onlookers suddenly begin to n o tic e sig n s o f l i f e : "Esos o jo s m uertos perd£an su aspecto de v id rlo tu rb io y se encendfan como s i reel** b ie ra n lu z de a d e n tro . Tenlan c le r to estu p o r como s i de nuevo e stu v ie ra n fre n te a algunos de lo s c a ra c o le s, v e r- d o res, adm iractones o espantos d e l mundo" ("V arin sk y ," M uerte. p. 86), and then to h ea r a murmuring, as though from v o ices in th e d is ta n c e . V arlnsky a t f i r s t th in k s th a t one o f th e ob serv ers is ta lk in g , and admonishes them a l l to keep q u ie t, b u t i t soon becomes app aren t th a t the v o ice i s coming from th e corpse: La voz ten£a un tim bre ra ro , m arev illo so y muy p e r- dido y le ja n o , como s i fu e ra de un ap a rato de ra d io donde se cuchicheara a l a so rd in e. No e ra p o slb le 249 s it u a r l a b ien , n i a n a liz a r su tim bre, e l mas s in g u la r de lo s tim bres en voces humanas. Perm£tase a ml es»- cion ese ln te n to de d e sc rlp c io n de acento tan extrano: "A quellas palab ras parec£an re so n a r en o tr a cosa que en e l e sp a c lo ." Pero lo que lle v o a l colmo n u e stro pasmo, fue comprobar que lo s n erv lo s fa c la le s ya funclonaban y que a q u e lla c a ra de scm lvlvo subrayaba con g esto s expresivos, c a s l como de a c to r, la s c irc u n sta n c la s d e l r e la to algo Inconexo que la voz m iste rlo sa hac£a. M olina expreso que esas p alab ras parec£an s a l l r de un b a r r l l o de una cueva profunda. ("V arlnsky," M uerte. pp. 87-88) The m asterpiece o f th e c o lle c tio n , "S er p o lv o ," a lso employs th is device. S trongly rem in iscen t o f K afka's "The M etasiorphosls," I t Is th e account o f a m an's gradual tran sfo rm atio n In to a v eg etab le s ta te . The p ro ta g o n ist, a f te r having consulted h is d o cto r in an e f f o r t to fin d r e l i e f from acu te n e u ra lg ia o f th e trig e m in a l nerve, is re tu rn in g home along a n e a rly abandoned road when a p ara ly zin g a tta c k o f h is illn e s s causes him to f a l l from h is h o rse. W ithin a sh o rt tim e, th e anim al wanders away and he i s l e f t alone, "abandonado en esa ru ta so 11 t a r la donde no pas aba un s e r humano en muchos d£as" ("P olvo," M uerte. p. 14). Because th e ground is hard, and because he re a liz e s th a t he may have to remain w ithout help fo r some tim e, he begins p a tie n tly to d ig In th e ground around h is body, and g rad u ally b u rie s h im self "en una esp ecle de fosa que re s u lto un lecho algo mas to le ra b le que la s u p e rflc ie 250 dura" ("P o lv o ," M uerte. p. 14). Because o f th e alm ost in to le r a b le p ain , he begins to swallow, one by one, th e morphine t a b l e t s th a t h is d o c to r has given him, and he ex p erien ces fo r a tim e a stra n g e "su en o -v ela y una m uerte-vida" ("P o lv o ,” M uerte. p. 14). A fte r s e v e ra l days, he comes to r e a l i s e th a t he is b ein g transform ed in to a v eg e ta b le : La cabeza sen t£ a y sab£a que p erten ec£ a a un cuerpo te rro s o , h ab itad o por lom brices y e sc a ra b a jo s y lle n o de g a le r£ a s fre cu en tad a s por horm igas. Pero experim ent ta b a c ie r to c a lo r y c ie r to g u sto en s e r de b a rro y de ahuecarse cada vez mas. As£ e ra y, cosa e x tra o rd in a ria , hab£a quedado mi cabeza indemne y n u tr id a por e l b a rro como una p la n ta . A1 p rin c ip io se defend£a a d e n te lla d a s de lo s p a ja ro s de p re ss qua quer£an com erle lo s o jo s y l a c a m e de l a c a r s . Por e l hormigueo que s ie n to a d e n tro , creo que debo te n e r un nido de horm igas c e rca d e l corazon. Me a le g ra , pero me im pele a andar y no se puede s e r b a rro y andar. Todo tie n e que v e n ir a m£; no s a ld re a l en~ cu en tro de ningun amanecer n i a ta rd e c e r, de ninguna sen sacio n . Cosa c u rio s a : e l cuerpo e s ta atacado por la s fu e rz a s roedoras de l a v id a y es un am asijo donde ningun a n a to m ist a d ls tin g u lr f a mas que b a rro , g a le r£ a s y tra b a jo s p r o lijo s de in s e c to s que in s ta la n su c a se ; y, s in em bargo, e l cereb ro conserve su in te lig e n c ia . Me daba cu en ta de que mi cabeza re c ib £ a e l allm ento poderoso de l a t l e r r a , pero en una forma d lr e c ta , id en t i c e a l a de lo s v e g e ta le s . La sa v ia sub£a y b ajab a le n ta , en vez de l a sangre que manej a nerviosam ente e l corazon. Ml cabeza e sta b a c a s l c o n te n ta de lle g a r a s e r como un bulbo, una papa, un tu b e rc u lo . ("P o lv o ," M uerte. pp. 14-15) Alone in th is d e se rte d p la c e , th e days pass slow ly; 251 he Is a b le to c a lc u la te th e tim e th a t has lap sed by th e le n g th o f h is b eard : "La notab a algo hinchada y su n a tu ra - le z a co rn ea, ig u a l a l a de l a uSa y epiderm is, s e espon- ja b a como en algunas f ib r e s v e g e ta le s" ("P o lv o ," M uerte. p. 16). There i s no doubt th a t th is m etam orphosis i s meant to be taken l i t e r a l l y , as is G regor Sam sa's in "The M eta m orphosis." At l a s t re sig n e d to h is s itu a tio n , he i s h o r r if ie d to h ear th e fo o tste p s o f a man, and even more so to r e a liz e th a t th e newcomer i s try in g to remove him from th e e a rth . In h is v o ice th a t is by now "un se m isile n c io por l a c a s i c a re n c ia de pulmones" ("P o lv o ," M uerte. p. 17), th e p ro ta g o n ist t r i e s to warn th e man to leav e him as he i s : —Dejeme, dejeme, s i me saca de la t i e r r a , como hombre ya no tengo nada de e fe c tiv o , y me m ata como v e g e ta l. S i q u ie re c u id a r l a v id a y no s e r meramente p o lic £ a , no me m ate e s te modo de e x i s t i r que tam bien tie n e alg o de g ra to , in o cen te y d e se a b le . ("P o lv o ," M uerte. p. 17) U ltim a te ly , th e man a c c e p ts th e p r o ta g o n is t's con v e rsio n in to a p la n t alm ost as a normal ev en t. He p ick s up h is to o ls and walks calm ly away, le a v in g th e v ic tim to co n tin u e h is in ex o ra b le tra n sfo rm a tio n . As in th e o th e r s to r ie s d iscu ssed in th is connectio n , th e g re a t d e t a i l w ith which th e p rocess o f m etam orphosis, o r dendrom orphosis, 252 is d escrib ed , tends to cause fa n ta sy and r e a l it y to merge, so th a t th e re is no longer any d is tin c tio n between th e two. Transform ation o f the Real in to th e Unreal Among the s to r ie s o f Dabove, th e re a re two works in which r e a l it y is converted in to fa n ta sy : "Tratam iento m agico," in which the author employs the contam ination of r e a l it y by dreams in o rd er to achieve the d e sire d e f f e c t, and "Monsieur T rep asse,” in which he uses a re v e rs a l o f events, o r s u rp ris e ending. "Tratam iento m agico," which uses the s to ry -w ith in -a - sto ry device as a n a rra tiv e v e h ic le , is the t a le o f a man who d isco v ers th a t he has only a sh o rt tim e to liv e because o f an aneurism o f the a o rta . R ealizing th a t h is s itu a tio n is h opeless, he is disposed to accept any kind o f a s s i s t ance from any source. Consequently, when one o f h is serv an ts suggests th a t he c o n su lt a curandero w ith whom he is acquainted, the man overcomes h is f i r s t im pulse to laugh and send th e man away, and accepts the p ro p o sitio n . Upon h is a r r iv a l th e n ex t day a t th e hut o f the curandero. the man is to ld to d isro b e, is c a re fu lly examined, and 253 informed th a t he can be cured. Overjoyed, the p a tie n t agrees to follow the old man's in s tru c tio n s to the l e t t e r . Having been sen t e a r lie r to the v illa g e , the serv an t en ters w ith "un monton de cuadem os de gruesas hojas con laminas que representaban fauna y f lo r a tro p ic a le s de div erso s p afses, y tamblen hechos h is to ric o s , guerras antiguas y de la Edad Media, cab allo s con armaduras, combates singu- la re s " ("T ratam iento," Muerte. p. 34). Brewing two m ates, the curandero o u tlin e s the ro u tin e h is p a tie n t is to f o l low: --B ien, vas a v e n ir a verme de cuando en cuando para que te tome e l pulso d el v a lo r. Tomaremos mate. Debes co lo c a rte en tu g lo rie ta o jard£n y m irar atentam ente la s laminas mucho ra to . E ntretanto tomaras unos mates afiadiendo e s te polvo sacado de un cacto que yo mlsmo he cu ltiv ad o en Mexico, en o tra epoca. ("T ratam iento," M uerte. p. 34) This "magic powder," th e h allucinogenic drug, peyote, causes the man to view the scenes in the engravings as a p a rt of h is r e a lity , and to fo rg e t h is illn e s s . He has h is f i r s t h a llu c in a to ry experience the follow ing day: M e puse a m irar con forzada in ten sid ad de in te re s una lamina que representaba tig re s que se paseaban por un bosque conveneional con centeros bien cuidados y p a l mer as, parecido a ml ja rd ln . Los bordes de la lamina desaparecieron confundiendose con e l ambiente. Enton- ces v i a los tig re s moverse y pasearse por e l jard£n, como gatos que ensancharan sus proporctones a l gato 254 supremo que es e l tlg r e . Los v e la d e l tamaSo n a tu ra l porque l a lam ina a l p erd er lo s hordes se hab£a e s tlra d o a la s proporclones d e l ja rd f n . ("T ratam iento," M uerte. P. 35) On succeeding days he has many s im ila r experiences, seein g b ird s , r e p ti l e s , monkeys, and stra n g e c re a tu re s from the sea . Becoming bored w ith anim als, he decides to p lace human fig u re s w ith in h is experience, and e x tra c ts from a fo ld e r a s e rie s o f engravings which re p re se n t th e m anufacture and te s tin g o f weapons and armor used by m edieval k n ig h ts. The l a s t o f th e draw ings, now a liv in g scene, p o rtra y s a t e s t in p ro g ress: a knight i s pounding a t a b re a s tp la te w ith a pike, and f in a lly p ie rc e s i t . Going to th e r e a r o f h is workshop, th e arm orer re tu rn s w ith another p iece o f armor, b u t in ste a d o f p lacin g i t on th e sawhorse th a t they have been usin g , he puts i t on h im self, admonishing the knight to attem pt w ith a l l h is s tre n g th to p ie rc e i t . Taking an ex tra o rd in a ry in te r e s t in the s tru g g le between man and m etal, th e p a tie n t m entally wagers th a t th e armor w ill remain in v u ln erab le, b u t "Levantose e l brazo herculeo, cayo l a p ic a , y hendiendo e l m etal se hundio en e l pecho d e l armero" ("T ratam iento," M uerte. p. 37). 255 Sometime la te r , we a re informed in a p o s ts c rip t appanded by * frie n d o f tha p a tie n t, tha l a t t a r 's w ife fin d s him ly in g in a pool of blood, a maasiva wound in h is c h e st. There is a s trik in g resem blance between th is sto ry and "El Sur" by Borges, fo r both Juan Dahlmann, i l l w ith septicem ia, and th e p ro tag o n ist o f "Tratam iento magico" seem to be searching fo r a more honorable way to d ie . Not content to aw ait death in a h o s p ita l bed, they p ro je c t them selves, through th e ir dreams, in to a s itu a tio n which gives them the opportunity to d ie brav ely . In "Monsieur T rapesse," through a re v e rs a l o f events an apparent r e a l it y is transform ed, w ith no deform ation, in to fan tasy . While rid in g a s tr e e tc a r down Ombu S tre e t in Buenos A ires, a man is forced to accept as tra v e llin g companion M . Trepasse, an acquaintance whom he has never been ab le to endure; even though they a re the only two passengers, th e new a r r iv a l in s is ts on s i t t i n g next to the p ro ta g o n ist. Trepasse does n o t present a very p leasan t appearance: Encima d* sus d ie n te s am arillos que se mostraban lm- pudicos, llevaba una venda de seda negra que se ataba en la s o re ja s para o c u lta r su n a riz ro£da. 256 Se saco l a vend* y pude v er e l sovacon tria n g u la r que queda despues de l a ru in s de la n a rlz . El vomer, como un pergasri.no seco, p a rtfa en dos la s profundi- dades. ("T repasse," H uerta, p. 91) As they continue to rid e , Trepasse becomes overly fa m ilia r w ith h is fellow passenger, and even though th e l a t t e r is not r e a lly offended, he decides to rid h im self o f h is unpleasant companion by ch allenging him to a d u el. They exchange card s, b u t when th e s tr e e tc a r stops Trepasse jumps to the s tr e e t and runs acro ss the square. More out o f c u rio s ity than anger, the p ro ta g o n ist runs a f te r him, shouting fo r him to stop so th a t he can be taught some manners. At th e entrance to a cem etery, Trepasse sto p s: Entonces le pegue un golpe en la espalda. Paso por lo s huecos que dejan lo s b a rro te s haciendo c r u ji r lo s huesos. Yo c o rrf h acia la p u erta, y luego de c ie r to tiempo lo encontre fre n te a un sep u lcro . A 1 a b r ir , le d i por la espalda un nuevo eupujon, con ta n ta fu erza, que por e l impulso, fu£ yo taeb ien con e l d el o tro lado de la v id a. La p u erta herm etlca se ce rro a nues- tra s espaldas. V arlos d£as despues, por lo s golpes que se o£an, me sacaron. Ten£a o lo r a Lazaro y con vergiienza d eclaro que, por complacer a M. Trepasse, anduvimos abrlendo ataudes y metlendo lo s dedos en or* b ite s d e g a s y en o£dos sin m usics. ("T repasse," Muerte, p. 93) D isto rtio n of Time and Space Of the four major c h a ra c te r is tic s o f m agical realism , Dabove seems le a s t concerned w ith temporal and s p a tia l d is to r tio n as a naans o f d isso lv in g r a a l lt y . Tha form er occurs in only one o f h is n a rra tiv e s ; th a l a t t a r n o t a t a l l . In " F in is ," alread y d iscu ssed in th e f i r s t se c tio n of th is ch a p te r, th e re is a m a n ifestatio n o f th e concept o f synchronic tim e in th e ennobling m anuscript which d esc rib es a fu tu re event as though i t had already occurred. Obviously, th e e a rth has n o t y e t been d estroyed, o r the d isc o v e re r o f th e m anuscript would n o t have the o p portunity to read i t . At le a s t, th is d is a s te r has n o t taken p lace w ith in the plane o f tim e in which th e n a rra to r e x is ts . Consequently, th e a c tio n s d escribed in th e document must have taken p lace in another plane o f tim e, one which occurs sim ultaneously w ith, th e n a r r a to r 's . Appeal to a R e stric te d Audience Dabove dem onstrates a concern fo r th e I n te llig e n t, informed re ad er, b u t n o t to th e ex te n t o f the o th e r w rite rs who have been tre a te d in th is d is s e r ta tio n . Although he does not employ i t to a s ig n ific a n t degree elsew here, Dabove uses th e game w ith th e re ad er, one expression o f th is in te lle c tu a l appeal, in "Monsieur T rep asse." To any one who knows French, the ending o f the sto ry ought not 258 to be e s u rp ris e , fo r th e word tre p a sse means, l i t e r a l l y , "dead man" In E nglish. But In e sse th e p o in t Is m issed, Dabove, none too su b tly , d riv e s I t home w ith h is descrip* tlo n o f M. T repasse, c ite d a t len g th above. At o th e r tim es, th is appeal to th e so p h istic a te d read er Is m anifested through th e use o f numerous s c ie n tif ic expressions, as in the follow ing example from "F in is": Algunos astronomos . . . aseguraban haber v is to , a una d is ta n c la Inconmensurable, unos cuerpos vagos car* gados de un gran p o te n c ia l e le c tr lc o que, por su ra d ia cio n in f r a r r o ja y segun e l a n a lls ls espectros* copico, debIan de poseer m aterlas fe rru g in o sa s. Anadfan, por deduceion, que deb£an de a c tu a r como gigantescos y m onstruosos electro lm an es. Ahora b ien (contlnuaban) de acuerdo con e s to , n u e stro p la n e ts que alb erg a ta n to h ie rro , rocas fe rru g in o sas y o tro s me ta le s , no podia d e ja r de s e r in flu en clad o por aque- 1108 enormes cuerpos. (" F in is ," M uerte. pp. 20-21) S t i l l an o th er I ll u s tr a t io n o f th is asp ect o f Dabove's work Is the suggestion o f id ealism which occurs In "T rata m iento m agico," in which th e p ro ta g o n is t's death happens as he w ishes, transform ing a mere d e s ire in to r e a lit y because h is mind p erceiv es a death which, to him, is p re fe ra b le to the one he has expected. E xactly th e oppo s i t e concept i s th e theme o f "E l recu erd o ." In th is sto ry , a theory o f id ealism is not p o ssib le , sin ce a l l the people on e a rth a re dead. The work seems to be Dabove's answer 259 to th e a n c ie n t p h ilo so p h ic a l c lic h e , o fte n m entioned In connection w ith B erk elelan Id ealism , o f w hether th e re Is a sound when a tr e e c ra sh e s in th e w ild ern e ss w ith no one p re se n t to h ea r I t . In t h i s In sta n c e , Dabove appears to b e lie v e th a t e x iste n c e Is p o s s ib le w ith o u t p e rc e p tio n , fo r even though a l l forms o f l i f e , hunian, anim al, and vege ta b le , have p erish ed from th e e a rth , and d e s p ite th e . . . tlem po que flu £ a s in descanso y con l a mlsma impa- s lb 1 1 idad a n tlg u a , lo s atomos conservaban I n a lte r a b le e l recuerdo d e l corazon d esg arrad o de l a humanldad y de la s v ld a s que l a acompanaron con menos c o n d e n c la que e l l a en e l Mundo. Y como e sta b a muy cargado de recu erd o s ese polvo vago, en alguna manera sem ejaba a un s e r v lv le n te y a un c e re b ro . ( ’'R ecuerdo," M uerte. p. 73) F in a lly , th e themes o f synchronic tim e ("F in is* '), and o f th e tra n sm ig ra tio n o f s o u ls , w ith i t s consequent sug g e stio n o f th e E te rn a l R eturn ("E sp a n ta p a ja ro s"), a r e a ls o evidence o f Dabove*s concern fo r th e I n t e l le c t u a l re a d e r. R i i u r g The purpose o f th is c h a p te r has been to analyze th e re le v a n t f i c t i o n o f S antiago Dabove in o rd e r to determ ine w hether th e se works can be shown to p o ssess a r e l a t i o n sh ip w ith m agical re a lism as i t Is d efin ed by Angel 260 o F lo re s. As w ith th e w rite r s p re v io u sly d iscu ssed In th is study, a thorough exam ination has been made o f th e fo u r p rin c ip a l elesients o f m agical re a lism (com bination o f fa n ta sy and r e a l it y ; tran sfo rm atio n o f th e r e a l In to th e u n re a l; d is to r tio n o f tim e and space; appeal to a r e s tr ic te d audience) as they occur In th e s to r ie s o f Dabove. A d e f in ite connection between m agical re a lism and Dabove's work has been dem onstrated, although I t Is n o t p re se n t to such a degree as in th e works o f th e o th e r th re e w rite r s . 9"M agical Realism in Spanish American F ic tio n ," H is- pania. XXXVIII (May, 1955), 190-191. CHAPTER VI ENRIQUE A N D ER SO N IM BERT Although he Is p rim a rily known, p a r tic u la r ly In th is country, as a l i te r a r y h is to ria n and c r i t i c , Anderson Im bert fo r most o f h is l i f e has a lso been engaged In w ritin g works o f im agination. One o f th e group o f authors whom Angel F lo res d esig n ates as follow ers o f Borges, Bioy C asares, and S ilv ln a Ocampo in th e c re a tio n o f m agical realism , he has been chosen fo r d isc u ssio n in th is study as a re p re s e n ta tiv e w rite r o f th a t group. The f ic tio n o f Anderson Imbert published w ith in the perio d w ith which th is d is s e r ta tio n is concerned (1940-1963) c o n s is ts o f a novel and a c o lle c tio n o f sh o rt s to r ie s : Fuse (1953); P i1 g lia^ T l^ (1 961).1 *Thls work co n tain s, in a d d itio n to se v e ra l new s to r ie s and s to r ie s published e a r lie r in p e rio d ic a ls , a l l the n a rra tiv e s o f Las nruebas d e l caos (1946). 261 262 I t is the purpose o f th is ch ap ter, as w ith e a r lie r ch ap ters in th is d is s e rta tio n , to examine c e rta in f ic tio n a l works of Anderson Imbert in o rder to a s c e rta in whether a re la tio n s h ip can be e sta b lish e d between them and m sgical realism as F lo res d efin e s i t . The same method o f an a ly sis employed w ith th e f ic tio n o f the authors previously d is cussed in th is study is used w ith th e works of Anderson Imbert th a t are re le v a n t to the su b je c t w ith which we are p re se n tly concerned. Combination o f Fantasy and R eality Like the o th e r authors who have been examined in th is study, Anderson Imbert makes use o f two techniques to com bine r e a lity w ith fa n ta sy : the work w ithin a work, and the ju x ta p o sitio n o f r e a l i s t i c d e ta ils w ith f a n ta s tic events. "El g rim o rio ," the t i t l e piece o f th e c o lle c tio n mentioned above, con tain s e x c e lle n t examples o f both d ev ices. One of A nderson's more com plicated n a rra tiv e s , i t recounts the ex trao rd in ary experiences o f Jacobo Rabinovich, a p ro fesso r o f Ancient H istory a t the U nlversidad de Buenos A ires. In December o f 1947, Rabinovich walks from the Facul- tad de F ilo so f£ a y L etra s, immensely re lie v e d a t having 263 reached the end o£ a p a r tic u la r ly arduous academic y ear. Aware th a t he needs a v acatio n , the p ro fesso r decides to go to the R etiro S ta tio n and check the schedule o f tra in s going to Cordoba. Walking down Reconquista toward Leandro 2 Alem S tre e t, he discovers a used book s to re . Unabld to r e c a ll having seen i t before, he e n te rs out o f c u rio s ity , and notes th a t i t is l i t t l e d if f e r e n t from o th er shops o f the type: Las e sta n te r£ a s gateaban por la s paredes, tocaban e l techo, se re to rc ia n ; y estaban tan re p le ta s que amenazaban con desplom arse. En e l cen tro hab£a v a rie s mesas, con c ra te re s de panel: la lava se desmoronaba, ca£a sobre e l suelo, v o lv ia a encumbrarse en m ontlculos desordenados. M Un peso," "dos p eso s," " tre s p e so s."3 Reaching in to a p ile on one o f the ta b le s , Rabinovich encounters a very la rg e book w ith black covers; opening i t , he observes th a t i t is . . . un cuadem o s in ray as, todo cu b ierto de le tr a s . L etras d e l a lfa b e to la tin o , s£. Pero ninguna separa- cion, ninguna mayuscula, ninguna puntuacion indicaba 2 These s tr e e ts , lik e the R etiro S ta tio n , because they a c tu a lly e x is t, aid in e s ta b lish in g the r e a lity o f the fa n ta s tic events which occur l a t e r . 3 1 Enrique Anderson Im bert, El grlm orio (Buenos A ires: E d ito ria l Losada, 1961), p. 91. A fter the i n i t i a l c ita tio n in each case, fu rth e r referen ces to Anderson Im bert's works w ill be documented w ith in th e te x t o f th e ch ap ter. 264 que a ll£ h u biera p alab ra. ^Un m ahuscrito en lengua desconoclda? D If fe ll. No hab£a lengua desconocida para Rabinovich. Ademas, la a consonantes sol£an aglu- tln a rs e en t a l forma que ninguna garganta humana hubiera podldo p ro n u n clarlas. La c a lig ra f£ a , redonda, bien sentada, s in nexos, parec£a haber arrancado de la m inuscule c a ro lin g ia £ e l s lg lo IX. La no separacion de p alab ras hab£a c re e r en que e ra aun a n te rio r. ("G rlm orio," Grlmorio. p. 91) In an attem pt to d isco v er some p la u s ib le explanation fo r th e way the book is w ritte n , Rabinovich m entally ad vances th e hypothesis th a t i t i s some s o rt of code* Tempted to purchase the book and tr y to fin d a so lu tio n to the code, the p ro fe sso r remembers th a t he so rely needs a v acatio n and to sses the book back on th e ta b le . As he walks from the s to re , however, h is c u rio s ity overcomes h is d e s ire fo r a r e s t in th e m ountains, and he re tu rn s to the shop. F earfu l th a t someone, as a jo k e, has composed th e book purposely to avoid w ritin g anything in te llig ib le , he is try in g to decide whether to buy i t when h is eyes happen to f a l l upon the f i r s t page. S u rp risin g ly , he is ab le to read i t , fo r i t is w ritte n in Spanish: "L ector, companero de v ia je ^hasta donde me acorn- panaras? Cuanto mas te esfu erces en leerme mas com- prenderas la H isto ria , la mfa y tamblen la tuya. Pero no lle g a ra s muy le jo s . Aunque ley eras y le y e ra s, te m oriras an tes de term iner e s te lib r o . Es bueno que lo sepas: aqu£ tie n e s e l cuanto de nunca acabar. Es mi v id a. Soy Joseph C artap h ilu s, B attudeus, Juan d 'E spera 265 en Dios, Ahaseurus, S ieur de Montague, Is ra e l Jobson, Hareach. . . . jNo te dicen nada e sto s nombres? Muchos o tro s me ban dado. Acaso e s te te dlg a mas: soy e l Jud£o E rrante. ("G rlm orio," Grlmorio. p. 94) Upon glancing back te the l i s t o f names, Rabinovich is 8 ta r tie d to no te th a t th e paragraph has resumed i t s o rig in a l form: "All£ donde ley era p alabras en c a ste lla n o , ahora so lo estaban esas lom brices m onstruosas de todo e l tex to : . . . hgjxkoalcqsifduphmrvynuze . . . " ("G rlm orio," Grlmorio. p. 94). He again searches out th e i n i t i a l l e t t e r , the "L ," and th e te x t becomes c le a r again. Rabino v ich suddenly understands the s e c re t o f reading the book: i t must be read continuously, fo r once the read er removes h is eyes from the page the te x t becomes u n in te llig ib le and he must begin again. Excited by h is discovery, and by the p o s s ib ility th a t the Wandering Jew might have w ritte n h is memoirs in d i f fe re n t periods o f h is l i f e , leaving recorded "en un solo 4 The sto ry o f Joseph C artap h ilu s is one o f the mani fe s ta tio n s o f th e work w ith in a work in th is sto ry ; the o th er i s a device which is a lso o ften used by Borges, the m ixture o f apocryphal and r e a l au th o rs, the r e a l ones, such as Pepys, Balzac, and Sw ift, im parting v e ris im ilitu d e to the imaginary ones, and a l l o f them, in tu rn , lending r e a lity to the fa n ta sy . 266 lib r o , lo s e s t l l o 8 su cesiv o s de l a h i s t o r i a de l a l i t e r a - tu r a , . . . desde la p rosa d e l In fa n te Don Juan Manuel h a s ta l a de Jo rg e Luis Borges" ("G rlm orio," G rlm orio. p. 95), Rabinovich h u rrie d ly purchases th e tre a s u re and ru sh es to h is apartm ent to begin re a d in g , th in k in g th a t h is v a c a tio n w ill n o t be delayed fo r long, s in c e s ix hours ought to be q u ite s u f f ic ie n t tim e to read th e 400 pages in th e book. As he beg in s to re ad , he r e a liz e s th a t th e e n tir e m anuscript i s m agical. He a t f i r s t reco g n izes h is own s ty le , b u t th is re c o g n itio n lead s him to an even more s t a r t l i n g co n clu sio n : . . . a e l l e parec£a e s t a r e s c r ito en c a s te lla n o , a tin in g le s l e p a re c la en in g le s , a un fra n e e s en fra n c o s. . . . Hizo l a prueba. A brio e l lib r o en la prlm era p agina, se in s ta lo m entalm ente en e l alma de un in g le s (Reader, my companion on th is jo u rn e y ), en e l alma de un fran ees (L ecteu r, compagnon de voyage). s£. Pod£a le e r en to d as la s lenguas que conoc£a. ("G rlm orio," G rlm orio. p. 96) Knowing th a t he w ill be unable to sto p u n t i l he has fin is h e d , R abinovich read s f e v e r i s h ly ._ He le a rn s th a t th e Wandering Jew was bom on th e same day and in th e same v illa g e as Je su s, th a t th e two had been frie n d s as c h i l d re n , and th a t b o th had gone to Jeru salem a t approxim ately th e same p erio d in th e ir liv e s . As R abinovich co n tin u es to read , numerous d is tr a c tio n s in tru d e upon h is thought, 267 but he manages to ignore them. According to th e m anuscript, th e reasons u su a lly advanced fo r th e Jew 's condemnation to e te rn a l wandering, th a t he had stru c k and derided C h rist when He was w alking toward C alvary, the Cross upon His back, is f a ls e . In f a c t, th e Wandering Jew r e la te s th a t most o f the th in g s w ritte n 1 and sa id about him a re u n tru e, and he s e ts about sy ste m a tic a lly to r e fu te them. The m anuscript observes th a t during th e Crusades, th e s ig h t o f so many wandering people revived the legend o f th e Wandering Jew. Most of the s to r ie s came out o f I ta ly , b u t soon the theme began to occupy au th o rs in o th e r p a rts o f Europe, and they c re a te d the s to r ie s th a t the Jew d e n ie s, fo r example: Que e l, e l Jud lo, se c o n v lrtio a l c ristia n is m o para a p la c a r a Jesus cuando v o lv ie ra a a ju s ta r le la s cuen- ta s . . . . ( iS i e l ju d lo Jesu s v o lv ie ra , s e r la e l prlm ero en lle v a rs e un chasco a l to p a rse con un c r is tia n o ! ) Que no podia d eten e rse mas de tr e s d la s en un s i t i o , lo s tr e s d la s que hablan pasado e n tre la C ru cifix io n y la R esurreccion. ({Pero s i no hubo R esurreccion!) Que no podia re g re a a r a l mismo s i t i o . ({Como s i fu e ra p o sib le que, en un p la n e ta ta n pequeno como e l n u e stro , alg u ien v la ja r a d u ra n te s ig lo s y s ig lo s s in re h acer e l camlno!) ("G rlm orio," rnHwvvi-in_ p. 9 9 ) • Rabinovich is asto n ish ed a t what he re ad s: " iE l p ro ta g o n ist a de una leyenda, d iscu tien d o la leyenda misma, con b ib lio g r a f la y todo!" ("G rlm orio," p. 100). And 268 the b ib lio g rap h y i s Indeed a form idable one: E. Malone, The Wandering Jew T e llin g F ortunes to Englishmen (1640); Eugene Sue, Le J u if E rra n t (1844-45); David Hoffman, C hronicles S elected f r om th e O rig in a ls o f C a rta p h ilu s, th a Wandering Jew (1848). A fte r th ese books, th e Wandering Jew co n tin u es, came "lo s e s te te c is ta s , e h ic ie ro n l i t e r a tu re , pura l i t e r a t u r e , con e l tenia d e l Jud£o E rran te (Ruben Dar£o, e t a l .) " ("G rlm orio," G rlm orio. p. 101). A ll b u t th e l a s t o f th e se w r ite r s a re im aginary. Almost a t th e end o f th e m anuscript, th e Wandering Jew re tu rn s to th e reason fo r h is condemnation to im m o rtality , b u t even he i s unable to e x p lain i t : "Fue entonces [as he watched C h ris t walk p a st] cuando Dios me encendio l a in m o rtalid ad con una de sus c h isp a s. .No fu e un r e g a lo .. Me h izo in m o rtal, pero en ta le s c irc u n s ta n c ia s que lo s hombres, en vez de honrarme, me m ald ijero n por e l l o . Me h izo Im m ortal, pero no in se n s ib le a l d o lo r, y tuve que esconderme y h u ir de la s persecuciones y lo s torm entos de lo s c r is tia n o s . $Por que me e lig io Dios? ^A m£, ju stam en te a m£, e l amigo de in fa n c ia de Je su s, e l que l e tuvo la stlm a cuando lo v io s u f r i r in u tilm en te? No lo s e . ^Acaso porque solo lo s ag n o stico s parecen a Dios lo b a s ta n te in te lig e n te s para q u erer d ia lo g a r con e llo s ? ^Quiso que un hombre, yo, fu e ra te s tig o de lo que hacen todos lo s hombres p ara que, por lo menos a lg u ie n , com prendiera la t r i s t e con- d ic io n humana y la im p o sib illd ad d e l re in o de Dios en l a tie r r a ? &Quiso j u s t i f i c a r s e as£ por su ab sten cio n en lo s asuntos humanos? $0 me d e s tin o s e r e l c r o n is ta de esos asuntos humanos? No lo s e . Y s i algo eapero, no es l a v u e lta de Jesu s --que no puede v o lv e r— sino l a 269 rev elacio n de por que Dios me e lig io para l a ln rn o rta li dad." ("G rim orio,” Grimorio. p. 102) At th is p o in t Rabinovich re a liz e s th a t th e re a re only a few pages rem aining in th e book; he does n o t understand, fo r the autobiography o f Joseph C artaphllus has sca rcely begun. As he tu rn s th e page, I t s tic k s to th e n ex t one and he alm ost ra is e s h is eyes from th e te x t. Through g re a t e f f o r t, however, he Is ab le to continue reading, and a rriv e s a t th e end of the l a s t page: "Ahora, le c to r, ten culdado. E ste lib ro es etem o , como yo. Como yo, va dando v u e lta s . Apenas acabes e sto s renglones, to rn a a a b r ir e l lib ro en la prlm era pagina y slg u e quemandote la s c e ja s . SI t e interrum pes aqu£, de nada te v a ld ra lo le£ d o ." ("G rim orio," r.T< tn r» r< o p. 103) His in te r e s t aflame d e sp ite h is fa tig u e , Rabinovich begins once more to read the book; as the Jew had promised, the te x t is d if f e r e n t. But before he is able to cover many pages, h is reading is again in te rru p te d , th is tim e by th e in s is te n t rin g in g of h is d o o rb e ll. He is ab le to Ignore the sound, but when th e c a lle r s lid e s h is m all tinder the door, he in v o lu n ta rily glances away from the book. Seconds l a te r , "la s p alabras ya no le esperaban: habian dejado a l i i solo unas sonbras chinescas, que la s lm itaban” ("G ri morio, " Grimorio. p. 104). Although he is disappointed 270 th a t ha has le £ t o ff read in g f o r a few b i l l s and c ir c u la r s , he is a ls o re lie v e d , fo r he r e a lis e s th a t he would have been unable to co n tin u e fo r ‘ much lo n g er anyway. R esolving to begin read in g th e book ag ain , and reco g n iz in g th e enormous d i f f i c u l t i e s Involved, Rabinovich . . . se puso a o rg a n iz e r la s condiclones de su hazana. Compro una la rg a l i s t a de a lia e n to s : pan, lech e , choco l a t e en b a rra s , c a fe , sandwiches s u rtid o s , azu car, p atas de p o lio f r l t o , f r u ta . En l a farm acia compro a s p irin a s por s i le v en ia un d o lo r de cabeza, una so lu cio n de acido b o ric o p ara en ju g arse lo s o jo s, benzedrine para no d o rm irse. En e l b azar compro term os: p ara e l c a fe , p ara l a sopa. V olvio a su c u a rto cargado de paquetes. D istrib u y o la s cosas de s u e rte que p u d iera u s a rla s s in d e ja r de le e r . Se ensayo. S i, e ra p o s lb le . Podia moverse por l a c a se y h ac er cuanto n e c e s ita ra s in d e ja r de le e r . (’’G rim orio," G rim orio. pp. 104-105) Going to bed, he sle e p s through th e n ig h t, and a r is e s th e n ex t morning im p atien t to embark anew on h is voyage. He beg in s to re a d ; th e hours p a ss, and then th e days. He e a ts , d rin k s c o ffe e , and swallows benzedrine ta b le ts , b u t as he reaches th e th ir te e n th c e n tu ry , he i s unable to con tin u e . His eyes c lo s e , and though he opens them alm ost im m edlately, "se le h ab ia apagado la lu z d e l lib r o . Los rin g o rran g o s ondulaban fantasm agoricam ente, como g u im a ld a s de mechas chamuscadas y de cartu ch o s carbonlzados despues de una f i e s t a de fuegos a r t i f i c i a l e s " ("G rim orio," 271 Grim orio. pp. 107-108). As in d ie ste d above, "El grim orio" employs both the work w ithin a work and the superim position o f u n re a lity upon a background o f o rdinary d e ta ils as methods o f com-' b in in g fan tasy and r e a lity . In th e th re e s to rie s which follow , however, only the l a t t e r technique is used fo r th is purpose. In "El a ire y e l hombre," fo r in stan ce, a man has j u s t fin ish e d having lunch w ith h is fam ily, when suddenly En la yema d e l menique [aparecio] una muesca que c re c fa rapidam ente. Uno tr a s o tro se levantaron y rodearon a l padre, que miraba c a s i d iv e rtid o como se lba quedando s in dedo. Ni un d o lo rc illo , n i una gota de sangre. Y l a voracidad d el a ir e se estab a comiendo ahora lo s o tro s dedos. ("A ire," Crfmnr-in. p. 36) He reaches o u t, punching a ho le in th e c u sta rd , and h is son, ignoring the absence of h is f a th e r 's hand, r e proaches him fo r ru in in g th e d e s s e rt. T e llin g the c h ild re n to serve them selves, th e mother follow s h er husband in to th e bedroom where he continues to d isap p ear. A few m inutes l a t e r , the c h ild re n come in to the room and disco v er " la cabeza de su padre, rlsu en a, suspendida como un globo de luz" ("A ire," S£jfiQ£io, p. 37). F in a lly , even the head disappears, and th ere i s nothing l e f t . The mother c a lls out to him, "y despues avanzo con lo s brazos a b le rto s , 272 moviendolos de un lado a o tro , como se draga e l r£o cuando i • se busca un cadaver" ("A ire," G rim orio. p. 37). Another n a rra tiv e Involving th e same device, the ju x ta p o sitio n o f r e a l i s t i c d e ta ils w ith f a n ta s tic ev en ts,. Is "El fantasm a." The opening lin e s of the sto ry are rem iniscent o f those o f K afka's "The Metamorphosis" when Gregor Sanaa awakes to fin d him self transform ed in to a g ia n t in s e c t: "Se d io cuenta de que acababa de m orirse cuando v io que su propio cuerpo, como s i no fu e ra e l suyo slno e l de un doble, se desplomaba sobre la s i l l a y la a rra s tra b a en l a ca£da. Cadaver y s i l l a quedaron tendidos sobre la alfom bra, en medio de la h ab itacio n " ("Fantasm a," p. 25). W e are placed immediately In to a fan t a s t ic s itu a tio n , but once th e f a i t accompli o f the dead m an's a b ility to be conscious o f h is own death i s accepted, then everything th a t he does can be adm itted to th e world o f r e a lity . To aid in th is acceptance, Anderson p resen ts numerous ordinary d e ta ils as background fo r h is fan tasy : Hab£a querido av erig u ar como e ra e l tra n s ito a l o tro mundo iy re s u lta b a que no hab£a ningun o tro mundo! L a mlsma opacidad de los muros, la misma d ls ta n c ia e n tre mueble y mueble, e l mismo re p ic a r de la llu v ia sobre e l techo. . . . Todo, todo estab a ig u a l. ("Fan tasma, " Grimorio. p. 25) 273 L ater, the ghost is astonished to disco v er th a t in s p ite o£ h is a b i li ty to fly , he i s unable to pass through w alls and o th e r s o lid o b je c ts: Chocaba co n tra e llo s . No es que le d o lie ra : simplemente no pod£a a tra v e s a rlo s . P u ertas, v en tan as, pasadizos, todos los canales que abre e l hombre a su a c tiv id a d , segu£an imponiendole d irec cio n es, frenandolo en sus re** v o lo teo s. ("Fantasm a," ftr-fo m -fo . p . 26) Through th e years he remains in the house, an unseen p a rt o£ h is fa m ily 's liv e s . He watches as h is w ife becomes i l l , and when she d ie s expects to be ab le to coamunicate w ith h er. But in stead , she disappears fo r him e n tire ly . The same th in g happens w ith h is daughters: th e ir aunt comes to liv e w ith them in th e house, they remain unm arried, and w hile they a re a liv e he can a t le a s t see them and lis te n to th e ir co n v ersatio n s. But when they d ie , they are fo re v er lo s t to him. When the aunt is dead as w ell, he sees no fu rth e r need to remain in the house; he walks to th e p a tio , says farew ell to th e souls o f h is fam ily, even though he knows th a t they w ill not hear him, and f l i e s away in to the n ig h t. "El leve Pedro" is s im ila r in technique. For sev eral months Pedro has been near death. The do cto r can do nothing fo r him, sin ce the cause of h is illn e s s is unknown 274 to m edical scien ce. N evertheless, l i t t l e by l i t t l e Pedro g e ts b e tte r . A fter se v e ra l weeks o f convalescence, he g e ts out o f bed and d isco v ers th a t he i s alm ost w e ig h tle ss. He inform s h is w ife o f th is stra n g e occurrence, but she sim ply accepts i t , alm ost as i f i t were a n a tu ra l conse- quence o f any i lln e s s . Pedro continues to re c u p e ra te : Ya paseaba por e l caseron, a te n d fa e l haxnbre de la s g a llin a s y de lo s cerdos, d io una mano de p in tu ra verde a la p a ja re ra b u llic io s a y aim se animo a hachar la len a y lle v a r la en c a r r e t i l l a h a s ta e l galpon. Pero segun pasaban lo s d fas la s carn es de Pedro perdlan den- sid ad . Algo muy ra ro l e ib a minando, socavando, v a- ciando e l cuerpo. Le co stab a muy poco s a l t a r lim pia- mente la v e rja , tre p a r la s e sc a le ra s de cinco en cinco, coger de un b rin co la manzana a l t a . ("P edro," C rlm n r^ . P- 9) With a l l h is leap in g , P ed ro 's w ife observes th a t he seems lik e an acro b at, b u t she is n o t asto n ish ed a t the change in h er husband; she m erely accep ts i t . Nor is she asto n ish ed a few days la t e r when he c a lls fo r her to p u ll him down a f te r he has flo a te d to th e c e ilin g . That same aftern o o n , he is s i t t i n g in th e p a tio reading the comics when he laughs in v o lu n ta rily a t one o f th e jo k e s. "Y con la propulsion de ese motor a le g re fue elevandose como un ludion, como un buzo que se q u ita ra la s su elas" ("P edro," ^ rijT w r-tn - p . io ) . Responding once again to h is c r ie s , h is w ife is b a re ly a b le to catch him by th e tro u s e rs and p u ll 275 him back to e a rth to prevent him from flo a tin g away in to th e sky. Since she is unable to be w ith him a t a l l tim es, h is w ife f i l l s P edro's pockets w ith stones and lead w eights. This system works very w ell during the day, but a t n ig h t i t is very d i f f i c u l t to undress him fo r bed, since she must, hold him down w ith one hand and take h is c lo th e s o ff w ith the o th e r: Cuando Hebe le q u ito lo s h ie rro s y e l plomo, Pedro, flu c tu a n te sobre la s sabanas, se e n tre la z o a lo s b a rro - te s de l a cama y le a d v lrtio : --iC uidado, Hebe! Vamos a h acerlo despacio porque no quiero dorm ir en e l techo. —Manana mismo llamaremos a l medico. —Si consigo estarm e q u ieto no me o c u rrlra nada. Solameftte cuando me a g ito me hago aeronauta. Con m il precauciones pudo a c o sta rse y se s in tio seguro. —iT ienes ganas de su b ir? —No. Estoy b ien . Se diero n la s buenas noches y Hebe apago la lu z. ("Pedro," nWmftWo. pp. 10-11) The next morning Hebe awakens to fin d Pedro "durmiendo como un bendito, con la cara pegada a l techo" ("Pedro," G rim orio. p. 11). Since she i s unable to reach him, she throws him a rope to t i e about h is leg so th a t she can p u ll him down. J u s t as she alm ost has him in h er grasp, a sudden gust o f wind blows through th e house and Pedro d r i f t s out the window. He flo a ts upward, and disappears from view. 276 T ransform ation o f th e Real In to th e U nreal Like the o th e r authors who have been d iscu ssed in th is study, Anderson Imbert employs th e contam ination, o f r e a l i t y by dreams as one method o f co n v e rtin g r e a l i t y in to fa n ta sy . In "El b eso ," fo r example, th e au th o r p re se n ts an extrem ely r e a l i s t i c s itu a tio n , and th en s h a tte r s th e r e a l i t y th a t he has c re a te d by inform ing us th a t we have been observing a dream and not an a c tu a l ev e n t. The r e a l i t y o f the s to ry is e s ta b lis h e d a t th e o u ts e t when th e p ro ta g o n ist is c a re fu lly d esc rib ed : . . . se llam a Leopoldo Vega, f r i s a en lo s cu a re n ta y cinco aftos, es de c o rta e s ta tu ra , algo calv o , algo pan- zon, feo , miope, re s p e ta b le , e s ta casado con una m ujer de su misma edad, tie n e t r e s h ijo s ya c re c id o s, e x p lic a l i t e r a t u r a en una u n iv ersid ad p ro v in cian a de l a Argen tin a y, cuando l e o c u rrio lo que vamos a c o n ta r, se encontraba de vacaciones en Espafia, so lo y su alma. ("Be8 0 ," p. 206) One e a rly morning Vega i s w aitin g to tak e th e t r a i n back to Madrid a f t e r spending a few days in th e p ro v in ces. As he stan d s on th e p latfo rm , lean in g a g a in st a p i l l a r , a lo v ely young g i r l approaches him and looks deep in to h is eyes. W ithout exchanging a word, they s i t down to g e th e r on a bench: Entonces tomo la cabeza de la muchacha e n tre sus memos - - ique p la c e r e l de l a c a b e lle ra en la s yemas de lo s 277 d edos!-- y la ju n to a la suya. Y a l r e c lb lr en su m e jilia la m e jllla de la muchacha --fre s c a como esa 8uper£lcle de almohada que la cabesa d e l en£ermo busca e n tre sueHos cuando tie n e f ie b r e - - no pudo r e s l s t l r la te n ta c io n : a tr a jo e l ro s tro , mlro su boca e n tre - a b le rta y la beso, suave, largam ente, h a sta ag o tar su estrem ecim lento y s e n tlr que lo s lab lo s ya no se cornu- nicaban mas so rp re sas. ("Beso," Grimorio. p. 208) As Vega is about to k is s the g i r l again, he sees out o£ the corner o£ h is eye a guardla c i v i l who Is looking a t them s te rn ly . Questioned about h is unseemly a c tio n s, Vega re p lie s th a t th e g i r l Is h is n o v la. When the policeman pursues h is questioning fu rth e r and asks when they a re to be m arried, Vega responds te rs e ly th a t i t is none of h is b u sin ess. Immediately, Leopoldo re a liz e s th a t he has made a m istake; in stead o f In tim id atin g th e o f f ic e r , he has angered him. Taking Vega by th e arm, the policeman orders th e two to accompany him to p o lic e h ead q u arters. Smiling, alm ost a t th e p o in t of laughing aloud, Vega re p lie s : —No sea usted sonso. Todo lo que tengo que hacer, para que se mande listed a mudar, es despertarm e. No hlzo mas que d e c lr e sto y, s in poder e v lta rlo , Leopoldo se d esp erto . El p o llc ia se hab£a marchado. Pero jay!, tampoco estab a la d e lic io s a muchacha. Solo quadaba, en esa madrugada de Inv lem o en Madrid, e l v le n to , que prendldo a l balcon d e l h o te l segu£a soBando con una fla u ta . ("Beso," Grimorio. p. 209) Somewhat more o rig in a l In conception, "Oscureclm lento * en Nueva York" employs a v a ria tio n of th is same technique: 278 a d e ta ile d r e a lity is f i r s t e sta b lish e d , and then d isso lv ed by the In tru sio n o f a dream. Eduardo, a young author, has ju s t a rriv e d in New York a f te r a three-day f lig h t from A rgentina. Taking a cab from the a irp o r t, he a rriv e s a t h is h o te l; a l e t t e r is w aiting fo r him in h is room. A l- t though he does not remember th e C ecily who signed the l e t t e r , he accedes to her req u est and goes to meet h e r the next day on the o b servation tower o f the Empire S ta te B uilding. A sh o rt time a f te r reaching the rendezvous, he fe e ls a hand on h is arm, and hears a voice address him as "Duende." Hearing the name, he remembers everything about C ecily. He had known h er th irte e n years before, in Buenos A ires, but when she retu rn ed to the United S ta te s, he had fo rg o tten about h er, assuming th a t she had m arried, o r died. They chat fo r a w hile, and look out over the c ity . When he tu rn s to ask about something he has seen, she is gone. Taking the e le v a to r down to the now darkened s tr e e t, Eduardo Se confundio con l a muchedumbre y e rro por lo s cauces d e l la b e rin to . Hab£a que m irar a l fre n te , slempre a l fre n te , para e v ita r e l empellon. Lo estru jab an , lo restreg ab an . P aletadas de maqulna de la v a r, con cho- rro s de ague jabonosa para ad elan te, para a tra s , para 279 a d e la n te , p ara a tr a s ; y e l, Eduardo, en medio d e l vaiven de l a espuiaa —cada c a ra , una b u rb u ja — como un tra p o su c lo . B u lto s de soldados, de m arln ero s, de av lad o res abrazados a muchachas se l e venfan enclm a, se a b rla n a sus c o stad o s, se ju n tab an a su esp a ld a y se e s c a b u llla n cantando. ("O scu recim ien to ," P* 31) Suddenly, a t th e c o m e r o f Broadway and F orty-second S tr e e t, he sees h e r ag a in ; b u t she d isa p p e a rs in to the crowd. That same n ig h t C ecily c a l l s Eduardo on th e t e l e phone. She wants him to meet h e r a t h e r house, on Mac- Dougal S tr e e t in Greenwich V illa g e . F inding th e house w ith l i t t l e d i f f i c u l t y , he rin g s th e b e l l . C ecily answ ers th e door; he e n te r s , and they stand looking a t one an o th er, n o t ta lk in g . S m iling, C ecily loosens h e r robe, l e t s i t f a l l to th e flo o r , and sta n d s nude b e fo re him. Eduardo backs away, d isp le a se d by h e r n u d ity , a l i f e l e s s , a r t i f i c i a l n u d ity , " f a ls a p ie l p ln ta d a sobre la s formas de una m ujer in v is ib le que e sta b a d ebajo, escondida, condenada a no e x i8 tir " ("O scu recim ien to ,” G rim orio. p. 3 2 ). She w alks, alm ost f l o a t s , toward him, and tak es him in h e r arms; b u t he f e e ls no s tim u la tio n , no se n sa tio n o f p le a s u re . Unable to un derstand h is la c k o f resp o n se, he runs away. Back a t h is h o te l, he throw s h im se lf a c ro ss th e bed; b e fo re f a lli n g a sle e p , he h ea rs th e v o ice o f C ecily : 280 ""M anana, a l mediodfa, en la E statua de la L lbertad" ("O scurecim iento," Grimorio. p. 33). He attem pts to f o r get h er, to go to sleep , b u t now she f i l l s h is thoughts com pletely. Thinking about C ecily, he suddenly comprehends everything: Su an g u stia, su fr£ o , su desvelo, todo estab a sonando. "jQuien me suena? ^Cecily?" s£, C ecily. Pero no la C ecily de la c a rta , d e l Bnpire S ta te B uilding, de la llamada te le fo n ic a , d e l c a lle jo n en Greenwich V illag e. No, no. Esa C ecily tambien estab a sofiada. La C ecily que e l habfa v is to era un sim ulacro, un en te vano y fa la z . No. Quien lo estab a sonando a e l e ra o tra C ecily, r e a l, e x te rio r, poderosa. Hab£a doa C ecily: la qulm erlca y la verdadera. La verdadera deb£a de s e r aq u ella <jue se enamoroo de e l, en Buenos A ires, tre c e anos a tr a s ; q u lz i se mudo a lo s Estados Unidos; un buen d£a leer£ a en e l New York Times la n o tic ia de la r e union de e s c rlto re s y de su lleg ad a; esa noche se acosto y, a l sofiar, lo absorbio eh su sueno. El habfa a t e r r i - zado dentro d e l sueno de C ecily. Y la verdadera C ecily, a l sofiarse a s£ misma, hacfa andar, por e l fuero de su propio ensueno, una "d o b le," que e ra la C ecily que e l, tambien intem ado en e l mismo sueno, habfa v is to . ("O scurecim iento," Grim orio. p. 34) Unable to r e s i s t the g i r l 's a ttr a c tio n , Eduardo dresses and goes immediately to th e S tatue o f L ib erty . Climbing to the room in L ib e rty 's to rch , he meets C ecily again. He attem pts to reason w ith h e r, explaining th a t she is m erely a figment o f th e r e a l C e c ily 's im agination, and pleads w ith her to leave him alone. But she ignores h is pleas and explanations, and he has to escape again. 281 In th e b o at re tu rn in g to th e c ity , he sees th a t i t i s beginning to snow, and by th e tim e he reaches th e dock, th e snow i s th ic k on th e s t r e e ts and the b u ild in g s . I t is becoming lig h t: "Comprendio que esa lu z b lan ca e ra e l amanecer, que se esta b a in f iltr a n d o de alguna p a rte por la s pestan as de C ecily , la v erd ad era; y que e l , y toda la i s l a de Nueva York hablan empezado a desvanecerse. C ecily, iamo o d iad o !, e sta b a d espertandose, sus parpados empezaban a despegarse" ("O scurecim iento," ^T-JmorHn. p. 3 5 ). T his sto ry i s p a r tic u la r ly in te r e s tin g because o f i t s s im ila r ity w ith B orges' "Las ru in a s c ir c u la r e s ." In both, th e p ro ta g o n is t becomes aware th a t he e x is ts because someone e ls e i s dreaming him, b u t in A nderson's ta l e , th e re a re a c tu a lly two Eduardos: th e r e a l one and th e dreamed one. As a ‘consequence o f th is d u a lity , th e re i s c o n sid e r ab le confusion about which o f E duardo's a c tio n s are r e a l, and which a re im aginary. In both s to r ie s , however, th e r e s u l t is the same, fo r d e s p ite th e r e a l i s t i c scenes and d e ta ils c a re fu lly e sta b lis h e d by th e a u th o rs, th e u ltim a te r e a l it y is th e dream i t s e l f . F in a lly , " P a tric io O'Hara, e l lib e rta d o r" employs th e same d ev ice, tran sfo rm in g a d e ta ile d r e a l i t y in to fa n ta sy by th e in tru s io n o f a dream. O'Hara is a ra th e r in e p t s o ld ie r w ith the rev o lu tio n ary fo rces o f San Mart£n and O 'H iggins. When one o f the Indian s o ld ie rs , Coliqueo, t e l l s O'Hara o f a v illa g e deep in th e mountains in which a l l th e In h a b ita n ts have been asleep fo r years (th e l a s t gods o f th e Araucanians liv e on in th e ir dream s), O'Hara asks perm ission to go and re le a s e them from th e ir slum ber. San Mart£n and O 'H iggins, more to r id them selves o f a p e st than to fre e th e v illa g e r s , re a d ily g ra n t him leave to go. Taking Coliqueo w ith him, O'Hara s e ts out on h is journey. A fter two days o f tra v e lin g , they a r riv e a t th e stream which lead s to th e v illa g e , and the Indian exp lain s to O'Hara th a t he must go on alone, sin ce as an Indian he can e a s ily f a l l under th e s p e ll o f the gods. O'Hara re fu se s, and Coliqueo agrees to accompany him th e next morning. But a t dawn when he awakens, O'Hara fin d s him self alone: Hasta la mula le hab£a llevado e l m aldito in d io . Solo le dejo la s armas y la m ochila. Busco por todas p a rte s pero in i h u e lla d el indio y la s mulas! Com prendio que Coliqueo se hab£a escondido para o b lig a rlo a co n tin u ar por al so lo . ("O 'H ara," Grimorio. p. 227) R ealizin g th a t i t is f u t i l e to w ait any longer fo r Coliqueo, O'Hara s e ts out fo r the v illa g e . The r e a l it y o f the wars o f lib e ra tio n , e sta b lish e d by the presence o f 283 O'Higgins and San M artin, is d isso lv ed as O'Hara reaches the top o f a h i l l and sees below him an in c re d ib le sig h t: Era como una an to lo g ia, en m in iatu re, de p a isa je s im posibles. Im posibles porque a esa a ltu r a de lo s Andes, en ese a ir e desolado que a O'Hara le estab a acu- ch illan d o la cara con un helado v ie n to , no podia, no podia haber lo que a l i i v e ia , que e ra e l tro p ic o . Era absurdo, a n tin a tu ra l. Pero a l i i estab a e l tro p ic o . Un mar academico dedicaba a la playa bien medidos sonetos de o la s . $Un mar a h i, e n tre lo s picos de lo s Andes? El c ie lo tatuado de palm era3. ^Palmeras a l i i ? Las c o sta s, e n tre los m il dedos de lo s m anglares. {Man- g la re s a esa a ltu ra ! Solamente e l so l e ra r e a l. Todo lo demas era ir r e a l: n a tu ra le z a sonada por lo s hombres d e l d e s ie rto , n a tu ra le z a en l a que se habian me tam or- foseado lo s dio ses que hacian sonar a lo s hombres del d e s ie rto . El cuerpo de O'Hara sab ia muy bien que la n a tu ra le z a e ra i r r e a l . Salvo su v is ta , lo s o tro s sen- tid o s d e l cuerpo p ercib ia n e l d e s ie rto , no e l o asis ilu s o rio . ("O 'H ara," Grimorio. p. 228) Going in to the settlem en t, O'Hara fin d s, ju s t as i t was described to him, a v illa g e o f sleep in g Indians. He goes about attem pting to awaken them; he shouts and d a p s h is hands w ith no r e s u lt. Taking from h is knapsack a q u an tity of gunpowder, he Improvises a m ortar from a hollow log, and lig h ts the fu se: Una te r r ib le explosion sacudio e l v a lle . Los indios fueron despertando. Y los d io ses, que viv£an de sus suenos, empezaron a m orir. Y cuando empezaron a m orir recobraron su verdadera forma, que era la de g ig an tes. Todos los arboles de l a selv a entraro n unos en o tro s y se fundieron en un inmenso arb o l, unico, que se re - to rc io , ju n to sus ramas en dos brazos, p a rtio su tronco en dos piern as, saco una cabeza que miro e l suelo con 2 8 4 desesperacion y desgues se desplomo largo a larg o , a s tllla n d o s e y haciendose polvo. Todos lo s anim ales ju n taro n su plasma en e l plasma de una ameba de dos leguas de a lto , que empezo a e s t l r a r su pseudopodio, a p e r f ila r s e en hombron, y en segulda cayo m uerta y se sumio por la s g rle ta s de las la d e ra s. El mar se i r - guio, se puso de p ie , por un In sta n te quedo parado, en medio de su cuenca, ahora seca, quiso d e c lr algo, todo l£quido, verde y teobloroso, pero se rompio en c a ta ra ta y a r ra s tro a O'Hara, e l L lb ertad o r. ("O 'H ara," G ri morio, p. 229) The double, another method used by Anderson Imbert to convert the re a l in to the u n real, can be seen in "El g rim orio," previously discussed a t len g th in th is ch ap ter. Throughout the sto ry , th e re are in d ic a tio n s th a t Rabinovich is a modern in carn atio n of the Wandering Jew. For in stance, when Rabinovich examines th e m anuscript, he recog nizes not only th e n in th -cen tu ry C arolingian M iniscule, but a lso th e handw riting: "Era c a si su propia le t r a . ^Casi? iEra su propia le tr a ! " ("G rim orio," Grimorio. p. 91). L ater, w hile Rabinovich is reading, he has the sen satio n th a t th e words a re being "pronunciadas por alguien a su lado. Mas: era como s i e l mismo Rabinovich la s pronun- c ia ra " ("G rim orio," Grimorio. p. 95). S t i l l la te r , a f te r he has been d is tra c te d by the a r r iv a l o f the m ail, and is forced to lay the book asid e, Rabinovich goes out in to the s tr e e t fo r some a i r : 285 Ahora se so n rio , ironicam ente, a l v e r en todos lo s comerclos anuncios de la s f ie s ta s de Navldad. La son** r ia a , ante una v id rie ra donde se exhib£a un gran pesebre con e l Nino y lo s Reyes Maeos, le peso en lo s lab lo s como s i fu era o tro , e l Judlo E rrante, qulen l a estu v le se sonrlendo. (’’G rim orio," Grimorio. p. 104) F in a lly , Anderson c le a rly s ta te s the meaning o f a l l * these in feren ces o f d u a lity when Rabinovich is forced by fa tig u e to cease h is reading: "Antes de perder e l conoci- miento creyo que e l . . . e ra e l Jud£o Err an te, leyendo su propio lib ro ; que con lo s ojos lo escrib £ a y lo le£a a l mismo tiempo; que e l era, a l f in a l de cuentas, e l p ro ta - g o n ista, como en una novela de d e te c tiv e s —demasiado p e rfe c ta para que alguien pueda n i s iq u ie ra c o n c e b irla — en que e l asesino re s u lte s e r . . . e l mismo le c to r" ("G rim orio," fiirimn-rJa. p. 108). This m an ifestatio n of the E tern al Return c o n trib u te s to the d is s o lu tio n of the r e a l it y so c a re fu lly e sta b lish e d by the author through h is use o f the sto ry w ith in a sto ry and numerous everyday d e ta ils . Perhaps even more in t e r e s t ing in th is re sp e c t than th e id e n tity o f Rabinovich w ith the Wandering Jew is the id e n tity o f the Wandering Jew, and consequently o f Rabinovich, w ith a l l Jews, fo r the d if f i c u lt ie s o f Joseph C artap h ilu s, and the calum nies th a t he s u ffe rs, are those o f every Jew. 286 In th re e v ery b r ie f n a r r a tiv e s , "E l cam ino," "La m u e rte ," and "E l d e s te r r a d o ," Anderson dem onstrates th e th ir d , and f i n a l method Which he employs in th e tran sfo rm a tio n o f r e a l i t y in to fa n ta s y : th e r e v e rs a l o f ev e n ts, o r s u rp ris e ending, by means o f which an ap p aren t r e a l it y u ltim a te ly becomes u n r e a lity w ith o u t being d is to r te d . In th e f i r s t o f th e se s to r i e s , a young boy i s s i t t i n g in h is room looking o u t th e window and co ntem plating th e banana tr e e s which li n e h is s t r e e t : "De vez en cuando se d espren- d£a una h o ja : contoneaba graciosam ente e ib a a sumarse a la h o ja re sc a dorm ida" ("Camino," P* 79). S ittin g th e re , w ith a view o f th e e n t ir e s t r e e t , he n o tic e s a man w alking ra p id ly in h is d ir e c tio n . Suddenly, a g u st o f wind blows th e m an's h a t o f f , b u t he co n tin u es to w alk, seem ingly unaware o f h is lo s s . Running o u tsid e , th e boy chases th e h a t and re tu rn s i t to i t s owner a f t e r having pursued him fo r some d is ta n c e . The man accep ts th e h a t w ith o u t a word and co n tin u es to w alk. As th e boy f o l lows along, he r e a lis e s th a t th e s tra n g e r is . . . un an g e l. Un in g e l vac£o. U n tu b o , como es e l hombre, desde l a e rg a s tu la , pero mas a b ie r to y lim pio que e l d e l hombre. Por au cuerpo hueco d e a fila b a n la s anlmaa, camino a l c ie lo . Entraban por un lado y sal£ an por o tro , en trab an y sa l£ a n , en trab an y sal£ an . 287 M ire a l a i r e m uerto. A lii, a esp ald as d e l an g el, de l a g a le ra , esperaban tu m o , en ancha cauda in v is ib le , la s almas s u e lta s . Una t r a s o tr a soplaban por e sa cana, en v ia je a l a e te m id a d . ("Cam ino," G rim orio. p. 80) "La m uerte" i s somewhat d if f e r e n t in concept, alth o u g h i t employs th e same tech n iq u e fo r tran sfo rm in g th e r e a l in - to th e u n re a l as th e s to ry j u s t d isc u sse d . As a woman i s d riv in g h e r c a r down th e highway, she sees a g i r l s ig n a llin g h e r to sto p . Moving to th e s id e o f th e road, she o ffe rs th e young woman a r id e . To make c o n v e rsa tio n , th e g i r l asks th e woman i f she i s n o t a f r a id to sto p fo r s tra n g e rs w hile alone in th e autom obile: —No tengo miedo. '-&No? Permiterne presentarm e - - d ij o entonces l a muchacha, que te n ia lo s o jo s g ran d es, llm p id o s, im agi- n a tiv o s . Y, en seguida, conteniendo l a r i s a , fin g io una voz cavernosa— . Soy l a M uerte, l a M -u -e -r-t-e . La au to m o v ili8 ta so n rio m iste rio sam en te. Bn l a proxima curva e l au to se d esb arran co . La muchacha quedo m uerta e n tre la s p ie d ra s . La automo- v i l i s t a s ig u io a p ie y a l lle g a r a un c a c tu s desapa- re c io . ("M uerte," G rim orio. p. 233) Although i t employs th e same tech n iq u e, "El d e s te - rrad o " i s somewhat more amusing th an "La m u erte." A man i s re tu rn in g to h is home in B elgrano: Era de noche. Su m ujer, sus h ijo s ya e s ta r Ia n esp eran - d o lo . Vio e l l e t r e r o de l a e s ta c io n : B-E-L-G-R-A-N-0. B ajo. Se la rg o a cam inar. (" D e ste rra d o ," G rim orio. p. 239) As he walks along, he g ra d u a lly becomes aware Chat he does n o t reco g n ize any o£ th e s tr e e ts , in s p ite o f h is having liv e d a l l h is l i f e in th e town. E verything except th e r a ilro a d s ta tio n has changed, and where h is house ought to be th e re Is a n o th e r. D eciding to e n te r anyway, he Is g reeted by a stra n g e s ig h t: "Sentados a lre d e d o r de una mesa lle n a de vasos y b o te lla s de brandy jugaban a lo s dados unos p ls to le ro s de p el£ cu la" (" D e ste rra d o ," Grim orio. p. 240). They look a t him m enacingly, and shout a t him In E nglish. When he t r i e s to leav e , they surround him and one o f them " lo ag arro con la s dos manos y lo fue e s tru - jando, amasando, comprimiendo, plasmando, modelando. Lo reducfan, lo reduc£an. Ahora e ra so lo un punto. El punto de un dado" ("D esterrad o ," Grim orio. p. 240). They p lace him in th e dicebox along w ith some o th e r d ic e , and th e game c o n tin u e s. He w aits hours fo r h is tu rn to come, fo r h is number to f a l l , face upward, on th e ta b le . But th e d i f f e r e n t com binations a re re p eated ag ain and ag a in . F in a lly , h is number f a l l s face downward, and "cuando d esp e rto no e sta b a en B elgrano; e sta b a en Chicago" ("D esterrad o ," Grim orio. p. 240). 289 D isto rtio n o f T im and Space Although he i s not concerned w ith problems o f s p a tia l d is to rtio n , Anderson Lnbert dem onstrates an exceptional in te r e s t in tem poral q u estio n s. For in stan ce, the Wander** ing Jew 's p e re g rin a tio n s, an e x c e lle n t illu s t r a ti o n of the voyage in tim e, and the E ternal Return are both employed as techniques o f temporal d is to r tio n in "El g rim orio." Since the journey o f Joseph C artaphilus through h is to ry , and h is re in c a rn a tio n in the person o f Jacobo Rabinovich have been ex ten siv ely examined elsew here in th is ch ap ter, i t would be re p e titio u s to d iscu ss them fu rth e r a t th is p o in t. I t is in te re s tin g to note, however, the s im ila rity between th is sto ry and Jorge Luis Borges' "El inm ortal" . (see Chapter I I of th is study). "A lejo Zaro se perdio en e l tiempo" p resen ts another view o f tim e: th a t p a s t, p resen t, and fu tu re occur sim ul taneously. On h is way from Tucuman to Santiago d e l E stero, Zaro stops about midway in h is journey to ask fo r a d rin k o f w ater a t an an cien t adobe house beside th e road. Seeing an old man seated in the p a tio , A lejo is about to address him when 290 . . . e l v ie jo lev an to l a c a ra y le pregunto con mucha n a tu ra lid a d , como proalgulendo una conversacion a n te r i o r : --^C uantos veranos habran tra n a c u rrid o desde e l 99? Zaro lo m iro extrafiado, pero c o n te sto : —1899 ••• cu a ren ta y un anos • • . --Aha. jU sted no hab£a nacido, no? —No, pero por poco. Yo aoy d a l novecientoa, ju s to s . —Yo ando por lo a se se n ta y c in co . ("Z aro ," Grim orio P. 38) C ontinuing to speak, as though Zaro were a lif e - lo n g frie n d , the o ld man r e la te s th a t in 1899, on a day very s im ila r to th is one, th e re was a dance a t th e ranch: —B aile con mi paloma, samba tr a s zamba, h a s ta que lle g o e l d o c to r. Me aaludo con una s o n r ls ita p ifla d o ra y me q u lto la muchacha. El d o cto r se hac£a e l g a llo m ien tras b a lla b a , y en la s mudanzas se le echaba encima a mi paloma como rozandola con lo s alo n es. Me fu£ calen tan d o . "Con perm iso, d o c to r," le d ije ; y q u lse s a c a rla a b a i la r . "No t e a p u re s," me c o n te sto , "que demaslado se apuro tu madre en h a c e rte n a c e r." Aguante, aguante. Pero e l d o c to r se propaso y aprovecho un en- tre v e ro para m anosearla. Entonces e n tre en e l rancho a b u sca r e l c u c h lllo , s a l£ y c o n tra ese c o r r a l lo in v ite a p e le a r. No q u iso , y de yapa me pego una cach etad a. Ah£ no mas lo m ate. ("Z aro ," G rim orio. p. 39) In v itin g Zaro to follow , th e old man goes in to th e house and bends over a la rg e c h e s t. As A lejo e n te rs , i t is as though h is e a rs have been uncovered, fo r he h ears th e sound o f music coming from th e o u ts id e . Looking around th e room, he sees a young man, k n ife in hand, s tra ig h te n up from th e same c h e st th a t th e old man had opened only 291 seconds b efo re. The boy walks toward Zaro, h is face flu sh ed , death in h is eyes: Zaro re tro c e d lo . El muchacho se l e ib a encima, con l a v is t a p erd id a. Y cuando Zaro, para a ta ja r lo , e s tir o lo s brazos, e l muchacho, como s i e s tu v ie ra hecho de n ie b la (o como s i e l, Zaro, no e x is tie r a ) avanzo d ejan - dose p e n e tra r por lo s brazos e s tira d o s , se l e m etio por un segundo d en tro d e l cuerpo, lo atrav eso y s a lio de espaldas por e l o tro lado, caminando sian p re h a c ia la p u e rta . Descompuesto, con la s p iern as deshuesadas, Zaro lo s ig u io ; y a l asomarse a l fandango fue como s i lo s o jo s, lo s o£dos de Zaro se estre n a ra n de golpe an te l a muche- dumbre e b ria . El muchacho . . . se le fue derecho a l b a ila r ln de mas p in ta . Algo le increpo. Entonces e l seffor resgondio con una bofetada, s a lto en seguida, h a c ia a tra s , con lo s ojo s espantados, y se lle v o a la s manos a l pecho para a rra n c a rse e l c u c h illo que e l muchacho todav£a le estab a hundiendo. ("Z aro," Grimorio. pp. 39-40) R ealizing th a t "una espuma de ete m id a d hab£a rebosado de alguna p a rte y lo invadfa, lo secu estrab a, en una de sus burbujas en la compan£a de rancho, gente y cadaver desan- grandose en la t ie r r a " ("Z aro," Crim nrtn. p. 40), Zaro looks around him, step s in to h is autom obile, and d riv e s away "hacia e l crepusculo esperando que de un momento a o tro . . . [pueda] re in g re s a r a su sospechado mundo propio" ("Z aro," C rim orio. p. 40). This same concept o f a contemporaneous p a st, p re se n t, and fu tu re is th e p rin c ip a l su b je c t o f the novel, Fuaa. an extended e x e rc ise in tem poral d is to r tio n . The t i t l e is p a r tic u la r ly s ig n if ic a n t in th i s c a se , f o r i t su g g ests n o t only th e c e n tr a l theme o f th e book, b u t a ls o th e b a s is f o r i t s form al s tr u c tu r e : th e fugue, "a m u sical form o r com position in which a theme i s tak en up and developed by th e v ario u s in stru m en ts o r volceB in su ccessio n acco rd in g to th e s t r i c t laws o f c o u n te rp o in t." ^ Even th e th re e m ajor d iv is io n s o f th e work (th e re a r e tw e n ty -fiv e b r ie f chap te r s w ith in th e se s e c tio n s ) a re c a lle d m ovim ientos. and a re t i t l e d in m usical term s: A ndante. F ueato. and Andante s o s te n u to . Anderson Im bert employs th e id e a o f th e E te rn a l R eturn as th e p o in t o f d e p a rtu re fo r h is m an ip u latio n s o f tim e, and, as John V. F a lc o n ie ri o b serv es, " in keeping w ith th is c y c lic a l form, th e s tr u c tu r e o f th e n o v el is obviously and purposely c i r c u la r in th a t i t ends as i t began only to b eg in again as i t ended."** In o rd e r to ob serv e c le a r ly Anderson Im bert*s tre a tm e n t o f tim e in th is n o v el, a r a th e r d e ta ile d exam ination o f th e work w ill i 5W ebster*a New World D ictio n ary o f th e American Language (New York: The World ftib llsh in g C o., I9 6 0 ), p. 585. ^Enrique Anderson Im bert, Fuga. ed. John V. F a lc o n ie ri (New York: The M acmillan Co., 1965), p. 5. 293 be made. Miguel S u lliv an , a young w rite r from Tucuxnan, comes to Buenos A ires to embark on a c a re e r In journalism . Going to th e o££ice o f La Antorcha. he speaks to th e e d ito r, Don Mario, who i s a lso a tucumano. S ulliv an is im nediately impressed by th e man: "Grandote, de hombros cargados, echado para a tr a s ; mesurado, parsim onioso; voz de bajo; pelo renegrido, la c io , larg o , de a r t i s t e fin is e c u la r; ca ra oscura, lampina, en forma de un pentagono de fre n te an- go sta, pomulos.s a lie n te s y una aguda b a r b illa que se c la - vaba en e l pecho de pichon" (Fuea. p. 9 ).^ As they con v erse , Don Mario asks Miguel about h is fam ily, h is school, Q Whether he had seen the books l e f t by Amadeo Jacques, and whether he had known Jaimes F reyre. Miguel answers the questions p o lite ly , and fin a lly t e l l s Don Mario th a t he ^In Fuaa. as in sev e ral o f the o th er works discussed in th is ch ap ter, Anderson employs throughout th e book numerous d e ta ils , such as r e a l s tr e e t and p lace names, l ite r a r y and h is to r ic a l fig u re s, and exact d e sc rip tio n s of the ch a ra c te rs and th e ir everyday a c ti v it i e s , to make c re d ib le the fa n ta s tic events which a re e s s e n tia l to the n a rra tiv e . Q Amadeo Jacques was a well-known teach er a t the Colegio Nacional de Tucuman during th e l a t t e r p a rt of the n in eteen th century. 294 want8 to be a j o u r n a lis t. As c r e d e n tia ls , he shows the e d ito r an essay th a t he has w ritte n on democracy in The Apple C art by George Bernard Shaw (whom he had met in E urope). Impressed by M ig u el's essay, Don M ario g iv es him a p o s itio n as an e d i to r i a l w r ite r . Because o f th e r a th e r sm all s a la ry , Miguel i s forced to take an apartm ent in one o f the poorer se c tio n s o f Buenos A ires, b u t he arran g es i t com fo rtab ly : S u jete a l a p u e rta un espejo de cuerpo e n te ro . Con tu l verde h ic e c o r tin a s . Con tab lo n es de pino y la-* d r i l l o s lev a n te mi b ib lio te c a . Colgue una de la s a c u arelas tucumanas que p in ta b a mi madre: como un v i t r a l de c o lo re s abr£a le ja n £ a s por donde me lle g a b a un vago aroma a n a ra n jo s. Desde mi cama yo v ig ila b a la s nubes. S i quer£a tomar e l so l sa l£ a a l a azo tea, que e ra toda m£a. (Fuga, p. 11) W ith rem arkable speed, he le a rn s the s k i l l s o f e d i t o r i a l w r ite r , b u t a f t e r two y ears he begins to fe e l d is s a tis f ie d w ith h is accom plishm ents. His w ritin g is o u t stan d in g , but he recognizes th a t h is background is in ad e quate and th a t he is beginning to re p e a t h im self in h is e d ito r ia ls ; b e sid e s, Genovesi, w ith whom he shares an o ffic e , makes him th e ta rg e t o f c o n sid erab le good-natured te a sin g about h is tonada t mMimana. As a r e s u l t , he decides th a t he wants to w rite le s s and to study more. A rranging 295 w ith Don Mario to work p a rt-tim e , he e n r o lls in th e F acu l- tad de F ilo so f£ a y L etras o f th e U niversidad de Buenos A ire s. In A p ril o f 1930, M iguel is on h is way to h is f i r s t c la s s , and as he tu rn s th e co rn e r onto Viamonte S tre e t, he h ears th e b e lls o f th e I g le s ia de la s C a ta lin a s. A few " ste p s from the en tran ce to th e F acu ltad , S u lliv a n is a sto n ish ed to see . . . a m£ mismo, acercandome pero desde e l lado d e l r£o. A ll£ e stab a yo, yo m ism ito, viniendo a mi encuentro. Como d io la casu alid ad de que yo, que ib a desde San M artin, y mi o tro yo, que ven£a desde R econquista, e s- tabamos e q u id is ta n te s d e l p o rta l de l a F acu ltad , tuve la im presion de que hab£an colocado un esp ejo a lo ancho de l a vereda. El esp ejo e ra ra ro . Mi imagen —la s mismas lu s tro s a s arru g as en e l t r a j e , l a misma c h a lin a , la s mismas m elenas f lo ta n te s — caminaba con un paso mas cansado. Su p o rte se me agobiaba le v e - m ente. H asta su c a ra , muy p arecid a, e ra mas desva£da y av e je n ta d a. Nos topamos en la s g rad as. Yo me re£ pero mi doble quedo s e r io . C ordialm ente lo tome d e l brazo, me in c lin e h a c ia su c a ra —como cuando me a f e ito fre n te a l e s p e jo -- y l e d ij e : —Tenemos l a misma p in ta ^verdad? (Fuea. pp. 17-18) His double answers te r s e ly th a t he does n o t know, and attem p ts to walk away. But M iguel r e s tr a in s him, and o ffe rin g h is hand, in tro d u ces h im self: --Me llam o M iguel S u lliv a n . . . . —G ab riel O 'B rien. Mucho g u sto . --^ Irla n d e s? —Mis p adres, s£. 296 - - iQue c a su alid a d ! Tambien lo s m£os. $De que p a rte ? —De K erry. — iHombre, tam bien lo s m£os! (Fuga. p. 18) As th e two young men a re ta lk in g , a g i r l e n te rs the b u ild in g and s t a r t s up th e s t a i r s . M iguel becomes imme d ia te ly in fa tu a te d w ith h e r: . . . ah£ e a t aba mi " tip o ." Por lo v is to , la s c h ic a s que me g u staro n en e l pasado hab£an estad o anunciandome a e s ta con promesas p a rc ia le s de b e lle z a . Ahora esas promesas se cumpl£an, esa b e lle z a se reun£a en un s e r . Solo que e s ta ch ic a no e ra ta n lin d a como sus mensa- j e r a s . Sus o jo s ten£an un b r i l l o t r i s t o n y eran dema- siad o grandes para unos la b io s ta n fin o s . Su b u sto , demasiado pequeno p ara unas cad eras ta n anchas. S in embargo, e ra p e rfe c ta . (Fuga. p. 20) Pausing in h e r clim b, th e g i r l tu rn s around and walks toward M iguel and G a b rie l. Her eyes f a l l on G ab riel and rem ain, ex p lo rin g h is fa c e as though she recognized him, as though she had known him b e fo re . For an in s ta n t, i t appears th a t she i s going to Stop and speak to him, b u t she w alks p a s t. Follow ing h e r, M iguel sees h e r e n te r th e lib r a r y , but when he e n te rs th e b u ild in g she has d is a p peared . A few m inutes l a t e r , M iguel enco u n ters h is double ag ain , b u t G ab riel does n o t re co g n ize him and tu rn s to leav e . B ew ildered, M iguel o f f e r s to accompany O 'B rien; sin c e th e l a t t e r o ffe rs no o b je c tio n s , they s t a r t to walk down 25 de Mayo toward Leandro Alem S tre e t. When they reach C o rrien tes, G abriel sto p s and inform s h is companion q th a t he i s going to the Avenida C ostanera. A rriving a t the r iv e r , they s i t down to ta lk , b u t nothing th a t Miguel says seems to in te r e s t G ab riel. Discouraged, he walks away and leaves O 'Brien s i t t i n g on the beach. The next day, Miguel meets th e g i r l again, th is time in h is L atin c la s s . At the end o f the hour, he summons the courage to speak to h e r. At f i r s t she discourages h is advances, b u t as he is about to leave th e room she sug g e sts th a t they cu t th e ir Greek c la s s and go fo r a walk. D elighted w ith the opportunity to know h er b e tte r, Miguel agrees. During th e conversation, Miguel le a rn s th a t she does not study a g re a t d eal because she fo rg e ts th in g s so e a s ily : "Tengo la memoria muy d e b il. Hast a su fro de amnesias" (Fuaa. p. 29). She explains th a t her memory seems to be broken in to p ieces, fo r she sometimes recog n izes a p a rt o f h e r l i f e as though she had already liv ed i t . She even recognises Miguel as an old frie n d , and ^The Avenida C ostanera (which runs besid e the r£o de la P la ta ), lik e the o th er s tr e e ts mentioned in connection w ith Fuaa. a c tu a lly e x is ts . 298 t e l l s him th a t th ey have had th is sasie c o n v e rsatio n a t l e a s t once b e fo re . O bserving th a t th is fe e lin g Is a r a th e r common human ex p erien ce, M iguel r e la te s th a t he, to o , has o fte n had th e same se n sa tio n : "^listed se r e f l e r e a e sa im preslon o scu ra, cuando olemos a t i e r r a m ojada, por ejem plo, y con e l o lo r nos v le n e a l a memorla todo un h a llto de l a in fa n c ia ? " (Puga. p. 3 0 ). He Is r e f e r r in g to a d e la vu c o n d itio n , b u t she q u ick ly d en ies th is p o s s i b i l i t y : Me r e f ie r o a o tr a e x p e rie n c ia . Mas profunda. U lti- mamente l a tengo a cada paso. Es una e x p e rie n c ia c o n tin u e de h aber v iv id o dos, muchas v eces. --L a im preslon de que lo que e sta b a viendo en un p re se n te ya lo hab£a v is to en un pasado. La im preslon de que lo que en ese mismo momento ve£a v e n ir de fre n - te , dlgamos, desde e l fu tu ro , en re a lid a d ven£a de a t r a s . (Fuaa. p. 31) Exhausted by h e r attem p ts to e x p la in h e r fe e lin g s to him, she sto p s ta lk in g . But he p e r s i s t s , fo r he i s unable to understand how she could have ignored him th e prev io u s day in fav o r o f h is companion, and y e t t e l l him now th a t he i s an old frie n d . When she r e p lie s th a t she could n o t have ignored him, sin c e he was alone a t th e tim e she saw him, he attem p ts to fo rm u late a lo g ic a l ex p la n a tio n fo r h e r a c tio n s : 299 Por una esp ecie de astigm atism o todo se le hab£a en- tu rb iad o menos G ab riel. Era a G abriel a auien hab£a v is to , a G ab riel, so lo a G ab riel. No hab£a reparado en l a e x is te n c ia de o tro b u lto a l lado de G ab riel. Lo v io so lo , unico. Y ahora, a l h a b la r conmigo, que e ra e l b u lto que e l l a no v io , cre£a e s ta r hablando con e l o tro , e l unico v is to . (Fuaa. p. 32) As they a re c ro ssin g th e Plaza San M art£n, Miguel r e c a lls th a t they have n o t y e t introduced them selves; he t e l l s h e r h is name, and le a rn s th a t h ers is Irma Keegan. Almost in th e same b re a th th a t she g iv es him h er name, she observes th a t he is a w rite r. And i t is a statem ent, n o t a q u estio n . A stonished th a t she knows about h is w ritin g , he ex p lain s th a t he w rite s e d ito r ia ls fo r La A ntorcha. She re p lie s th a t he is w asting h is tim e w ith th is kind o f work, sin c e he i s a p o et. The idea th a t he could be a poet makes him laugh, and he t e l l s h e r an anecdote about Lucas C ordoba^ to i l l u s t r a t e th a t appearances a re o fte n d eceiv in g . But she continues to i n s i s t th a t he i s a p o et. As they reach th e s tr e e tc a r lin e , she ra is e s h e r arm, and out o f nowhere a tr o lle y appears; she boards i t and looks sad ly back a t him as she rid e s away. I t is very la te when he a rriv e s a t th e newspaper, and 10Lucas Cordoba was governor o f Tucuman a t the b eg in ning o f the tw e n tie th cen tu ry . 300 Genovesi and Don M ario a re w a itin g f o r him. Don Mario wants to know w hether M iguel has heard any rumors re g a rd in g a co n sp iracy a g a in s t Y riy o g e n ,^ but M iguel r e p lie s th a t he has n o t, and s i t s down to w rite th e e d i to r i a l th a t he has been assig n ed . The n e x t day, a f t e r having dreamed about h e r a l l n ig h t, he d ecid es th a t he w ill t e l l Irma th a t he wants h er to be h is n o v ia . He goes to th e U n iv e rsity and search es fo r h o u rs, b u t he i s unable to fin d h e r. R eturning home, he i s h a rd ly prepared fo r what he sees when he opens th e door: Irma s i t t i n g in h is arm chair re ad in g , as though she liv e d th e re in h is apartm ent. But he is even more un p repared to observe th a t she knows " e l s i t i o de cada cosa: l a a z u c a re ra , l a yerba y e l mate" (Fuea. p. 4 4 ). Although he i s asto n ish ed t h a t she u ses th e fa m ilia r form o f address w ith him, he d ecid es to fo llo w h e r le a d , sin c e he i s a f r a id th a t she w ill r e a liz e th a t som ething is wrong and leav e i f he does n o t. Irma once more r a is e s th e q u estio n o f h is leav in g La A ntorcha and d ev o tin g h is tim e to p o etry , fo r, a s she e x p la in s, som ething t e l l s h er th a t they both 11Yriyogen was P re sid e n t o f A rgentina a t th e tim e th e novel tak es p la c e . 301 w ill d ie by drowning very soon. When she in s is ts again th a t she i s in the process o f liv in g h er l i f e over, he attem pts to laugh o ff h er fe a rs , to convince h er th a t th e se fe e lin g s are mere illu s io n . * But she p e r s is ts : --Ya te d ije que no es ilu s io n . Ultimamente es una ex p e rien cia c a s i continue. --I lu s io n . --Y mas aun: sie n to como s i en aq u e lla vez a n te r io r tambien h u b iera recordado un pasado ig u a l, y en ese pasado o tro momento id e n tic o . Y as£. M e veo a mi misma como en una g aler£ a de espejos: mi imagen se va p er- diendo, siem pre re p e tid a , h a sta lo in f in ito . --I lu s io n . --Prim ero cre£, como tu, que era ilu s io n . Ahora creo que en esos momentos p erfo ro e l tiempo. Es un c o lla r in term in ab le. Cada cuenta, un agujero. Yo por lo s agujeros miro sim ultaneam ente la s sucesivas v u e lta s . Las v u e lta s de la e x is te n c ia . . . —{Bravo, bravo! Deber£as e s c r ib ir novelas. iQue v ia je por e l tiempo! iW ells y su Time Machine se que- dan c h iq u itito s a tu lado! — {Pero no comprendes! No es un v ia je por e l tiempo. Yo me quedo en e l rnismo s i t i o . Como quien d ie ra una v u e lta completa a una c irc u n fe re n c ia y se p arara en e l mismo punto, y tu v ie ra conciencia, no d e l v ia je , sin o de haber estado en ese mismo punto. No tengo conciencia d e l in te rv a lo e n tre e s te minuto que estoy viviendo y e l mismo minuto que v iv £ . C laro que toda la rued a d el mundo ha re c o rrid o esa v u e lta , pero la s gentes no r e - cuerdan. Yo tampoco recuerdo la v u e lta y todo e l curso d e l pasado, pero se que la rueda es viej£sim a en v u e lta s y, de ta n to en ta n to , c ie r ta s veces mas vivamente que o tra s , recuerdo que l a situ a c io n en que esto y ya la viv£. (Fuga. p. 49) D espite M iguel's re fu s a l to accept Irm a's explana tio n s, th is passage is th e key to the m ysteries o f the no v el, fo r Anderson obviously in te n d s th e r e la tio n s h ip of Irma, G a b rie l, and Miguel to be a l i t e r a l m a n ife sta tio n o f th e double and o f th e E te rn a l R eturn. But only Irma, th e " h lja de l a Memoria, n ie ta d e l Tiempo . . . " (Fuaa, p. 65), is aware o f th e tr u e n a tu re o f t h e i r e x iste n c e , th a t G ab riel is r e a l ly M iguel, b u t in an e a r l i e r c y c le , and th a t she must rem ain fo re v e r in th e same lo c a tio n , r e p e a t ing th e same l i f e in a su ccessio n o f tem poral cy c le s w ith a su ccessio n o f young men who in r e a l i t y a re id e n tic a l. M iguel co n tin u es h is attem p ts to convince Irma th a t h er fe e lin g s a re illu s o r y , b u t she rem ains firm . When he begins to make love to h e r, she responds f r e e ly , as though through long custom . A fraid th a t he is tak in g advantage o f h e r innocence, he t e l l s h e r th a t he loves h e r, and wants h e r to come and liv e w ith him, th a t they can liv e as b ro th e r and s i s t e r i f she w ishes; b u t she r e p lie s th a t she is a lre a d y aware th a t he loves h e r, and th a t she alread y liv e s w ith him. D elighted th a t she re c ip ro c a te s h is emo tio n s , he goes im m ediately to th e owner o f th e apartm ent house to make arrangem ents fo r h e r to s ta y w ith him. When he r e tu r n s , Irma has d isap p eared . Day a f t e r day M iguel re tu rn s to th e U n iv e rsity to look 303 fo r h e r, b u t she does n o t appear. F in a lly , In d e sp e ra tio n he goes to th e R e g is tr a r 's o f f ic e to In q u ire about h e r, b u t th e c le r k Inform s him th a t th e re is no Irma Keegan re g is te r e d in th e F a c u lta d . By an in e x p lic a b le a s s o c ia tio n o f id e a s, he asks about G ab riel: --^ G a b rie l O 'B rien? iP ero, comb! $No sabe? —iQue? --Que s e su ic id o . — I Que b arb arid ad ! ^Cuando? --H ace unos d£as. Lo en contraron en la playa de l a C ostanera, ahogado. jY con lo s b o l s i ll o s lle n o s de v erso s! (Fuga, p. 58) When he re tu rn s to h is apartm ent, a l e t t e r i s w aitin g from Don M ario who wants to know why he has n o t been to work in th e p a st few days. M iguel c a l l s h is employer on th e telep h o n e, and attem p ts to re sig n h is p o s itio n , ex p la in in g th a t he wants to d ev o te h is tim e to w ritin g f ic t io n . But Don M ario i n s i s t s th a t he come to th e o f f ic e th e n ex t day so th a t they can d isc u ss h is problem s. Throwing h im self on h is bed, M iguel begins to th in k about what s o r t o f f ic tio n he w ill w rite ; suddenly he is In sp ire d : "Una ra p id a c a r l c ia me r e c o r r io e l cuerpo, una c a r ic ia de p a lab ras p re se n tId a s" (Fuga. p. 61), and he w rite s a t one s i t t i n g a f a n ta s tic s to ry based upon h is experiences w ith Irma. S a tis f ie d , he looks a t h im self in th e m irro r: " . . . c a ra de aren a desolada, con fe sto n de a lg as y espumas v ila c e a s b ajo lo s o jo s . Cara de aho- gado. jLa c a ra de G a b rie l!" (Fuaa. p. 63). The follow ing morning he read s h is s to ry again and does n o t lik e i t , fo r i t seems to him to be n o t a s to ry a t a l l , b u t only th e rough d r a f t o f one. He s i t s down to re w rite i t . He rem ains a t h is desk fo r hours, then fo r days, com pletely fo rg e ttin g h is appointm ent w ith Don M ario. Although he fin is h e s th e s to ry , he is a f ra id to begin o th e rs fo r f e a r th a t he w ill n e g le c t th e one he has j u s t c re a te d . N ev erth eless, he does make n o tes o f f a n ta s tic themes fo r l a t e r developm ent. In th e hope th a t Irma w ill re tu r n , he d ecid es to remain a t home. One n ig h t he is forced to go out to r e p len ish h is su p p lie s, and when he re tu rn s Irma is w aitin g fo r him in e x a c tly th e p o s itio n in which he had l e f t h e r when he went to ta lk w ith the la n d lo rd : "La cog£ en mis brazo8 y la h ic e d ar v u e lta s como en una c a le s ita . Era una 1 0 pluma. Liger£sim a" (Fuga. p. 6 5 ). When he t e l l s h e r 12 Irm a '8 lig h tn e s s , lik e th a t o f C ecily in "O scureci- m iento en Nueva Y ork," is y et an o th er m a n ife sta tio n o f h e r u n re a lity . 305 Chat he has m issed h er, and wants to know why she l e f t , she re p lie s th a t she has n o t l e f t th e room. A few days la t e r , Genovesl comes to In q u ire whether he Is 111, saying th a t Don Mario s t i l l wants to see him. Miguel prom ises to re tu rn soon to the o f f ic e . The next days a re happy ones fo r Irma and M iguel, b u t one morning she awakes w ith a s t a r t and c r ie s out fo r G ab riel, n o t M iguel, and e n te rs . . . la s aguas d e l espejo. Me p re c lp ite , y a l acercarm e v i a G abriel e l ahogado, que me m iraba como en n u estro prim er encuentro, en la c a lle Viamonte; so lo que ahora e ra e l quien, d e l o tro lado d e l espejo, sonre£a. Irma y G ab riel, abrazados d e l t a l l e , desaparecieron en la s lu ces v erd es. El espejo se helo o tra vez. (Fuga, p. 76) F in a lly r e a liz in g th a t everything Irma has to ld him i s tru e , Miguel goes to La Antorcha to Inform Don Mario th a t he is re tu rn in g to Tucuman: —Esc r ib ir e , pero no periodism o. Ni una lin e a que tenga algo cue v e r con la s cosas que pasan de v e ra s, todos lo s d ie s . En ad e la n te , Don M ario, e s c rib ir e li te r a t u r a fa n ta s tic a . —& U topias, q u ie re d e c ir? --No. Pura l i te r a t u r a f a n ta s tic a . Sin in ten cio n s o c ia l. El caos por e l gusto d e l caos. --S i hace eso se su ic id e como e s c r ito r . ^Novelas con fantasm as? No in te re sa n a n ad ie. La novela, despues de todo, habla de lo p o sib le y rechaza lo im probable. . . . —Ah, pero yo h ab lare de lo im posible como s i fu e ra probable. 306 - - jQue ganas de perder e l tiempo! E scriba algo sobre que es e l hoobre, sobre que es l a re a lid a d . " iV a lie n te porquer£a! Dejeme qua me haga la i l u sio n de que por lo menos podemos s e r lib re s para fa n ta - 8e a r. C rear caprichos que contradigan la s leyes de la lo g ica y de la n a tu ra le z a le a le g ra a uno la v id a. Anulo e l mundo y j u e g o . ^ (Fuaa. p. 80) When Don Mario asks him whether he has begun to w rite » h is books, Miguel re p lie s th a t he has begun a novel: Fuga. la voy a llam ar. I r r e a l. Absurda. Todo se ra in e x is te n te . Absolutamente in e x is te n te . (Fuga. p. 80) Miguel continues to explain h is novel, observing th a t Don Mario, him self appears in the f i r s t ch ap ter: —Mi novela, Don Mario, comienza as£: "Juguemos. . . . Apenas lleg u e a Buenos A ires (yo hab£a abandonado la casa de mi madre, en Tucuman, para lanzarme a l p e rio - dismo) .» . (Fuaa. p. 81) Appeal to a R e stric te d Audience This aspect o f Anderson Im b ert's work is f i r s t o f a l l apparent in the themes which he s e le c ts as bases fo r h is 13 M iguel's words in th is passage are an e x c e lle n t d e sc rip tio n of m agical realism , although th is expression is n o t used. ^ T h e se are ex actly the same words w ith which the novel begins. The e n tire book is an example of the sto ry w ith in a sto ry , and th is device c o n trib u te s g re a tly to the atmosphere of r e a l it y which makes the fantasy accep tab le. 307 f i c tio n s : m ental te le p a th y ("O scurecim iento en Nueva Y ork"); th e I d e a l is t philosophy o f George B erkeley th a t p e rc e p tio n is n ecessary to e x is te n c e —even to th e e x iste n c e o f a g h o st, in th is case ("E l fantasm a") ; th e d o c trin e o f th e E te rn a l R eturn (Fuea and "El g rim o rio "); th e double, or th e Id e n tity o f a l l men (Fuaa and "El g rim o rio "); th e enigma o f tim e YFuea. "E l g rim o rio ," and "A lejo Zaro se p erd io en e l tiem po"); th e concept o f th e re a d e r as p e rfe c t w r ite r ("E l g rim o rio "). Another m a n ife sta tio n o f A nderson's i n t e lle c t u a l appeal i s h is e ru d itio n . Although he does n o t employ e r u d i te re fe re n c e s to th e e x te n t o f Borges, fo r example, when he does so, lik e Borges, i t i s w ith th e express purpose o f adding an o th er dim ension to th e s to ry , n o t m erely to demon s t r a t e h is e ru d itio n . I f th e re a d e r reco g n izes th e r e f e r ence, th e a u th o r '8 id e a becomes c le a r e r . T his use o f e ru d itio n i s ap p aren t in "E l grim orio" when Rabinovich is musing over th e n a tu re o f th e m anuscript th a t he has found: I . . . s i r e s u lta b a que ese e ra una im portante obra en c i f r a , una esp e c ie de D iario de Samuel Pepys? C laro, tam bien podr£a s e r una sim ple broma, como la de Balzac con su fin g ld o criptogram a en La P h v sio lo g ie du M ariaae. Le espoleo la id e a de que un ocioso se h u b lese puesto a e s c r i b lr en c o n tra , con e l unico p ro p o sito de q& com b in e r la s l e tr a s en ninguno de lo s vocablos de l a l i t e r a tu r a m undial. Jonathan S w ift, en Vovaae to Lanuta. 308 B aln ib arb i. Luggnagg. Glubb-Dubdrid and Japan [s i c : the au th o r transposes Glubbdubdrib and Luggnagg in the t i t l e , and m issp e lls th e £ormer] hab£a concebldo, para b u rla rs e , una maquina combine to r la de todas la s p alab ras de un idioma: de ta n to d a r v u e lta la maquina, acabar£an por s a l i r de a ll£ , ju n to con toda c la s e de engendros d isp a ra tad o s, la s fra s e s p e rfe c ta s para una en ciclo p ed ia d e f in itiv e . Pues b le n : iy s i un brom ista se hubiese d iv e rtid o componiendo solo la s l£neas in in te lig lb le s que esa misma im prenta autom atica tambien dar£a? Un lib ro a l rav es, un a n tilib r o , una esp ecie de l i t e r a t u r a en g u irig a y , mas extrema que e l Dada£smo de T ris ta n Tzara [th e founder o f th e movement]. . . . ( ’’G rim orio," GriPQrl9> P- 93) With th ese re fe re n c e s, we have a much c le a re r id ea of th e d iso rd e r o f R abinovich's ffr ^T T l f > r'tif > fo r they giv e us a b a s is fo r com parison. Another e x c e lle n t example of th is technique can be seen in Fuaa when Miguel i s te a sin g Irma a f te r she has to ld him th a t they a re going to drown: —Ah . . . Es que tenemos que re p re s e n ta r un papel ya e s c r ito , $no? El ultim o ac to de Rosmersholm [by ^Henrik Ib sen ], por ejem plo. Nos vamos a l rfo y icatap lu n ! nos hundimos de cabeza, como Rebecca y Rosmer, ^eh? (Fuga, p. 47) And l a t e r (Fuga. p. 4 9 ), i t w ill be re c a lle d , Miguel com pares h er l i f e to a voyage in tim e as in W ells' The Time Machine. At o th e r tim es, th is appeal to the s o p h istic a te d re ad er is m anifested through th e in te lle c tu a l game th e author plays w ith the re a d e r. An e x c e lle n t i l lu s t r a t i o n o f th is device is th e Wandering Jew 's spurious b ib lio g rap h y , combined w ith r e e l w r ite r s , in "E l g rim o rio ." But perheps an even b e t t e r example i s the whole o f Fuse up to Chap** t e r XXXI, f o r even though the tru e s itu a tio n i s n o t d e f i n i t iv e ly re v ealed u n t i l th is p o in t, we a re given ntsnerous in d ic a tio n s throughout th e f i r s t tw elve c h a p te rs, which re v e a l to th e a l e r t re a d e r, long b e fo re Irma d iv u lg es th e tr u th , th e a c tu a l re la tio n s h ip o f Irma, G ab riel, and M iguel. The same i s tru e o f "O scureclm iento en Nueva Y ork," fo r th e re a re many in fe re n c e s th a t C ecily i s an im aginary being in tru d in g upon r e a l i t y long b e fo re Eduardo r e a liz e s i t ( r e c a ll h er m ysterious appearances and d i s appearances, th e la c k o f sex u al s tim u la tio n f e l t by Eduardo, h e r a b i l i t y to c o n ta c t him a t w i l l ) . F in a lly , Anderson Im b e rt's concern f o r the i n t e l l e c tu a l is dem onstrated by h is concept o f th e u n iv e rse as c h a o s: iU niverso? {Universo en ru in a s , en todo caso! Polvo de e s t r e l l a s , s in c e n tro y s in se n tid o , eso es lo que e r e s . Las nebulosas re sb a la n por tu s grandes v is c e ra s como cu ajo s de le c h e , como p la c e s de pus, como moco d e r r e tid o . Las e s t r e l l a s , un s a rp u llld o . Y la luna que e s ta v in len d o , un tumor, un tumor de la noche enferm a. (Fuaa. p. 75) S u p - n j . T - y 310 The imrpo8e o f th is c h a p te r has been to analyze th e p e r tin e n t f i c t i o n o f E nrique Anderson hnbert in an attem p t to determ ine w hether a r e la tio n s h ip can be shown to e x is t between th e se works and m agical re a lism as i t i s d efin e d by Angel F lo r e s .1^ A d e f in i te connectio n has been e s ta b lis h e d between Anderson Im b e rt's f i c ti o n a l p ro d u ctio n and m agical re a lism through an a n a ly s is o f i t s fo u r p r in c ip a l elem ents: com bination o f fa n ta sy and r e a l i t y ; tran sfo rm a tio n o f the r e a l in to th e u n re a l; d is to r tio n o f tim e and sp ace; ap p eal to a r e s t r ic te d audience. ^ "M a g ic a l Realism in Spanish American F ic tio n ," H isnania. XXXVIII (Nay, 1955), 190-191. CHAPTER VII JULIO C O R TA Z A R J u lio C ortazar is th e l a s t o f the w rite rs se le c te d fo r examination in th is d is s e rta tio n as re p re se n ta tiv e o f the group o f authors whom Angel F lores d esig n ates as follow ers of Jorge Luis Borges, Adolfo Bioy C asares, and S ilv in a Ocampo in the c re a tio n o f m agical realism in A rgentina. The fiv e works which comprise th e f ic tio n a l production of C ortazar published during the period w ith which th is study is concerned (1940-1963) c o n s is t o f th ree c o lle c tio n s o f sh o rt s to rie s and two novels: B e stia rio (1951); F in al d el V • luego (1956); Las armas se c re te s (1959); Los oremios (1960); Ravuela (1963).1 As in previous ch apters o f th is d is s e rta tio n , i t is the purpose o f th is chapter to examine c e rta in f ic tio n a l ^Not considered are Los reves (1949), a dram atic prose poem, and H isto rie s de cronooios v de fames (1962), a c o l le c tio n of poems and extrem ely b r ie f sketches which are m ostly humorous o r s a t i r i c a l . 311 312 works o£ the author under d iscu ssio n , in th is case J u lio C ortazar, in order to determ ine whether a re la tio n s h ip can be estab lish e d between them and m agical realism as i t is defined by Angel F lo res. The same method of a n a ly sis i s used fo r the f ic tio n of C ortazar which is p e rtin e n t to the su b ject as w ith the works of the authors discussed e a r lie r in th is d is s e rta tio n . Combination o f Fantasy and R eality In order to e ffe c t th e fu sio n o f r e a lity and un r e a lity , C ortazar employs the technique o f juxtaposing fan t a s t i c events upon an extrem ely r e a l i s t i c , d e ta ile d back ground. Typical of the two s to r ie s which u t i l i z e th is device i s "C arta a una s e n o rita en P ar£s." As the t i t l e in d ic a te s, the p ro tag o n ist r e la te s h is unusual experiences in e p is to la ry form, d escrib in g every d e ta il fo r h is c o r respondent, the young woman in whose apartm ent he is liv in g w hile she is in P a ris. Thanking h e r fo r allow ing him th e use o f her apartm ent, he sim ultaneously d escrib es fo r th e read er th e s e ttin g which w ill c o n trib u te to making the fantasy o f th e sto ry acceptable as r e a l i t y : " . . . un ambito donde alguien que vive bellam ente lo ha dispuesto todo 313 como una re ite r a c io n v i s i b le de su alma, aqu£ lo s lib r o s (de un lado en espanol, d e l o tro en fra n e e s e in g le s ), a ll£ lo s almohadones v erd es, en e s te p re c iso s i t i o de la m esita e l ce n lc ero de c r i s t a l que p arece e l c o r te de una pompa de jabon, y siem pre un perfume, un sonido, un c re c e r de plan-* ta s , una £otogra££a d e l amigo m uerto, r i t u a l de bandejas con te y te n a c illa s de a z u c a r."^ O bserving th a t he has stra y e d from th e p o in t o f h is l e t t e r , he re tu rn s to th e beginning o f h is s to ry , to th e previous Thursday a t f iv e in th e aftern o o n when he had moved in to th e apartm ent on Suipacha S tre e t: . . . h ic e la s m aletas, a v ise a su mucama que vendr£a a in sta la rm e , y sub£ en e l ascen so r. Ju sto e n tre e l prlm ero y segundo p iso sen t£ que ib a a vom itar un cone- j i t o . Nunca se lo hab£a explicado a n te s, no c re a que por d e s le a lta d , pero naturalm ente uno no va a ponerse a e x p lic a r le a l a g en te que de cuando en cuando vom ita un c o n e jito . No me lo rep ro ch e, Andree, no me lo rep ro ch e. De cuando en cuando me o c u rre vom itar un c o n e jito . (" C a rta ," B e s tia rio . p. 21) To r e g u rg ita te a r a b b it from tim e to tim e does n o t seem a t a l l e x tra o rd in a ry to th e n a r ra to r; q u ite to th e J u lio C o rtazar, B e s tia rio (Buenos A ire s: E d ito ria l Sudamericana, 1951), p. 21. A fte r th e i n i t i a l c i t a t i o n in each ca se, f u r th e r re fe re n c e s to C o rta z a r's works w ill be documented w ith in th e te x t o f th e c h a p te r. 314 c o n tra ry , he ta lk s about th e phenomenon In such a m a tte r- o f - f a c t tone th a t I t appears to be th e most normal o f o ccu rren ces: Cuando sie n to que voy a vom itar un c o n e jito , me pongo dos dedos en l a boca como una plnza a b ie r ta , y espero a s e n t lr en la garganta l a pelu sa t i b i a que sube como una eferv escen cla de s a l de f r u ta s . Todo es v eloz e h ig le n ic o , tra n sc u rre en un brevfsim o In s ta n te . Saco los dedos de l a boca, y en e llo s tra lg o s u je to por la s o re ja s a un c o n e jito bianco. El c o n e jito parece con- te n to , es un c o n e jito normal y p e rfe e to , so lo que muy pequeno, pequeno como un c o n e jito de ch o co late pero bianco y enteram ente un c o n e jito . Me lo pongo en la palma de l a mano, le alzo la p elu sa con una c a r lc ia de los dedos, e l c o n e jito parece s a tls fe c h o de haber nacido y b u lle y pega e l hoclco co n tra ml p ie l, movlendolo con esa tr itu r a c io n s lle n c lo s a y c o sq u llle a n te d e l hoclco de un conejo co n tra l a p le l de una mano. Busca de comer y entonces yo (hablo de cuando e s to o c u rrfa en mi casa de la s a fu e ra s) lo saco conmigo a l balcon y lo pongo en la gran maceta donde crece e l tre b o l que a p ro p o sito he sembrado. El c o n e jito a lz a d e l todo sus o re ja s , en- vuelve un tre b o l tie m o con un veloz m olinete d e l hoclco, y yo se que puedo d e ja rlo e irme, co n tin u ar por un tiempo una v id a no d is t in t a a la de ta n to s que com- pran sus conejos en la s g ra n ja s. (" C a rta ,” B e s tia rio . pp. 22-23) Before coming to liv e In A ndree's apartm ent, he was ab le to expect an in te rv a l of a t le a s t a month, and some times as long as s ix weeks, u n til th e a r r iv a l o f another r a b b it. But he r e la te s th a t w ith h is I n s ta lla tio n in the new apartm ent, "esa misma noche vom ite un c o n e jito negro. Y dos d fas despues uno bianco. Ya la c u a rta noche un c o n e jito g ris " ("C a rta ," B e s tia rio . p. 26). He decides 315 th a t he w ill have to k i l l them to avoid th e enbarrassm ent of anyone's d iscovering h is s e c re t, but he immediately abandons th is so lu tio n as too c ru e l, and decides to hide them in ste a d : Usted ha de amar e l b e llo arm ario de su dorm itorio, con la gran p u erta que se abre generosa, la s ta b la s vac£as a la espera de ml ropa. Ahora lo s tengo ah£. Ah£ d en tro . Verdad que parece Im poslble; n i Sara [th e maid] lo c re e r£ a . Porque Sara nada sospecha, y e l que no sospeche nada procede de mi h o rrib le ta re a , una ta re a que se lle v a mis d£as y mis noches en un solo golpe de r a s t r i l l o y me va calcinando por den tro y en- dureciendo como esa e s t r e ll a de mar que ha puesto usted sobre la banera y que a cada bano parece lle n a r le a uno e l cuerpo de s a l y azotes de s o l y grandes rumores de la profundidad. De d£a duermen. Haz d ie z . De d£a duermen. Con l a p u erta cerrad a, e l arm ario es una noche d lu m a s o la - mente para e llo s , a ll£ duermen su noche con sosegada obedlencia. ("C a rta," B e stia rio . p. 26) At n ig h t he l e t s them come out in to the room and feeds them the clo v er w ith which he has c o v e rtly f i l l e d h is pockets. Unable to follow th e ir every movement, he can only try h is b e s t to prevent th e d e stru c tio n o f her fu r n ish in g s, and attem pt to re p a ir th e damage when i t does occur: Han ro£do un poco lo s lib ro s d e l anaquel mas bajo, listed los encontrara dlsln u lad o a para que Sara no se de cuenta. ^Querfa u sted mucho su lampara con e l v le n tre de porcelana lle n o de m ariposas y ca b a lle ro s antiguos? El trlz a d o apenas se a d v ie rte , toda la noche tra b a je con un cemento e sp e c ia l que me vendleron 316 en una casa in g le a a --u ste d sabe que la s casas ln g le sa s tie n e n los m ejores cementos— y ahora me quedo a l lado para que ninguno la alcan ce o tr a vez con la s p a ta s. (" C a rta ," B e s tia rio . p. 30) He Is th a n k fu l th a t th e re a re only te n o f them, fo r he would su re ly be unable to c a re fo r any more. But as he w rite s th a t I t has been two weeks sin c e th e l a s t one appeared, he f e e ls th e fa m ilia r se n sa tio n and p u lls an other ra b b it from h is mouth. He i s now a t th e p o in t o f d e sp e r a tio n , fo r . . • d e l d ie z a l once hay como un hueco in su p e ra b le . Usted ve: d ie z e sta b a b ie n , con un arm ario, tre b o l y esperanza, cu antas cosas pueden c o n s tru irs e . No ya con once, porque d e c ir once es seguram ente doce, Andree, doce que s e ra tr e c e . (" C a rta ," B e s tia rio . P. 33) Unable to cope w ith the s itu a tio n any lo n g er, he re a liz e s th a t, fo r him, th e re is only one so lu tio n : E sta e s te baleon sobre Suipacha lle n o de a lb a , lo s p r i- meros sonidos de la ciu d ad . No creo que le s sea d i- f i c i l ju n ta r once c o n e jito s salp icad o s sobre lo s ado- q u in es, t a l vez n i se f i j e n en e llo s , a taread o s con e l o tro cuerpo que conviene lle v a rs e p ro n to , a n tes de que pasen lo s prim eros c o le g ia le s . (" C a rta ," B e s tia rio . P. 33) "A x o lo tl," th e o th e r s to ry which employs th e technique p re se n tly being considered, a ls o involves anim als. As in th e work ju s t d iscu ssed th e f a n ta s tic occurs as a p a rt o f r e a lit y , b u t in th is case th e elem ent o f u n re a lity is 317 introduced even more q u ick ly : Hubo un tiempo en que yo pensaba mucho en lo s a x o lo tl. Iba a v e rlo s a l a c u ario d e l J a rd ln des P lan tes y me quedaba horas m irandolos, observando su lnm ovilidad, sus oscuros movimientos. Ahora soy un a x o lo tl. Set in P a ris as a re many o£ C ortazar*s works, th e s to ry concerns the process by which the n a r ra to r is gradu a lly transform ed from human being to a x o lo tl. Here, the r e a l i t y o f th e s itu a tio n is e s ta b lis h e d through a d e ta ile d d e s c rip tio n o f the p ro ta g o n is t's a c t i v i t i e s and o f th e a c ti v i t i e s and appearance o f th e a x o lo tl: En la b ib lio te c a Sainte-G enevieve c o n s u lt! un d ic c io - n a rio y supe que lo s a x o lo tl son formas la rv a le s , p ro v is ta s de b ran q u ias, de una esp ecie de b a tra c io s d e l genero am bliostom a. Le£ que se han encontrado ejem plares en A frica capaces de v i v i r en t l e r r a d u ran te lo s perfodos de sequ£a, y que continuan su v id a en e l agua a l lle g a r l a e sta c lo n de la s llu v ia s . Encontre su nombre espaSol, a jo lo te , l a mencion de Que son com estibles y que su a c e ite se usaba (se d i r i a que no se usa mas) como e l de h£gado de b ac alao . No q u ise c o n s u lta r obras e s p e c ia liz a d a s , pero volv£ a l d£a s ig u ie n te a l J a rd ln des P la n te s. Empece a i r todas la s maxKanas, a veces de manana y de ta rd e . Me apo- yaba en la b a rra de h ie rro que bordea los acu ario s y me pon£a a m ira rlo s . Los a x o lo tl se amontonaban en e l mezquino y angosto (so lo yo puedo sab er cuan angosto y 3 / J u lio C o rtazar, F in a l d e l lueeo (2a ed. aumentada; Buenos A ires: E d ito ria l Sudamericana, 1964), p. 161. This e d itio n co n tain s n in e s to r ie s w ritte n between 1945 and 1962 in a d d itio n to th e n in e o r ig in a lly published in the e d itio n o f 1956. 318 mezquino) p lso de p led ra y musgo d e l a c u a rlo . Hab£a nueve ejem plares, y la mayor£a apoyaba la cabeza c o n tra e l c r l 8 t a l , mlrando con aus ojos de oro a loa que ae acercaban. A isle mentalmente una [de la s fig u re s ], situ a d a a la derecha y algo aeparada de laa o tra s , para e s tu d ia rla m ejor. Vi un c u e rp ecito rosado y como tra n s - lu cid o . . . 8ernejante a un pequeno la g a rto de quince cent£m etros, term inado en una c o la de pez de una d e li* cadeza e x tra o rd in a ria , l a p a rte mas se n s ib le de n u estro cuerno [ i t a l i c s m ine]. Por e l lomo le co rr£ a una a le ta tra n sp a re n te que se fusionaba con la c o la , pero lo que me obsesiono fueron la s p a ta s, de una fin u ra s u tilfs im a , acabadas en menudos dedos, en unas minuciosamente humanas. Y entonces descubrf sus ojos, su c a ra . Un ro s tro in expresivo, s in o tro rasgo que los ojos, dos o r if ic io s como cabezas de a l f i l e r , enteram ente de un oro tra n sp a re n te , ca ren tes de toda v id a pero mirando, de^an- dose p e n e tra r por mi m irada que parec£a p asar a trav e s d e l punto aureo y perderse en un diafono m is te rio in t e r i o r . La boca estab a disim ulada por e l piano t r i angular de la c a ra , so lo de p e r f i l se adivinaba su taxnano co n sid erab le; de fre n te una fin a hendedura rasgaba apenas la p ied ra s in v id a . A ambos lados de la cabeza, donde hubieran debido e s ta r la s o re ja s , le crec£an tr e s ram itas ro ja s como de c o ra l, una excrecencia v e g e ta l, la s b ran- q u ias, supongo. ("A x o lo tl," F in a l, pp. 162-163) In the m idst o f th is d e sc rip tio n , th e p ro g ressiv e metamorphosis, which is th e f a n ta s tic elem ent of th e sto ry , is dem onstrated through a s u b tle s h i f t in the view point of the n a rra tiv e : A veces una p a ta se mov£a apenas, yo ve£a lo s dim lnutos dedos pos&ndose con suavidad en e l musgo. Es que no nos gust a movemos mucho, y e l acuario es tan mezquino; apenas avanzamos un poco nos damos con la c o la o la cabeza de o tro de n o so tro s; surgen d ific u lta d e s , p elea s, f a tig a . ("A x o lo tl," F in a l, p. 163) At th is p o in t, th e n a rra to r does n o t consciously 319 recognize the change th a t Is tak in g p lace , but as he con tin u es to v i s i t them he re a liz e s th e ir s im ila r ity to him: Los rasgos antropom orficos de un mono re v elan , a l reves de lo que c re e la m ayorfa, la d ls ta n c la que va de e llo s a n o so tro s. La ab so lu ta f a l t a de semejanza de los a x o lo tl con e l se r humano me probo que ml reconocim lento era v a lld o , que no me apoyaba en analog£as f a c lle s . Yo creo que e ra la cabeza de los a x o lo tl, esa forma t r i a n g u la r rosada con lo s o j i l l o s de o ro . Eso m lraba y sab fa . Eso reclam aba. No eran anim&les. ("A x o lo tl," F in a l, p. 164) He begins to see In them "una m etam orfosis que no con segu£a an u lar una m lste rio sa humanldad" ("A x o lo tl," F in a l. p. 165), and to Imagine th a t they a re conscious beings, aware th a t they are enslaved by th e ir bodies, condemned to e te rn a l s ile n c e . Every morning, as he bends h is face to the aquarium g la s s , h is sense o f id e n tif ic a tio n w ith them becomes g re a te r u n til he re a liz e s th a t he is one o f them: Ve£a de muy cerca la c a ra de un a x o lo tl inm ovil ju n to a l v id rio . Sin tra n s ic io n , s in so rp re sa, v i mi ca ra c o n tra e l v id rio , la v i fu era d e l acu ario , la v i d e l o tro lado d e l v id rio . Entonces mi ca ra se ap arto y yo comprend£. Solo una cosa e ra ex tran a: se g u ir pensando como a n te s, sab e r. Afuera, mi ca ra volv£a a ac erca rse a l v id rio , ve£a mi boca de lab io s apretados por e l e s- fuerzo de comprender a lo s a x o lo tl. Yo e ra un a x o lo tl y sabfa ahora instantaneam ente que ninguna comprension e ra p o slb le . El estab a fu era d e l acu ario , su pensa-^ m lento e ra un pensamiento fu era d e l ac u ario . Conocien- dolo, siendo e l mismo, yo era un a x o lo tl y estab a en mi mundo. El h o rro r v en ia - - lo supe en e l mismo momento-- de creerme p risio n e ro en un cuerpo de a x o lo tl, tra n s - migrado a e l con mi pensamiento de hombre, en terrado 320 vivo en un a x o lo tl, condenado a moverme lucidam ente e n tre c r ia tu r a s in s e n s ib le s . Pero a q u e llo ceso cuando una p a ta v in o a rozarm e l a c a ra , cuando moviendome apenas a un lado v i a u n ^ a x o lo tl iu n to a m£ que me m iraba, y supe que tam bien e l s a b ia , s in com unicacion p o sib le pero tan claram en te. (" A x o lo tl,’* F in a l. pp. 166-167) The tra n sfo rm a tio n is now com plete, and th e p o in t o f view is p u rely th a t o f an a x o lo tl. The n a r r a to r is no lo n g er a man, b u t an a x o lo tl th in k in g about th e v i s i t o r whose c a lls have become more and more in fre q u e n t: El v o lv io muchas v ec es, pero v ien e menos ah o ra. Pass semanas s in asom arse. Ayer lo v i, me m iro la rg o r a to y se fue bruscam ente. Como lo unico que hago es p en sar, pude p en sar mucho en e l . Se me o cu rre que a l p rin c ip io continuam os comunicados, que e l se s e n tia mas que nunc a unido a l m is te rio que lo obsesionaba. Pero lo s puentes e sta n co rtad o s e n tre e l y yo, porque lo que e ra su obse- sio n es ahora un a x o lo tl, ajeno a su v id a de hoobre. Ahora soy d e fin itiv a m e n te un a x o lo tl, y s i pienso como un hombre es so lo porque todo a x o lo tl p ie n sa como un honbre d en tro de su imajjen de p ie d ra ro s e . Me parece que de todo e s to alcan ce a com unicarle a lg o en lo s p r i - meros d£as, cuando yo e ra todavfa e l . Y en e s ta soledad f i n a l , a l a que e l ya no v u elv e, me co n su ela pen sar que acaso va a e s c r ib ir so b re n o so tro s, creyendo im aginar un cuento va a e s c r ib ir todo e s to sobre lo s a x o lo tl. (" A x o lo tl," F in a l, pp. 167-168) Transform atio n o f th e R eal in to th e U nreal E nrique Anderson Im bert has observed th a t Es p o s ib le que un le c to r no muy a te n to , a l d e ja rs e im- p re sio n a r por la aguda p e rc e p tio n de d e ta lle s con que C o rtaza r empieza sus n a rra c io n e s , c re a que va a e n fre n - ta r s e con hombres y cosas de todos lo s d £ as. Pronto 321 a d v e rtir a , s in embargo, que un a lr e de a lu c in a c io n y de poes£a se mete por lo s i n t e r s t ic l o s de la re a lid a d , envuelve e l ep iso d io y lo hace acabar en fantasm agor£a. ^ To e f f e c t th is conversion o f r e a l i t y in to fa n ta sy , C o rtazar employs two d ev ice s: th e re v e rs a l o f ev en ts, and th e contam ination of r e a l i t y by a dream. Among C ortazar*s works, th e re a re se v e ra l e x c e lle n t examples o f b oth te c h n iq u es. "La p u erta condenada," fo r in sta n c e , i s an e f f e c tiv e i l l u s t r a t i o n o f th e form er d ev ice, in which a d e ta ile d r e a l i t y u ltim a te ly becomes fa n ta sy . Q uite s im ila r in some re sp e c ts to "Un v ia je , o e l mago inm ortal" by Bioy C asares (see C hapter I I I of th is stu d y ), i t i s the t a l e o f th e unusual experience o f a businessman named F etrone who goes to Montevideo to n e g o tia te a c o n tra c t w ith a group o f t i l e m anufacturers. So th a t th e f in a l u n re a lity w ill be accepted by the re a d e r, C o rtazar, lik e Bioy, c a re fu lly e s ta b lis h e s from the beginning an o rd in ary , alm ost b u reau c r a tic , r e a lit y : A Petrone le gusto e l h o te l C ervantes por razones que hubieran desagradado a o tro s . Era un h o te l sotnbr£o, tra n q u ilo , c a s i d e s ie r to . Petrone acepto una h a b ita c io n 4H is to ria de la l i t e r a tu r e h isp «™«nu»w « Vol. I I : Enoca contemooranea (Mexico: Fondo de C u ltu re Economica, 1961), p. 319. 322 con bafio en e l segundo p iso , que daba d irectam en te a la s a la de recep clo n . For e l ta b le ro de H aves en la p o rte r£ a supo que hab£a poca gente en e l h o te l; la s lla v e s estab an unldas a unos pesados d isco s de bronce con e l numero de la h a b ita tio n , ln o cen te re c u rso de la g eren cia para im pedir que lo s c lie n te s se la s echaran a l b o ls i ll o . El ascen so r dejab a fre n te a l a recep clo n , donde ^ hab£a un m ostrador con lo s d ia r io s d e l d£a y e l t a b le ro te le fo n ic o . El agua sa l£ a h irv ie n d o , y eso compen8aba la f a l t a de s o l y de a i r e . En la h a b lta - cio n hab£a una pequena ventana que daba a l a azo tea d e l c in e co n tig u o ; a veces una paloma se paseaba por ah£. El c u a rto de bano ten£a una ventana mas grande, que se abr£a tris te m e n te a un muro y a un le ja n o pedazo de c ie lo , c a s i i n u t i l . Los muebles eran buenos, hab£a cajones y e s ta n te s de so b ra. Y muchas perchas, cosa r a r a . (’’P u e rta ," F in a l, p. 41) R eturning to th e h o te l a f t e r a long day o f b u sin ess m eetings, P etrone decides to go d ir e c tly to bed in view o f th e d i f f i c u l t n e g o tia tin g se ssio n s which aw ait him th e nex t day. Upon awakening th e next morning, he has th e vague im pression th a t d u rin g th e n ig h t he had heard th e cry o f a c h ild coming from th e room b e sid e h is . He d ism isses th e thought from h is mind, however, s in c e he has been inform ed th a t the woman in th e o th e r room liv e s alo n e. That evening he r e t i r e s e a rly ag ain ; he has been a sle e p fo r perhaps th re e o r fo u r hours when he i s awakened by th e unm istakable cry o f a c h ild . R ealizin g th a t th e c ry o f th e previous n ig h t had n o t been im aginary, he a t f i r s t fe e ls a sense o f s a tis f a c tio n , b u t then is d istu rb e d by th e knowledge th a t 323 the woman is supposed to be liv in g alo n e. He s i t s up in bed w ithout tu rn in g on th e lig h t; th e re can be no m istake: the sound is coming from behind th e blocked door in back of th e wardrobe. The follow ing day, not w ishing to cause tro u b le fo r h is neighbor, he merely mentions in passing to th e desk c le rk th a t he had heard the cry o f a c h ild during the n ig h t. But the c le rk in s is ts th a t the woman liv e s alone, th a t th e re is no c h ild : —jUn chico? Usted se habra confundido. No hay chlcos pequenos en e s te p iso . Al lado de su p ieza vlve una senora so la , creo que ya se lo d i je . (" P u e rta ," F in a l, p. 46) But the next n ig h t Petrone again hears the c h ild 's crying; b eliev in g th a t th e c le rk has to ld him the tru th , he attem pts to form ulate a lo g ic a l explanation fo r what he h e a rs : Pero por mas que lo q u is ie ra no consegu£a im aginar a l nifio, como s i la afirm aclon d e l h o te le ro fuese mas c ie r ta que esa re a lid a d que estab a escuchando. Poco a poco, a medida que pasaba e l tiempo y lo s d e b ile s que- jid o s se altem ab an o crec£an e n tre lo s murmullos de consuelo, Petrone empezo a sospechar que aquello era una fa rs a , un juego rid £ cu lo y monstruoso que no a le a n - zaba a ex p lic a rse . Penso en v ie jo s re la to s de m ujeres s in h ijo s , organizando en se c re to un c u lto de munecas, una inventada m aternldad a escondidas, m il veces peor que los mimos a perros o gatos o sobrinos. La mujer 324 e sta b a im ltando e l lla n to de su h ljo fru s tra d o , conso- lando e l a lr e e n tre sus manos v a c fa s, t a l vez con l a c a ra mojada de lagrim as porque e l lla n to que fin g fa e ra a la vez su verdadero lla n to , su g ro te sc o d o lo r en la soledad de una p ieza de h o te l, p ro te g ld a por l a in d i- fe re n c la y por la madrugada. (" P u e rta ," F in a l, p. 48) Unable to s le e p , Petrone tu rn s on th e lig h t, r is e s from h is bed, and moves th e wardrobe to expose th e blocked door. P lacing h is mouth next to th e door, he begins! to im ita te "en f a ls e te , im perceptiblem ente, un q u ejid o como e l que venfa d e l o tro lado. Subio de tono, gim io, s o llo - zo" (" P u e rta ," F in a l, p. 4 9 ). Suddenly, a l l i s s i l e n t in the ad jo in in g room, and Petrone i s s a t is f ie d th a t h is theory i s c o r r e c t. As he is leav in g fo r h is b u sin ess engagements th e follow ing morning, th e c le rk inform s him th a t th e woman has l e f t th e h o te l, and th a t he w ill doubt le s s sle e p b e t te r in th e fu tu re . But such i s n o t th e c a se , fo r when he r e t i r e s he d i s covers th a t th e s ile n c e is o p p ressiv e, th a t he m isses th e c h ild *s c ry in g : Extranaba e l lla n to d e l n in o , y cuando cmcho mas ta rd e lo oyo, d e b il pero in co n fu n d ib le a tra v e s de la p u e rta condenada, por encima d e l miedo, por encima de la fuga en plena noche supo que e sta b a b ien y que l a m ujer no habfa m entido, no se habfa m entido a l a r r u l l a r a l n in o , a l q u e re r que e l nino se c a lla r a para que e llo s pudieran d orm irse. (" P u e rta ," F in a l, p. 51) 325 "El £dolo de la s C£cladas" is s im ila r to another of B ioy's s to r ie s : "El £dolo." Three a rc h e o lo g lsts, Somoza, an A rgentine, Morand, a Frenchman, and th e l e t t e r 's w ife, Therese, d isco v er an a n c ie n t s ta tu e of an Id o l during an exped itio n on th e Cyclades Isla n d s. They smuggle I t In to France hidden in sid e a toy dog, and sin ce they have decided th a t they must w ait a t le a s t two years befo re attem pting to s e l l i t , Sonoza takes i t to h is apartm ent and passes th e tim e making re p lic a s o f i t . Having become obsessed w ith the s ta tu e , w ith th e idea of making a p e rfe c t copy o f i t , and fin d in g th a t h is apartm ent is too sm all fo r th e com plete r e a liz a tio n of h is p ro je c t, Somoza re n ts a stu d io in th e suburbs o f P a ris. I t has been obvious to Morand sin ce th e ir days in the Cyclades th a t Somoza is in love w ith h is w ife, and sin ce both he and Therese a re very fond o f th e A rgentine, Morand v i s i t s him alone in o rd er to avoid com plications in th e ir re la tio n s h ip . As in "La p u erta condenada," an o rdinary r e a lit y i s e sta b lish e d through an enum eration o f d e t a il s , so th a t th e f in a l u n re a lity w ill be accep tab le. There is m inute d e s c rip tio n throughout the sto ry , o f the is la n d s, o f P a ris, o f Somoza's stu d io , but p a r tic u la r ly o f the s ta tu e , sin ce 326 i t is c e n tr a l to th e u ltim a te fa n ta sy . Summoned by Somoza to h is stu d io , Morand is forced to examine a g a in st h is w ill "ese bianco cuerpo lu n ar de in se c to a n te r io r a toda h is - to r ia , trab a ja d o en c irc u n sta n c ia s inconcebibles por alg u ien inconcebiblem ente remoto, a m iles de anos pero todav£a mas a tr a s , en una lejan £ a v e rtig in o s a de g r ito anim al, de s a lto , de r i t o s v eg e ta le s a ltem an d o con mareas y s ic lg ia s y epocas de c e lo y to rp es cerem onias de p ro p ia- cio n , e l r e s tr o inexpresivo donde so lo la l£nea de la n a riz quebraba su espejo ciego de in so p o rtab le te n sio n , lo s senos apenas d e fin id o s, e l tria n g u lo sexual y lo s brazos cenidos a l v ie n tre , e l £dolo de lo s or£genes, d e l prim er te r r o r bajo lo s r i t o s d e l tiempo sagrado, d e l hacha de p ied ra de la s inm olaciones en los a lta r e s de la s c o lin a s" (" Id o lo ," F in a l, pp. 79-80). As Somoza t e l l s him th a t he has f in a lly discovered the tr u th , th a t th e id o l c o n tro ls h is l i f e , Morand, c e rta in th a t th e A rgentine is mad, wishes th a t he could c o n ta c t h is w ife to prevent h er coming. To gain tim e, and to aw ait a p o ssib le o p p o rtu n ity to escape, Morand suggests th a t they have a d rin k . Somoza re p lie s th a t Morand may d rin k i f he w ishes, but th a t "Yo no bebere, tengo que ayunar an tes d e l 327 s a c r if ic io " (" Id o lo ," F in a l. p. 81). When Somoza u n d resses and sta n d s nude be£ore him, Morand u n derstands th e meaning o£ h is words: "La san g re va a d o n a rla e l pobre Morand, £no es c ie r to ? " (" Id o lo ," F in a l, p. 8 2 ). Backing slow ly away, Morand observes £or th e f i r s t tim e th e sto n e ax in Somoza's hand. His back a g a in s t th e w a ll, he r e a liz e s th a t he can go no f a r th e r : Vio le v a n ta rs e e l hacha y s a lto como le hab£a ensenado Nagashi en e l gim nasio de l a P lace des T em es. Somoza r e c ib io e l p u n tap ie en m itad d e l muslo y e l golpe n is h i en e l lado izq u le rd o d e l c u e llo . El hacha b a jo en d ia g o n a l, dem asiado le jo s , y Morand re p e lio e la s t l c a - mente e l to rs o que se v o lcab a so b re e l y a tra p o l a muneca in d efe n sa. Somoza e ra todav£a un g r l t o ahogado y a to n ito cuando e l f i l o d e l hacha le cayo en m itad de la £ re n te . (" Id o lo ," F in a l, pp. 83-84) M orand's f i r s t th o u g h ts, a f t e r vom iting in th e c o rn e r o f th e s tu d io , and d rin k in g th e r e s t o f th e w hisky, a re th a t Therfese i s to a r r iv e any m inute and th a t he must n o tif y th e p o lic e , sin c e th e d ea th o f Somoza i s obviously a ca se o f s e lf-d e fe n s e . But then he n o tes th e id o l . . . con l a c a ra c h o rre a n te de san g re, lo s h i l i l l o s ro jo s que re sb alab an por e l c u e llo , contom eaban lo s senos, se ju n tab an en e l fin o tria n g u lo d e l sexo, ca£an por lo s m u8los. El hacha e sta b a profundam ente hundida en la cabeza d e l s a c rific a d o [ i t a l i c s m ine], y Morand l a tomo sopesandola e n tre la s manos p eg a jo sa s. Empujo un poco mas e l cadaver^con un p ie h a s ta d e ^ a rlo c o n tra la coluona, husmeo e l a i r e y se acerco a l a p u e rta . Lo m ejor ser£ a a b r i r la p ara que p u d iera e n tr a r T herese. 328 Apoyando e l hacha ju n to a la p u e rta empezo a q u lta rs e la ropa. . . . Ya estab a deanudo cuando oyo e l ru id o d el ta x i y la voz de Therfcse dominando e l sonldo de la s fla u ta s ; apago la luz y con e l hacha en la sumo espero d e tra s de la p u e rta , laaiendo e l f l l o d e l hacha y pen** sando. que Therese e ra la puntualldad en persona, r I d o l o , ” F in a l, pp. 83-84) Another e x c e lle n t example o f th is technique, th e con v e rsio n of everyday r e a l i t y In to fa n ta sy , Is "C ontinuidad de lo s parques." The r e a l i t y necessary to th e c r e d ib ility o f the f a n ta s tic conclusion Is m anifested in a man's com p le te ly ordinary a c tiv ity o f read in g a novel: Habfa empezado a le e r la novela unos d£as a n te s. La abandono por negocios u rg e n te s, v o lv io a a b r ir la cuando reg resab a en tre n a la fln c a ; se dejab a ln te - re s a r lentam ente por la tram a, por e l d ib u jo de lo s p erso n a jes. Esa ta rd e , despues de e s c r ib ir una c a rta a su apoderado y d is c u tI r con e l mayordomo una cu e stio n de a p a rc e rfa s, v o lv io a l lib ro en la tra n q u illd a d d e l e stu d io que m lraba h ac la e l parque de lo s ro b le s . A rre- llanado en su s ll lo n fa v o rito , de espaldas a la p u erta que lo h u b lera m olestado como una I r r i t a n t e p o sib ilid a d de ln tru s lo n e s , dejo que su mano iz q u ie rd a a c a ric ia ra una y o tra vez e l te rc io p e lo verde y se puso a le e r lo s ultim os c a p ftu lo s. ("C ontinuidad,1 1 F in a l, p. 9) He e a s ily takes up th e th read o f the p lo t, and h is memory re ta in s w ithout d if f ic u lt y th e names and appearance o f the c h a ra c te rs . Soon he Is com pletely absorbed in th e n o v e l'8 c lim a c tic scenes, in which a woman and h e r lo v er a re planning the murder o f h e r husband. Now th e ac tio n is th a t o f th e book, and th e tr a n s itio n i s so s u b tle th a t 329 i t is h a rd ly n o tic e d . T heir p lan s made, th e lo v e r makes h is way to th e v ic tim 's house: Los p erro s no deb£an la d ra r, y no la d ra ro n . El mayordomo no e s ta r£ a a esa h o ra , ^ no e sta b a . Sublo lo s tr e s p e l- danos d e l porche y e n tro . Desde la sangre galopando en 8us o£dos le lleg ab an la s p alab ras de la m ujer: prim ero una s a la a z u l, despues una g a le r£ a , una e s c a le ra alfom - b rad a. En lo a lto , dos p u e rta s . Nadie en l a prlm era h a b ita c io n , n ad ie en l a segunda. La p u e rta d e l salo n , y entonces e l punal en l a mano, l a lu z de lo s v e n ta n a le s, e l a lt o re sp a ld o de un s i l lo n de te rc io p e lo verde, la cabeza d e l hombre en e l s i llo n leyendo una n ovela. ("C ontinuidad," F in a l, pp. 10-11) The f in a l , and in many re s p e c ts th e most in te r e s tin g , i l l u s t r a t i o n o f th is dev ice fo r transform ing r e a l i t y in to fa n ta sy i s "Casa tomada" from th e c o lle c tio n B e s tia r io . As u su a l, C o rtazar e s ta b lis h e s th e v e r is im ilitu d e o f th e sto ry through an enum eration o f o rd in a ry d e ta ils : Nos gustaba la ca sa porque a p a rte de esp acio sa y a n tlg u a (hoy que la s casas an tig u as sucumben a la mas v e n ta jo sa liq u id a c lo n de 8us m a te ria le s ) guardaba lo s recuerdos de n u e stro s b isa b u e lo s, e l abuelo p a te m o , n u e stro s padres y toda la in fa n c ia . Nos habituam os Ire n e y yo a p e r s i s t l r so lo s en e ll a , lo que e ra una lo c u ra pues en esa casa pod£an v i v lr ocho personas s in e s to rb a rs e . Hac£amos la llm pieza por l a maSana, levantandonos a la s s i e te , y a eso de la s once yo le d ejab a a Ire n e la s u ltim as h ab ita c io n e s por re p a sa r y me ib a a l a co cin a. Almorzabamos a mediod£a, slem pre p u n tu ales; ya no quedaba nada por h ac er fu e ra de unos pocos p la to s su c io s. Nos re s u lta b a g ra to a l - m orzar pensando en l a casa profunda y s ile n c io s a y como nos bastabamos p ara m antenerla lim p la. ("C asa," B e s tia rio . p. 9) 330 For years th e b ro th er and s i s t e r continue to lead th e ir s o lita r y l i f e , content w ith each o th e r's company, able to indulge th e ir re sp e c tiv e ta s te s fo r reading French novels and k n ittin g , sin ce th e ir p arents had l e f t them a fo rtu n e. Because the house i t s e l f is so im portant to the f a n ta s tic events which occur in th e sto ry , th e author p resen ts an extrem ely d e ta ile d d e sc rip tio n o f i t : El comedor, una s a la con gobelinos, la b ib lio te c a y tr e s d orm itories grandes quedaban en la p a rte mas re tira d a , la que m ira h a c ia Rodriguez Pena. Solamente un p a s illo con su maciza p u erta de ro b le a is la b a esa p a rte d e l a la d e la n te ra donde habla un bano, la cocina, n uestros dorm itorios y e l liv in g c e n tra l, a l cual co- municaban los dorm itorios y e l p a s illo . Se entraba a la casa por un zaguan con m ayolica, y la pu erta cancel daba a l liv in g . De manera que uno entraba por e l zaguan, a b rla l a cancel y pasaba a l liv in g ; te n ia a los lados la s puertas de n u estro s d orm itorios, y a l fre n te e l p a s illo que conducla a la p a rte mas re tira d a ; avanzando por e l p a s illo se franqueaba la p u erta de ro b le y mas all& empezaba e l o tro lado de la casa, o bien se podia g ir a r a la izq u ierd a ^ustam ente antes de la p u erta y se g u ir por un p a s illo mas estrecho que llev ab a a la cocina y a l bano. ("C asa," B e stia rio . p. 12) One afternoon, the b ro th e r goes to brew the mat-a. and when he re tu rn s to where h is s i s t e r is sewing, m a tte r-o f- fa c t ly d e liv e rs th e asto n ish in g news th a t " —Tuve que c e rra r la pu erta d e l p a s illo . Han tornado la p a rte d el fondo" ("C asa," B e s tia rio . p. 14). She is n o t a t a l l s ta r tle d , and h er rep ly is equally p ro saic: "--Entonces 331 . . . tendremos que v lv ir en e s te lado" ("C asa," B e stia rio . p. 14). A few n ig h ts la te r , the b ro th e r fe e ls th ir s ty and r is e s from h is bed to go fo r a d rin k o f w ater. Pausing ab ru p tly o u tsid e h is s i s t e r 's door, where he can hear the c lic k o f her k n ittin g n eed les, he hears n o ises coming from th e k itch en and th e bathroom. Hearing him sto p , Irene comes out to d isco v er what is wrong. He cau tio n s her to be q u ie t, and the two remain fo r a few m inutes, lis te n in g to th e n o ises which are ra p id ly coming c lo s e r: No nos miramos s iq u ie ra . A prete e l brazo de Irene y la h ic e c o rre r conmigo h a sta la p u erta cancel, sin volvem os h ac ia a tr a s . Los ruidos se o£an mas fu e rte pero siem pre sordos, a espaldas n u e s tra s. C erre de un golpe l a cancel y nos quedamos en e l zaguan. --Han tornado e s ta p a rte - - d ijo Iren e. --jT u v iste tiempo de tr a e r alguna cosa? - - l e pregunte in u tilm en te. —No, nada. Estabamos con lo puesto. Me acorde de los quince m il pesos en e l arm ario de mi d o rm ito rio . Ya era ta rd e ahora. Como me quedaba e l re lo j p u lsera , v i que eran la s once de la noche. Antes de a le ja rn o s tuve lastlm a, c e rre b ien la p u erta de en trad a y t i r e la H ave a la a lc a n ta r illa . No fuese que a algun pobre d ia b lo se le o c u rrie ra robar y se m etlera en la casa, a esa hora y con la casa tomada. ("C asa," B e stia rio . p. 18) The o th er method o f converting r e a lity in to fantasy employed by J u lio C ortazar is the contam ination o f r e a lity by a dream. Among h is works th e re are se v e ra l e x c e lle n t examples of th is technique. The f i r s t of th ese, "El r£ o ," 332 Involves th e thoughts which a man ad d resses to h is w ife s le e p in g b e sid e him. As he contem plates th e sle e p in g form o u tlin e d under th e s h e e t, he rem inds h e r, In h is mind, th a t she has th rea te n ed to drown h e r s e lf In th e S eine, b u t th a t he does n o t ta k e h e r s e rio u s ly . He r e la te s th a t he Is no lo n g er su re w hether she has gone o u t d u rin g th e n ig h t: No se , ya n l s lq u le ra tie n e se n t id o p re g u n ta r o tr a vez s i en algun memento te hab£as Ido, s i e ra s tu la que golpeo la p u e rta a l s a l l r en e l In s ta n te mismo en que yo re sb a la b a a l o lv ld o , y a lo m ejor es por eso que p re fle ro to e a r te , no porque dude d e que e s te s a h l, p ro - bablem ente en ningun momento t e f u l s t e d e l c u a rto , o u lza un golpe de v le n to c e rro la p u e rta , sone que t e h ab ias ido m len tras tu , creyendome d e s p ie r to , me g r lta b a tu amenaza desde lo s p ie s de l a cama. La sabana te cubre a m ediae, mis dedos empiezan a b a ja r por e l te r s o d ib u jo de tu g arg an ta, inclinandom e r e s p ir o tu a lie n to que h u ele a noche y a ja ra b e , no se como m is brazos t e han enlazado, oigo una q u eja m len tras arqueas l a c ln tu r a negandote, pero lo s dos conocemos demasiado ese juego p ara c r e e r en e l , es p re c is o que me abandones l a boca que ja d e a p a la b ra s s u e lta s , de nada s ir v e que tu cuerpo amodorrado y vencido luche por e v a d irse , somos a t a l punto una misma co sa en ese enredo de o v lllo donde la lan a b lan ca y la la n a n eg ra luchan como aran as en un b o c a l. De l a sabana que apenas te cubr£a alcanzo a en- tr e v e r la ra fa g a in a ta n ta n e a que su rc a e l a i r e p ara p erd erse en l a sombra y ahora estam os desnudos, e l amanecer nos envuelve y r e c o n c ilia en una s o la m a te ria tem blorosa, pero te o b stin a s en lu c h a r, encogiendote, lanzando relampago lo s muslos p ara v o lv e r a c e r r a r sus ten azas m onstruosas que q u is ie ra n separarm e de mi mismo. (" r£o," F in a l, pp. 21-22) As he co n tin u es h is a ttem p ts to make love to h e r, even as he succeeds in h is e f f o r t s , th e r e a l i t y o f h e r presence 333 and o f h is lovemaklng become fa n ta sy as th e dream in which she went to the r iv e r in tru d e s upon h is p e rc e p tio n and becomes th e tru e r e a l it y : . . • vagamente a c a ric io tu p elo derramado en la almohada, en la penumbra verde m iro con so rp re sa mi mano que ch o rrea, y a n te s de re s b a la r a tu lado se que acaban de s a c a rte d e l agua, demasiado ta rd e , n atu ralm en te, y que yaces sobre la s p ied ras d e l m uelle rodeada de zapatos y de voces, desnuda boca a r r ib a con tu pelo empapado y tu s o jo s a b ie r to s . ("r£o," F in a l, p. 22) "C artas de mama" employs a v a r ia tio n o f th is same technique; o rd in ary , d e ta ile d r e a l i t y is d isso lv e d through th e im aginings o f one o f th e c h a ra c te rs which u ltim a te ly in tru d e upon r e a l i t y . S h o rtly a f t e r th e d eath o f Nico, h er fia n c e , Laura m arries h is b ro th e r, L uis, and th e couple leave Buenos A ires to tak e up re sid e n c e in P a ris . With th e u su al sentim ent o f e x p a tria te s , Laura and Luis look forward to th e re g u la r l e t t e r s from h is m other which b rin g news o f home and fam ily. One morning, Luis re c e iv e s h is m ail from th e concierge as he i s leav in g fo r work, and among th e b i l l s and c ir c u la r s th e re is th e expected l e t t e r from h is m other. As he reads i t on th e bus, he n o tes th a t h is m other has made a m istake in names w hile r e la tin g an anecdote: . . . e l p a rra fo e sta b a ah£, b ien c la r o . Era p e r fe c ts - mente absurdo pero estab a ah£. Su prlm era re accio n , 334 despues de la so rp resa, e l golpe en plena nuca, era como slem pre de de£ensa. Laura no deb£a le e r la c a r ta de mama. Por mas rld £ cu lo que fuese e l e r r o r , la confusion de nombres (mama habr£a querido e s c r ib ir " v fc to r" y hab£a puesto "N ico"), de todos modos Laura se a f lig ir £ a , s e r ia estu p id o . De cuando en cuando se p ierd en c a r ta s ; o la la e s ta se h u b iera ido a l £ondo d e l mar. Ahora te n d ria que t i r a r l a a l w ater de la o f i- c in a .5 Days la te r , Luis is s t i l l deb atin g whether he ought to show th e l e t t e r to h is wi£e. A fte r a l l , i t i s m erely one o f many l e t t e r s from h is m other, and is not a t a l l e x tra o rd in a ry except fo r th e paragraph in which she w rote "Nico” in stead o f "V fcto r." To p ro te c t Laura from the u n p leasan t memories th a t h is dead b ro th e r's name would su re ly r e c a ll, Luis wonders about the p o s s ib ility of e ra sin g th e m istake, . . . reem plazar Nico por v £ cto r, sencillam ente reem plazar e l e r ro r por la verdad, y v o lv er con la c a r ta a casa para que Laura la le y e ra . Las c a rta s de mama in te re s a - ban siem pre a Laura, aunque de una manera in d e fin ib le no le e stu v ie ra n d e stin a d a s. Mama le escrib £ a a e l; agregaba a l f in a l, a veces a m itad de la c a r ta , saludos muy carin o so s para Laura. No im portaba, la s le£ a con e l mismo in te r e s , vacilando a n te alguna p alab ra ya re** to re id a por e l reuma y la miop£a. "Tomo Saridon, y e l d o cto r me ha dado un poco de s a l i c i l a t o . . . . " Las c a r ta s de mama eran breves, con n o tic ia s dom esticas, una 5J u lio C ortazar, Las armas s e c re ta s (Buenos A ires: E d ito ria l Sudamericana, 1959), pp. 9-10. 335 que o tra r e f e r e n d a a l orden n aclo n al. . . . Hasta pod£a pensarse que la s c a rta s eran siempre la misma, escueta y m ediocre, s in nada in te re s a n te . ("C a rta s," Armas. pp. 11-12) But he r e je c ts the idea o f s u b s titu tin g one name fo r another, and decides in stead sim ply to throw the l e t t e r away sin ce i t would be in to le ra b le fo r Laura to read i t . When h is w ife remarks a few days l a t e r th a t i t is stran g e th a t they have n o t received a l e t t e r from h is mother, Luis agrees and w rite s th a t same afternoon to A rgentina, p re tending not to have seen the o th er l e t t e r . Two weeks afterw ard, another l e t t e r a rriv e s , and th is tim e i t is even worse, fo r now the old lady in h er deliriu m informs Luis th a t Nico is coming to Europe to v i s i t them. Alarmed, Luis w rite s immediately to h is uncle, Informing him o f h is m o ther'8 d elu sio n s. This time he is unable to ignore the l e t t e r , and shows i t to Laura th a t evening. She fe e ls , as he does, th a t her m other-in-law has merely made an e rro r. S hortly th e re - a f te r , they re ceiv e a re p ly from the uncle, b u t i t does l i t t l e to explain the problem sin ce he was a b le to learn nothing from h er. Four days a f te r the a r r iv a l of the u n c le 's l e t t e r , Laura c a lls Luis a t h is o ffic e and asks 336 him to re tu rn home a t once; another l e t t e r from h is mother has come in the morning m ail. Having read th e l e t t e r , Luis places i t c a re fu lly on th e m antle; he re a liz e s th a t h is m other has gone mad, fo r now she has announced th e exact d a te and time th a t Nico is to a rriv e in P a ris . On th e d ate in d ic a te d by h is m other, Luis and Laura both make an e la b o ra te p reten se a t ignoring the s i g n i f i cance o f the day. But in ste a d o f going to h is o f f ic e , Luis goes d ir e c tly to the ra ilro a d s ta tio n , unable to avoid attem pting to prove to him self th a t Nico is m erely a f i g ment o f h is m other's im agination. A rriving a t th e s ta tio n , he is n o t su rp rise d to see th a t Laura is th e re as w ell. He remains hidden from h er view, and w a its, as she w aits, u n t i l th e tr a in a r riv e s . R eturning home th a t evening, he has no ta s te fo r h is d in n er; he re a liz e s th a t i f he were capable o f asking Laura why she went to the s ta tio n , th e m eat, th e c o ffe e , th e a fte r-d in n e r c ig a r e tte would recover th e ir fla v o r, "pero Laura no se hab£a movido de casa en todo e l d£a, lo d ijo como s i n e c e s ita ra m en tir o esp e rara que e l h ic ie r a un com entario burIon sobre la feeha, la s man£a8 lam entables de mama" (" C a rta s," Armas, p. 34). But now L a u ra '8 l i e is not Im portant; i t is ju s t one more among 337 "ta n to s besos ajenos, cantos s ile n c io s donde todo era Nico, donde no hab£a nada en e lla o en e l que no £uera Nico" ("C a rta s," Armas, pp. 34*35). Luis s i t s down and begins to th in k : $Por que (no era una pregunta, pero como d e c irlo de o tro modo) no poner un te rc e r c u b ie rto en la mesa? $Por que no ir s e , por que no c e rra r e l puno y e s tr e - l l a r l o en esa ca ra t r i s t e y su frid a que e l humo d e l c ig a r r illo deformaba, hac£a i r y v e n ir como e n tre dos aguas, parecfa lle n a r poco a poco de odio como s i fu e ra la ca ra misma de mama? Quiza estab a en la o tra h ab itacio n , o quiza esperaba apoyado en la puerta como hab£a esperado e l, o se hab£a in sta la d o ya donde siem pre hab£a sido e l amo, en e l t e r r i t o r i o bianco y tib io de la s sabanas a l que ta n ta s veces hab£a acudido en los suenos de Laura. A ll£ esperar£a, tendido de espaldas, fumando tambien e l su c ig a r r i ll o , tosiendo un poco, riendose con una ca ra de payaso como la ca ra de los ultim os d£as, cuando no le quedaba n i una gota de sangre sana en la s venas. ("C a rtas," Armas, p. 35) Going to th e o th er room, Luis s i t s down a t h is desk to w rite to h is m other. Suddenly, everything seems narrow, su ffo c atin g , fo r the apartment had been ju s t rig h t fo r two, but n o t fo r th re e . Sensing her presence, Luis ra is e s h is eyes and sees th a t Laura is watching him from the doorway. He puts down the pen and a s k s : --$A vos no te parece que e s ta mucho mas flaco ? Laura hizo un g esto . Un b r i l l o p a ra le lo le bajaba por la s m e jilla s . --Un poco - - d ijo - - . Uno va cambiando. ("C artas," Armas, p. 36) 338 A nother s to ry in which a d is s o lu tio n o f r e a l i t y i s e ffe c te d through th e in tru s io n o f a dream is " B e s tia r io ." As u su a l, C o rtaza r e s ta b lis h e s th e r e a l i t y o f th e s to ry through an enum eration o f d e t a i l s , as when th e young p ro ta g o n is t, Is a b e l, is on h e r way to spend th e summer a t th e ranch o f Luis Funes: No ten£a miedo de v i a j a r s o la porque e ra una c h ic a grande, con nada menos que v e in te pesos en la c a r te r a , Compan£a Sansinena de Carnes Congeladas m etiendose por la v e n ta n illa con un o lo r dulzon, e l R iachuelo a m a rillo e Isa b e l re p u e s ta ya d e l lla n to forzad o , c o n te n ts, m uerta de miedo, a c tiv a en e l e je r c ic io pleno de su a s ie n to , su v e n ta n illa , v ia je r a c a s i u n ica en un pedazo de coche donde se pod£a probar todos lo s lu g a re s y v e rse en lo s e s p e jito s . Penso una o dos veces en su madre, en Ines --y a e sta r£ a n en e l 97, sa lie n d o de C o n s titu c io n --, leyo prohibido fumar, p ro h ib id o escu- p ir , capacidad 42 p a sa je ro s sen tad o s, pasaban por Ban- f i e ld a toda c a r r e r a , vuuuum! campo mas campo mas campo mezclado con e l gusto d e l m ilk ib a r y la s p a s t i l la s de m entol. ( " B e s tia r io ," B e s tia rio . pp. 141-142) A ll o f I s a b e l's a c t i v i t i e s , h e r walks w ith Nino, th e son o f Funes, in search o f in s e c ts and unusual sto n e s; h er c o lle c tio n o f p la n ts ; h e r c o n s tru c tio n , w ith th e h elp o f Nino, o f an a n t farm; h e r everyday p ro cesses o f liv in g , e a tin g , sle e p in g , even going to th e bathroom , a re a l l designed to c r e a te such a r e a l i s t i c environm ent th a t th e presence o f an im aginary tig e r , and th e u ltim a te fa n ta sy w ith which th e b e a s t is involved, can be a c c e p ta b le as 339 r e a l i t y . According to Em m a Susan S p e ra tti Pinero (and she in tu rn bases h e r opinion on statem en ts made by C ortazar in a perso n al l e t t e r ) , the m ysterious tig e r who roams about th e Funes ranch, and even comes in to th e house £rom tim e to tim e, is th e product o f a moment o f fe v e r, " la proyec- cion de lo s sen tim ien to s b e s tia le s de un miembro de la fa m ilia , es la m a te ria liz a c io n de su a n s ia in cestu o sa que esp era una oportunidad. El Nene, th e b ro th e r o f Luis Funes, is in love w ith Rema, h is s is te r - in - la w , and the culm ination o f h is g u i l t fe e lin g s occurs when he goes in to th e lib r a r y to read the newspaper a f te r Rema has to ld him th a t th e tig e r is in h is study; th e nightm are b e a st, long a p a rt o f the r e a l i t y o f everyone on the ranch, a tta c k s and k i l l s i t s c re a to r as he e n te rs th e room. Among C o rta z a r's works, the b e st of th e s to r ie s em ploying the technique p re se n tly ufider d isc u ssio n is "La noche boca a rrib a " from the c o lle c tio n F in a l d e l luetzo. Once again, the author e f fe c ts th e d is s o lu tio n o f o rd in ary **A na Marfa Barrenechea and B m m a Susan a S p e ra tti P inero, La l i t e r a t u r e f a n ta s tic a en A rgentina (Mexico: Im prenta U n iv e rs ita ria , 1957), p. 87. 340 r e a l i t y through th e in tru s io n o£ a dream. The necessary r e a l it y is e sta b lish e d a t the o u ts e t, in th e f i r s t p ara graphs : A m itad d e l larg o zaguan d e l h o te l penso que deb£a s e r ta rd e , y se apuro a s a l i r a la c a lle y sa c a r la m o to cicleta d e l rin co n donde e l p o rte ro de a l lado le perm it£a g u a rd a rla . En la jo y er£ a de la esquina v io que eran la s nueve menos d ie z ; lle g a r£ a con tiempo sobrado adonde ib a . El s o l se f i l t r a b a e n tre lo s a l to s e d ific io s d e l c e n tro , y e l —porque para s£ mismo, para i r pensando no ten£a nombre— monto en la maquina saboreando e l paseo. La moto ronroneaba e n tre sus p ie m a s y un v ie n to fre sc o le chocoteaba lo s pan ta- lo n es. Dejo p asar lo s m in iste rio s (e l ro sa, e l bianco) y la s e r ie de com ercios con b r illa n te s v itr in a s de la c a lle C en tral. Ahora en trab a en la p a rte mas ag ra- d ab le d e l tra y e c to , e l verdadero paseo: una c a lle la rg a , bordeada de arb o le s, con poco tr a f ic o y am plias v i l la s que dejaban v e n ir lo s ja rd in e s h a sta la s ac eras, apenas demarcadas por seto s b a jo s. ("Noche," F in a l. p. 169) As he rid e s down th e s t r e e t on h is m otorcycle, con te n t, somewhat d is tra c te d by th e sheer sen su al p leasu re o f moving through space on the pow erful machine, a woman step s from th e curb d ir e c tly in fro n t o f him. There is nothing he can do to avoid th e a c c id e n t; applying h is brakes, he begins to s lid e toward the l e f t . He h ears th e woman's screams as he lo se s consciousness. A bruptly, he reg ain s h is senses: Cuatro o cinco hombres jovenes lo estaban sacando de debajo de l a moto. Sent£a gusto a s a l y sangre, le 341 dol£a una r o d i l l a , y cuando lo a lz a ro n g r ito , porque no pod£a s o p o rta r la p resIo n en e l brazo derecho. Voces que no parec£an p e rte n e c e r a la s c a ra s suspen- d ld as sobre e l , lo alen tab a n con bromas y seg u rid ad es. Su unlco a liv io £ue o£r l a confirm aclon de que hab£a estad o en su derecho a l c ru z a r l a esq u in a. ("N oche," F in a l, pp. 169-170) The ambulance a rriv e s s h o rtly , and as th e a tte n d a n ts p la c e him In s id e to ru sh him to th e h o s p ita l, he le a rn s th a t th e woman who caused th e a c c id e n t has n o th in g more than a few sc ra tc h e s on h e r knees. In th e h o s p ita l, he is h u rrie d ly examined and taken Im m ediately in to th e o p e ra tin g room. Under th e a n e s th e tic , he begins to dream: Como sueno e ra c u rio so porque e sta b a lle n o de o lo re s y e l nunca sonaba o lo re s . Primero un o lo r a pantano, ya que a l a iz q u ie rd a de l a ca lz a d a empezaban la s m arls- mas, lo s tem b lad erales de donde no volv£a n a d ie . Pero e l o lo r ceso , y en cambio v ino una fra g a n c ia compuesta y oscu ra como la noche en que se mov£a huyendo de lo s a z te c a s . Y todo e ra tan n a tu r a l, ten£a que h u lr de lo s a z te c a s que andaban a caza de hombres, y su u n ica pro* b a b ilid a d e ra la de esconderse en lo mas denso de la s e lv a , cuidando de no a p a rta rs e de la e s tre e h a calzad a que so lo e llo s , lo s m otecas, conoc£an. A tie n ta s , agachandose a cada in s ta n te p ara to c a r e l su elo mas duro de la c a lz ad a, d io algunos p aso s. En e l sendero en t in ie b la s , busco e l rumbo. Entonces s i n t io una boca- nada h o rrib le d e l o lo r que mas tem£a, y s a lto desesp e- rado h a c ia a d e la n te . ("Noche," F in a l, p. 172) As he awakens, he is about to f a l l from h is bed b e cause he is try in g to make th e leap o f h is dream. Sm iling a t th e man in th e bed n ex t to h is , he attem p ts to r e lie v e th e e f f e c ts o f h is nightm are. He n o tes th a t h is arm is 342 In a c a s t; food i s brought to him, and he e a ts as though sta rv e d . C ontent and w e ll-fe d , he f a l l s a sle e p ag ain , and the dream begins where i t had l e f t o f f : Sus p ie s se hundfan en un colchon de h o jas y b a rro , y ya no pod£a d a r un paso s in que la s ramas de lo s a rb u sto s l e a z o ta ran e l to rs o y la s p ie m a s . Jad e an te, sabiendose a c o rra la d o a p e sa r de l a o scu rid ad y e l s ile n c io , se agacho p ara escu ch ar. T al vez l a ca lz a d a e sta b a c e rc a , con la prim era luz d e l d£a ib a a v e r la o tr a vez. La mano que s in sa b e r lo e l a fe rra b a e l mango d e l punal, subio como e l esco rp io n de lo s pantanos h a s ta su c u e llo , donde co lg ab a e l am uleto p ro te c to r . Moviendo apenas lo s la b io s m usito la p le g a ria d e l ma£z que tr a e la s lunas f e lic e s , y l a s u p lic a a l a Muy A lta , a l a d isp en sad o ra de lo s b ien es m otecas. La g u e rra f lo r id a hab£a empezado con l a luna y lle v a b a ya tr e s d£as y tr e s noches. Penso en lo s muchos p ris io n e ro s que ya habr£an hecho. Oyo lo s g r ito s y se enderezo de un s a lto , punal en mano. El o lo r a g u erra e ra in so p o rta b le , y cuando e l prim er enemigo l e s a lto a l c u e llo c a s i s i n t io p la c e r en h u n d irle l a h o ja de p ie d ra en pleno pecho. Yo lo rodeaban la s lu c e s , lo s g r ito s a le g r e s . Alcanzo a c o r ta r e l a ir e una o dos veces, y entonces una soga lo a tra p o desde a t r a s . ("N oche," F in a l, pp. 174-175) Once ag ain he awakens, and h is neighbor in th e ward is t e l l i n g him k in d ly th a t h is sh o u ts and f l a i l i n g o f arms a re caused by th e fe v e r: "Tome agua y va a v e r que duerme b ien " ("N oche," F in a l, p. 175). He s ta r e s in to th e flu o re s c e n t lig h t above h is bed and t r i e s to avoid th in k ing about h is nightm are. Taking a long swallow o f th e m in eral w ater th a t has been l e f t b e sid e h is bed, he re tu rn s b r i e f ly in h is mind to th e a c c id e n t which has brought him 343 to th e h o s p ita l, b u t he is a b le to remember n o th in g which has taken p la c e a f t e r th e moment o f im pact. He f e e ls a void in h is memory, b u t a t th e same tim e has " la sen sacio n de que e se hueco, e sa nada, habfa durado una e te m id a d " ("N oche," F in a l, p. l ^ ) . Overcome by h is e f f o r t s a t remembering th e events o f th e p a s t s e v e ra l h o u rs, and exhausted by h is in ju r ie s , he d r i f t s once more in to s le e p , hoping t h i s tim e to be fre e from h is bad dream. S ince he is forced to sle e p on h is back because o f h is in ju r ie s , he is n o t su rp rise d to fin d h im se lf in t h i s p o s itio n upon re g a in in g co n scio u sn ess. But he i s back w ith in th e nightm are, ly in g upon th e sto n e flo o r o f a p riso n c e l l , h is w ris ts and ank les tie d . His f i r s t thought is th e p ro te c tiv e am ulet; he search es f o r i t w ith h is c h in , b u t r e a liz e s th a t i t has been taken from him. His p ro te c tio n gone, he s tru g g le s a g a in s t h is bonds, b u t i t is o f no u se. He must re s ig n h im self to h is f a te : Vio a b r ir s e l a do ble p u e rta , y e l o lo r de la s an to rch as le lle g 6 a n te s que l a lu z . Las lu ces se re fle ja b a n en lo s to rso s sudados, en e l pelo negro lle n o de plumas. C edieron la s sogas, y en su lu g a r lo a fe rra ro n manos c a lie n te s , duras como bronce; se s i n t io alzad o , siem pre boca a r r ib a , tiro n e a d o por lo s c u a tro a c o lito s que lo llev ab an por e l p asad izo . Ahora lo llev ab an , lo lie** vaban, e ra e l f i n a l . Boca a r r ib a , a un m etro d e l techo de ro ca v iv a que por momentos se ilum inaba con un re** f i e jo de a n to rc h a . Cuando en vez d e l techo n a c ie ra n 344 la s e s t r e ll a s y se a lz a ra fre n te a e l la e s c a lin a ta incendiada de g r lto s y danzas, ser£ a e l f in . ("Noche," F in a l, pp. 177-178) Waking w ith a s t a r t , he fin d s h im self once again In the h o s p ita l. He knows th a t he must have c rie d ou t, b u t th e o th e r men In th e ward continue to sle e p u n d istu rb ed . He sees th e b o tt le o f w ater on th e n ig h tsta n d , th e high c e llin g o f th e room, the lig h t coming from th e h a ll, and Is e la te d to be awake, fo r he knows th a t w akefulness Is th e only th in g th a t can p ro te c t him from "esas imagenes que segufan pegadas a sus parpados" ("Noche," F in a l, p. 178), which form in s ta n tly whenever he c lo se s h is ey es. But i t is becoming in c re a sin g ly d i f f i c u l t fo r him to rem ain awake. He makes one f i n a l e f f o r t to reach th e b o ttle o f m ineral w ater on the n ig h tsta n d , b u t h is hand clo se s on empty a i r , "y e l pasadizo segufa in term in ab le, ro ca tr a s ro c a, con su b ita s fu lg u racio n es r o jiz a s , y e l boca a r r ib a glmio apagadamente porque e l techo ib a a acabarse" ("Noche," F in a l, pp. 178-179). In panic and shock, he d e sp e ra te ly opens and c lo se s h is eyes, hoping to pass once again in to the o th e r w orld, to d isco v er once more th e p ro te c tiv e c e ilin g o f th e h o s p i t a l ward. But every tim e he opens h is eyes, he is s t i l l 345 being c a rrie d up th e s t a i r s toward th e s a c r i f i c i a l a l t a r , h is fa ce toward th e s t a r s . Suddenly, as he a r riv e s a t th e top o f th e pyramid, he sees " la p ie d ra r o ja , b r i l l a n t e de sangre que chorreaba, y e l vaiven de lo s p ies d e l s a c r i f i - cado que a rra s tra b a n p ara t i r a r l o rodando por la s e s c a li- n a ta s d e l n o rte " ("Noche," F in a l, p. 179). With h is l a s t hope, he c lo se s h is eyes, groaning w ith th e e f f o r t to awaken and re tu rn to th e h o s p ita l in Buenos A ire s. For a b r i e f moment he b e lie v e s th a t he w ill succeed, b u t he sm ells th e odor o f d eath , . . . y cuando a b rio lo s oios v io la fig u ra ensangrentada d e l s a c rific a d o r que v en ia h a c ia e l con e l c u c h illo de p ie d ra en la mano. Alranzo a c e r r a r o tr a vez lo s parpados, aunque ahora sab£a que no ib a a d e s p e rta rs e , que e sta b a d e s p ie rto , que e l sueno m ara v illo so hab£a sid o e l o tro , absurdo como todos lo s suefios; un sueno en e l que hab£a andado por ex tra n as avenidas de una ciudad asombrosa, con luces verdes y ro ja s que ard£an s in llam a n i humo, con un enorme in sec to de m etal que zumbaba bajo sus p ie m a s . En l a m en tira in f i n i t a de ese sueno tam bien lo hab£an alzado d e l su elo , tambien a lg u ie n se le hab£a acereado con un c u c h illo en la mano, a e l tendido boca a r rib a , a e l boca a r r ib a con lo s ojo s cerrad o s e n tre la s hogueras. ("Noche," F in a l, p. 179) D is to rtio n of Time and Space C o rtazar i s n o t g re a tly concerned w ith tem poral and s p a tia l q u e stio n s. B esides "La noche boca a r r ib a ," in 346 which consid erab le d is to r tio n of both space and tim e occurs (from the b r i g h t l y - l i t s tr e e ts o f Buenos A ires to the jun gles o f Mexico; from th e tw entieth century to a time p rio r to the Spanish conquest), only two of C o rta z a r's 0 s to rie s a re concerned w ith the problem o f tim e: "Sobremesa" and "Una f lo r a m a rilla ." ^ The f i r s t o f th ese, "Sobremesa," re la te s in e p is to la ry form the voyage in tim e, th e temporary movement in to the fu tu re o f one o f the correspondents. On Ju ly 15, 1958, Dr. Federico Moraes w rite s a l e t t e r to h is frie n d Dr. A l b e rto Rojas, in v itin g him to atten d a d in n er a t h is home la te r in the same month. But befo re he can fin is h the l e t t e r , Ordonez, h is b u tle r, hands him a fa m ilia r grey en velope which he im nediately recognizes as th e s ta tio n e ry used by h is frie n d Rojas. In h is l e t t e r , dated Ju ly 14, Rojas e la b o ra te ly thanks Moraes fo r the wonderful din n er held a t the l a t t e r 's house the previous evening. His p rin c ip a l reason fo r w ritin g so quickly is n o t so much to convey h is thanks, but to r e la te the d e ta ils o f an ^Ravuela expresses in i t s e x te rn a l form a c e rta in tem p o ral d is to rtio n , but th is novel w ill be discussed a t length in the next se c tio n o f the p resen t ch ap ter. 347 a lte r c a tio n which he overheard between two o f th e i r m utual frie n d s , Funes and R obirosa. During th i s argument, Funes appeared to be th rea te n ed by some knowledge possessed by R obirosa, and begged him n o t to t e l l h is w ife. On Ju ly 16, Moraes fin is h e s th e l e t t e r which he had begun th e day b e fo re , ex p ressin g com plete s u rp ris e a t having re ceiv ed i t : S i se propuso asombrarme, a le g re s e : tr iu n f o com pleto. Aunque me r e s i s t o a c r e e rlo , por v ie jo y por e sc e p tic o , tengo que a d m itir sus poderes te le p a tic o s a menos de a t r i b u i r su e x ito a una ca su alid a d aun mas asombrosa. En f in , soy buen jugador, y me parece ju s to recompen- s a rlo con la plena adm ision de mi so rp re sa y mi d es- c o n c ie rto . Pues s£, amigo m£o: su c a r ta me lle g o en e l momento exacto en que l e g arab ateab a unas lfn e a s , como hago todos lo s anos, p ara in v ita r lo a cenar en casa d en tro de un p ar de semanas. Pero c o in c id e n c ia a p a rte le co n fie so que su broma me ha dejado p e rp le jo . Por lo pro n to me m a ra v illa que haya acerrad o con todos lo s d e ta lle s . Prim ero, sospecho que no ta rd a r£ a en e n v ia rle una in v ita c io n para cen ar en casa; segundo . . . d io por sentado que e s te ano no in v i- ta r£ a a C arlos F re rs . Se me o cu rre pen sar que a lg u ie n d e l clu b pudo h a b e rle dicho que F re rs y yo andabamos d ista n c ia d o s despues de la c u e stio n d e l Pacto A gr£cola; pero por o tr a p a rte , u sted v iv e a is la d o y s in a l te m a r con n a d ie . . . . En f in , me in c lin o a n te su genio ana- l£ tic o , s i de a n a lis is se t r a t a . Yo tengo mas b ie n una im presion de b ru je r£ a , adm irablem ente ilu s tr a d e por e l re c ib o de su c a r ta en e l p re c iso momento en que me d is - pon£a a e s c r i b ir le . ("Sobrem esa," F in a l, pp. 100-101) In h is l e t t e r o f Ju ly 18, Rojas m an ifests no le s s astonishm ent a t the words of Moraes: 348 Usted habla de asombro, de casu alid ad es, de triu n fo s e p is to la re s . Muchas g ra c ia s, pero los cumplidos que solo encubren una m ix ti£ icaclo n no son los que p re fie ro . Puedo comprender que usted --y quiza e l re s to de lo s que a s is tle r o n a la cena en su casa*" tra te n de echar t i e r r a sobre algo que alcance a saber por un azar que deploro profundamente. Tambien puedo comprender que su v le ja amis tad con Luis Funes lo mueva a f ln g ir que ml c a rta es una pura broma, a la espera de que yo pes- que e l h llo y me llame a s lle n c lo . Lo que no entlendo es la necesidad de ta n ta s com plicaciones e n tre gentes como usted y yo. Bastaba con pedirme que o lv ld a ra lo que escuche en su b ib lio te c a ; ya deberian ustedes saber que ml capacldad de olvldo es muy grande apenas ad- qulero la certldunobre de que puede s e r le u t i l a a l- gulen. ("Sobremesa," F in al, pp. 102-103) Rojas In te rru p ts h is l e t t e r In order to have d in n er, and when he re tu rn s to I t he Informs Moraes th a t he has j u s t heard a ra d io b u lle tin announcing the su ic id e o f Luis Funes. N ow he understands why Moraes "no q u ls le ra . . . te s tlg o in v o lu n ta rlo de algo que ex p lica blen claram ente una muerte que asombrara a o tra s personas" ("Sobrem esa," F in al, pp. 103-104). D espite R ojas' In siste n c e th a t th e dinner has already been held, he receiv es the follow ing l e t t e r from Moraes, dated Ju ly 21: R ecibl su c a rta d e l 18 d el c o rrie n te . Cumplo en a v i- s a rle que, en senal de duelo por la muerte de ml amigo Luis Funes, he decidido can celar l a reunion que hab£a proyectado para e l 30 d e l c o rrie n te . ("Sobremesa," F in a l, p. 104) The second s to ry , "La f l o r a m a r illa ," is p a r tic u la r ly in te re s tin g £or i t s d is tin c tiv e view o f the concept o f im m ortality. In the o th e r works d iscu ssed in th is study which d ea l w ith th e q u estio n o f in xnortality ( e .g ., "El inm ortal" o f Borges and "El grim orio" o f Anderson L nbert), the immortal is an in d iv id u a l forced to liv e h is l i f e in c o n ta c t w ith a s e r ie s o f m o rtal b ein g s. In "La f lo r ama r i l l a , " however, th e re is b u t a s in g le m ortal on e a rth , and everyone e ls e is im m ortal: "Parece una broma, pero somos in m o rtales. Lo se por la n eg ativ a, lo se porque conozco a l unico m ortal" (" F lo r," F in a l, p. 85). C ortazar c re a te s a r e a l i s t i c background through the enum eration of ordinary d e ta ils , and a lso employs th e sto ry w ith in a sto ry as th e n a rra tiv e v e h ic le in o rd er to make a c cep tab le the f a n ta s tic prem ise of the t a l e . The n a rra to r of th e framework s to ry r e la te s th a t he has met " e l unico m ortal" in a b ar on the Rue Combronne, "tan borracho que no le co stab a nada d e c ir la verdad" (" F lo r," F in al, p. 85). As they d rin k to g e th e r, th e man, "un tip o nada v ie jo y nada ig n o ran te, de c a ra reseca y ojos de tuberculoso" (" F lo r," F in a l, p. 85), t e l l s h is sto ry : 350 . . . En un autobus de l a l£nea 95 hab£a v is to a un chico de unos tre c e anos, y que a l r a to de m ira rlo d escu b rio que e l chlco se parec£a mucho a e l , por lo menos se p a re c fa a l recuerdo que guardaba de s£ mlsmo a e sa edad. Poco a poco fu e adm ltlendo que se le parec£a en todo, l a c a ra y la s manos, e l mechon cayendole en l a £ re n te , lo s o jo s nniy separados, y mas aun en l a tim id ez, l a forma en que se re fu g la b a en una r e v ls ta de h l s t o r l e t a s , e l g e sto de ec h arse e l p elo h a c la a t r a s , l a to rp eza Irrem ed iab le de lo s m ovim lentos. (" F lo r," F in a l. pp. 85-86) When th e boy l e f t th e bus, th e man follow ed him, and on th e p re te x t o f ask in g d ir e c tio n s , spoke to him; "oyo ya s in so rp re sa una voz que e ra su voz de l a in fa n c ia " (" F lo r," F in a l, p. 86). He learn ed th a t th e b o y 's name was Luc*, and w ith l i t t l e d i f f i c u l t y succeeded in o b ta in in g an in v ita tio n to accompany him to h is home. As he began to know th e boy b e t t e r , he came to r e a liz e th a t Luc e ra o tra vez e l, no hab£a m o rta lid a d , eramos todos in m o rtale8 . --Todos in m o rta le s, v ie jo . F £ jese, n ad ie hab£a podido com probarlo y me to c a a m£, en un 95* Un pe- queno e r r o r en e l mecanismo, un p lie g u e d e l tiem po, un a v a ta r sim ultaneo en vez de co n se cu tiv o . Luc h u b ie ra te n id o que h a c e r despues de mi m uerte, y en cambio. . . . S in c o n ta r la fa b u lo sa ca su alid a d de en- contrarm elo en e l autobus. Creo que ya se lo d ij e , fu e una e sp e c ie de seg u rid ad t o t a l , s in p a la b ra s . Luc no solam ente e ra yo o tr a vez, sin o que ib a a s e r como yo, como e s te pobre i n f e l i z que le h a b la . No hab£a mas que v e rlo ju g a r, v e r lo c a e rs e siem pre m al, to rc ie n d o se un p ie o sacandose un c la v £ c u la , esos sen tim ie n to s a f l o r de p i e l, ese ru b o r que le sub£a a la c a ra apenas se le preguntaba c u a lq u ie r co sa. (" F lo r," F in a l, p . 87) 351 Although they had In common many p h y sical s i m i l a r i t i e s , th e man soon noted th a t th e i r liv e s , r a th e r than being exact d u p lic a te s , were analogous: • . . Luc e ra yo, lo que yo hab£a sid o de nino, pero no se lo Imagine como un c a lc o . Mas b ie n una fig u ra analoga, comprende, es d e c ir que a lo s s ie te anos yo me hab£a d islo cad o una muneca y Luc la clav £ c u la , y a lo s nueve habfamos ten id o respectivam ente e l saram pion y la e s c a r la tln a , y ademas la h i s t o r i a in terv en £ a, v ie jo , a m£ e l sarampion me hab£a durado quince d£as m ien tras que a Luc lo hab£an curado en c u a tro , los progresos de l a m edicina y cosas p o r e l e s t i l o . Todo e ra analogo y por eso, para p o n erle un ejem plo a l caso , b ien podr£a suceder que e l panadero de l a es- quina fuese un a v a ta r de Napoleon, y e l no lo sabe porque e l orden no se ha a lte ra d o , porque no podra en- c o n tra rs e nunca con l a verdad en un autobus; pero s i de alguna manera lle g a ra a d a rse cu en ta de e sa verdad, podrfa comprender que ha re p e tid o y que e s ta re p itie n d o a Napoleon, que p asar de la v a p la to s a dueno de una buena panader£a en M ontparnasse es l a misma fig u ra que s a l t a r de Corcega a l tro n o de F ra n c ia . (" F lo r," F in a l. p. 88) The n a r ra to r is a t f i r s t in c lin e d to b e lie v e th a t th ese childhood illn e s s e s and a c c id e n ts, and even the p h y sical s im ila r ity o f th e boy and th e man, were nothing more than coincidence, but he i s f in a l ly convinced when th e man r e la te s an in c id e n t, n e a rly p a r a lle l to one in h is own l i f e , in which Luc was saved from a f i r e by going o u t sid e to r e tr ie v e a toy a irp la n e th a t had flown through th e window. Then Luc became i l l w ith b ro n c h itis and d ied . Even h ere th e re was an analogous s itu a tio n in th e m an's 352 own l i f e : a t th e same age, he had fa lle n i l l w ith hepa t i t i s , but recovered because he had been given prompt m edical a tte n tio n . In L uc's case, however, th e boy's mother had decided to t r e a t him a t home in stead of taking him to the h o s p ita l, and as a consequence he had d ied . With L uc's death, th e man had f e l t fo r th e f i r s t time in h is l i f e a sen satio n th a t might be equated w ith hap piness, fo r now he possessed " la certidum bre m arav illo sa de se r e l prim er m ortal, de s e n tir que mi vid a se segu£a desgastando d£a tr a s d£a, vino tra s vino, y que a l f in a l se acabar£a en cu a lq u ier p a rte y a c u a lq u ie r hora, re p i- tiendo h a sta lo ultim o e l d e stin o de algun desconocido muerto vaya a saber donde y cuando, pero yo s£ que e sta r£ a muerto de verdad, s in un Luc que e n tra ra en la rueda para r e p e tir estupidam ente una estu p id a vida" (" F lo r," F in al. p. 92). Appeal to a R estricted Audience Although sev e ral of the works already discussed in th is chapter dem onstrate a d e f in ite in te lle c tu a l appeal 353 g because of th e ir themes, i t would be u n n ecessarily r e p e t i tio u s to examine them fu rth e r a t th is p o in t. Instead, the d iscu ssio n of th is asp ect of C o rta z a r's work w ill be based upon h is two novels, Los premios and Ravuela. and p a r tic u la r ly upon the l a t t e r book which contains co n sid erab le m a te ria l th a t dem onstrates the a u th o r's appeal to the so p h istic a te d re ad er. The most re a d ily apparent in d ic a tio n th a t C ortazar is l i t t l e in te re s te d in the mass o f read ers, a t le a s t as fa r as Ravuela is concerned, is the s iz e o f the novel. Many books are longer than th is one; Don Quixote and Cronica d el alb a, to name only two examples, are both considerably longer than Ravuela. I t is not the 635 pages, nor is i t th e 155 ch apters which r a l l i e s the re a d e r's determ ination and d ed ica tio n ; i t is th a t, in e f fe c t, the s iz e of the book is doubled, fo r i t must be read a t le a s t twice before g The E tern al Return applied to a l l but one person on E arth ("Una f lo r a m a rilla " ); th e enigma of time ("Sobre m esa," "Una f lo r a m a rilla ," and "La noche boca a rrib a " ); the concept th a t anim als may be more human than man ("A xolotl"); the idea of someone's becoming so involved w ith a novel th a t the ch a ra c te rs become a p a rt of h is ex perience ("Continuidad de los parques"); m ental telep ath y ("C artas de mama" and " B e stia rio " ). 354 i t can be com pletely understood, fo r as C ortazar has ob served, A su manera e s te lib r o es muchos lib ro s , pero sobre todo es dos lib r o s . El prim ero se d eja le e r en la forma c o rrie n te , y term ina en e l cap£tulo 56, a l p ie d e l cu a l hay tre s v is to s a s e s t r e l l i t a s que equivalen a la p alab ra F in . El segundo se d eja le e r empezando por e l cap£tulo 73 y siguiendo luego en e l orden que se in d ica a l p ie de cada cap£tulo [73-1-2-116-3-84-4-71-5-81-74, e t c .] . J u s t as th e re are many books longer than Ravuela. th ere a re a lso many books which ought to be read more than once during th e re a d e r's life tim e . The d iffe re n c e in th is case, however, is th a t th e read er must overcome h is d e s ire to put th e book down, to r e s t, and begin immediately to read again fo r fe a r th a t, lik e Jacobo Rabinovich in Ander son Im b ert's "El g rim o rio ," he may lo se the thread of the ta le as the thoughts and images become confused during the in te rv a l. The novel must be read tw ice, not so much fo r i t s d if f ic u lty , fo r C o rta z a r's ideas are alm ost always s ta te d in c le a r, fo rth r ig h t language, even during h is m eta p h y sical musings, b u t because the scores of episodes are not a c tu a lly resolved, and th e tru e outcome o f th e book Q / J u lio C ortazar, Ravuela (Buenos A ire s : E d ito ria l Sudamericana, 1963), p. 1. 355 is not revealed, u n til the second reading. Like Borges and Bioy C asares, C ortazar is fond of playing an in te lle c tu a l game w ith th e re a d e r. For example, he informs us th a t even though the book is many books, and above a l l two books, a f te r i t has been read once through Chapter 56 "en la forma c o rrie n te , . . . e l le c to r p re sc in d ira s in remordimientos de lo que sigue" (Ravuela. p. 1). This statem ent may be tru e , provided th a t the read er d e sire s only to become s u p e rfic ia lly acquainted w ith the novel. If, on the o th er hand, the read er wishes to know th e book in depth, the second reading is necessary. In fa c t, th e id e n tity of one of the key ch a ra c te rs is not revealed in any o f the f i r s t f i f ty - s ix ch ap ters. Using a technique of Borges, C ortazar c o n sta n tly mentions re a l a r t i s t s and w rite rs , such as Georges Braque (one of the founders of cubism ), G hirlandaio (a pseudonym of Domenico d i Tommaso B igordi, 1449-1494, an I ta lia n p a in te r), Max Ernst (th e co-founder o f dadaism ), Paul Klee (th e co founder of the German a b s tra c t school of p ain tin g , Blau R e ite r). Joan Miro (a c u b ist and s u p e rre a lis t p a in te r), 356 K ierkegaard, and T. E. Lawrence (Ravuela. pp. 15-34, nflfisimV so th a t when he c ite s th e pronouncements o£ a w rite r id e n tifie d only as M o relli, th e re ad er autom ati c a lly accepts him as one more member o f a la rg e group, one more b i t of testim ony to C o rta z a r's e ru d itio n .* - ® I t is not u n t i l Chapter 154, more than half-w ay through the second reading, th a t M o relli is rev ealed to be another c h a ra c te r in the novel, a w rite r o f v an g u ard ista novels, w ith whom-Cortazar obviously id e n tif ie s . As a m atter of fa c t, one of M o re lli's books is q u ite s im ila r to Ravuela. O liv e ira and Etienne, one o f h is frie n d s , have gone to the h o s p ita l to v i s i t M o relli, who has been stru c k down by an autom obile w hile cro ssin g th e s t r e e t, and he asks them to take one of h is m anuscripts to h is p u b lish e r. Having been accorded th is honor, fo r he is th e ir id o l, they f e e l fre e W ith in the f ie ld s of modem a r t and l i te r a t u r e , C ortazar seems to be acquainted w ith p r a c tic a lly every im p o rta n t name, and i t i s not a s u p e r f ic ia l acquaintance, fo r he o ften uses th e ir works to i l l u s t r a t e p o in ts th a t he wishes to make, as when he compares, in a vague a llu s io n , the l i f e of Horacio O liv e ira (th e p ro ta g o n ist o f Ravuela) w ith th a t of Darley (th e p ro ta g o n ist o f Lawrence D u rr e ll's ce le b rated A lexandria Q u a rte t). This lim ite d e ru d itio n is fu rth e r evidence o f C o rta z a r's appeal to a r e s tr ic te d audience. 357 to d iscu ss w ith him one o f h is o th e r books: En e l prim er tomo hab£a una com plication t e r r ib l e , e s te y yo hemos d isc u tid o horas sobre s i no se habr£an equi- vocado a l im prim ir lo s te x to s. --Ninguna im portancia —d ijo M o re lli--. Mi lib ro se puede le e r como a uno le de la gana* L iber Fulgu- r a l i s , hojas m anticas, y as£ va. Y en e l peor de los casos, s i se equivocan, a lo m ejor queda p e rfe c to . (Ravuela. p. 627) Somewhat l a t e r , ^ E tienne and O liv e ira a re again d i s cussing M orelli*s work, and the im plied comparison re c u rs: M o relli [read C ortazar] es un a r t i s t a que tie n e una idea e sp e c ia l d e l a r te , c o n siste n te mas que nada en echar abajo la s formas u su ales, cosa c o rrie n te en todo buen a r t i s t a . Por ejem plo, le re v ie n ta la novela r o llo chino. El lib ro que se lee d el p rin c ip io a l f in a l como un nino bueno. Ya te habras fija d o que cada vez le preocupa menos la ligazon de la s p a rte s , aq u ello de que una p alab ra tra e l a o tr a . . . . Cuando leo a M o relli tengo la im presion de que busca una in te ra c tio n menos mecanica, menos c a u sa l de lo s elemen- to s que maneja; se s ie n te que lo ya e s c r ito condiciona apenas lo que e s ta escrib ien d o , sobre todo que e l v ie jo , despues de centenares de paginas, ya n i se acuerda de mucho de lo que ha hecho. --Con lo cu a l —d ijo P erico -- le ocu rre que una enana de la pagina v e in te tie n e dos m etros cinco en la pagina c ie n . M e he percatado mas de una vez. Hay escenas que empiezan a la s s e is de la ta rd e y acaban a la s cinco y media. (Ravuela. p. 505) "L ater" in th is in stan ce re fe rs to th e o rd er o f events in th e novel, and n o t to page numbers o r to chap t e r s . This d isc u ssio n a c tu a lly occurs in Chapter 99, but i f the num erical sequence fo r reading th e ch ap ters is follow ed, Chapter 155 (from which th e f i r s t c ita tio n is taken) precedes Chapter 99. 358 The re a d e r o f Ravuela encounters problems very s im ila r to those o f P erico, fo r th e re a re se v e ra l episodes th a t a re incom plete and o th ers th a t a re in c o n s is te n t w ith th e a c tio n during th e f i r s t re ad in g , but which become somewhat c le a r e r during th e second tim e through th e book. For example, La Maga, O liv e ir a 's m is tre s s , announces s h o rtly a f t e r th e d eath o f h er c h ild th a t she is going to leav e him. She does so, and in succeeding ch a p te rs th e re a re numerous re fe re n c e s to where she has gone and what she is doing, but none o f them is th e tru e v e rsio n . I t is only d uring th e second read in g , a f t e r O liv e ira has re tu rn ed to Buenos A ires, and th e "novel" has ended, th a t we le a rn she has ccmmitted s u ic id e . O liv e ira never le a rn s o f h e r d eath , and even stops in Montevideo to search fo r h er on h is way to Buenos A ires, sin c e th a t is where she had liv e d b e fo re going to P a ris. B esides the e x te rn a l o rg a n iz a tio n o f th e novel (w ith the p o s s ib ility o f e le c tin g two o r more o rd ers o f re a d in g ), th e re a re many o th e r ch allen g es to th e r e a d e r's p a tie n c e and in g en u ity in R avuela. There a re , fo r in sta n c e , i n t e r p o la tio n s o f te x ts which have nothing w hatever to do w ith th e n a r ra tiv e , such as C hapter 134, which c o n s is ts o f a q u o tatio n from th e Alm/mngge H achette d ealin g w ith the b e st methods o f planning an English flow er garden, or Chapter 139, which c o n sists o f the album notes of a phono graph record, or Chapter 146, which c o n sists of a l e t t e r (probably apocryphal) to the London Observer on the s c a rc ity of b u tte r f lie s in G loucester, o r Chapter 114, which c o n sists o f a supposed A ssociated Press news d isp atch concerning the execution of a p riso n e r in the gas chamber 12 a t San Quentin. In a d d itio n to these random c ita tio n s , C ortazar a lso quotes from th e works o f o th er au th o rs, e .g ., The Defense of Leopold and Loeb by Clarence Darrow (Chap te r 117), and H usica sentim ental by the A rgentine n o v e lis t Eugenio Cambaceres (Chapter 153). I f th e read er o f Ravuela does not yet fe e l s u f f i c ie n tly challenged, he may r e f e r to Chapter 128, which is w ritte n e n tire ly in French, or to Chapter 34, which 12 This technique is rem iniscent o f th a t employed by John Dos Passos in h is novels U. S. A. and M idcenturv. in which the author in te rp o la te s newspaper and ra d io b u lle tin s , tran sc rib ed verbatim from th e ir sources, in order to im part a sense of immediacy and v e ris im ilitu d e to h is f ic tio n . C ortazar uses h is v e rsio n of th is device fo r q u ite a d iffe re n t purpose, as w ill be dem onstrated la te r in th is ch ap ter. 360 c o n ta in s two d i s t i n c t n a r r a tiv e s p rin te d on th e odd- and even-numbered lin e s , o r to C hapter 68, which i s w ritte n in u n in te llig ib le language, o r to C hapter 69, which is p rin te d e n tir e ly in ispam erikano. a method o f w ritin g Spanish p h o n e tic a lly invented by C o rta z a r: In g ra ta so rp re sa fue le e r en "O rto g rafik o " la n o t is ia de ab er fa y esid o en San Luis Potos£ e l 1° de marso u ltim o , e l te n ie n te ko ro n el (asendido a koronel p ara r e t i r a r l o d e l s e r b is io ) , Adolfo A bila Sanhes. S orpresa fue porke no ten£amos n o ti s ia de ke se ayara en kama. Por lo demas, ya ase tiempo lo tenlam os katalogado en- t r e n u e stro s amigos lo s s u is id a s , i en una okasion se r e f i r i o "Renovigo” a s ie r to s s£ntomas en e l obserbados. Solamente ke A bila Sanhes no e sk o jio e l re b o lb e r komo e l e s k r ito r a n tik le r ik a l Giyermo D elora, n i l a soga como e l e s p e r a n tis ta fra n se s Eujenio L a n ti. (R avuela. p. 429) Like th e o th e r in te rp o la te d te x ts c ite d above, th is one a ls o has nothing to do w ith th e p rin c ip a l n a r r a tiv e o f the no v el. The preceding re fe re n c e s to C o rta z a r's penchant fo r engaging in an i n t e l le c t u a l chess game w ith the re a d e r by no means exhaust th e p o s s ib le i l l u s t r a t i o n s o f t h i s d ev ice, fo r th e m a jo rity o f th e "cap £ tu lo s p re s c in d ib le s ” (Ravuela. p. 407), as w ell as s e v e ra l o f th e c h a p te rs which com prise th e f i r s t read in g o f th e novel, c o n trib u te to th e lim ite d appeal of th e book. Those c ite d , however, a re ty p ic a l 361 examples o f C o rta z a r's vise o f th is technique. Obviously, the e x te rn a l s tru c tu re o f the novel, the In te rp o la tio n of te x ts from v arious sources, the p rin tin g of c e rta in chap ters or of p a rts o f chapters in fo reig n languages, and the p re se n ta tio n of o th er chapters p rin ted in v arious forms of g ib b erish , a l l tend to cause a c e rta in astonishm ent and confusion, even to th e dedicated read er. But as Ana Mar£a Barrenechea has observed, C ortazar no adopta e s ta conducta n a rra tiv a solo por asombrar a l le c to r ingenuo o por e s ta r con e l ultim o g r ito de la moda l i t e r a r i a . . . . Dentro de un cosmos e s te tic o que q u iere " se r e l cao s," la organizacion d e l r e la to y la invenclon idiom atica cumplen una funcion y se ju s tif ic a n en e l dibujo to ta l, por eso sospecho que a C ortazar no debe de im p o rtarle mucho que lo acusan de snobismo o de m anejar "novedades e n v e je c id a s." El mundo que presen ta Ravuela es un mundo s in sen tid o , porque la especie e rro e l camino desde sus or£genes, un absurdo in f in ito a l que e l hombre o cc id e n ta l ha in te n - tado —in u tilm e n te -- e n c o n tra rle sen tid o apoyado en la razon, en e l sentim iento,^ en e l pragmatismo; mundo <jue o c u lta un m iste rio , quiza percibido a l in g re sa r en e l en la in fa n c ia , pero que luego vamos olvidando p a r c ia li- zados y fo siliz a d o s por capas de convenciones, de habi~ tos de fa m ilia , de tra b a jo , de estu d io , de lenguaje, por los engranajes de la s d iv e rsa s ru tin a s que nos apresan. ^ Besides rep resen tin g the u niverse as chaos, as B arre- nechea poin ts out in the above quo tatio n , the s tru c tu re of "Ravuela. una busqueda a p a r t i r de c e ro ," Sur No. 288 (mayo-junio, 1964), p. 71. 362 Ravuela. as in d ic a te d p rev io u sly in th is ch ap ter (note 7), is a m an ifestatio n o f tem poral d is to r tio n , sin ce many of the episodes, even when read in th e in d icated o rd e r, to not occur in lin e a r sequence. And the d is to r tio n becomes even more severe when the re ad er e le c ts to read the book in an o rd er d if f e r e n t from th a t presented in the a u th o r's c h a rt, fo r then the scenes a re placed w ith in an atem poral context which only makes sense w ith in C o rta z a r's concept of the univ erse as chaos. I t i s th e a u th o r's purpose, o f course, to achieve th is e f f e c t, fo r as he notes (Ravuela. p. 1), the novel may be read in any o rd er. N atu rally , the re a d ings are more m eaningful i f th e book's f i r s t f i f t y - s i x ch ap ters have been read once in sequence. The game w ith the re ad er, which has been discussed e x ten siv ely in connection w ith Ravuela. is a technique which C ortazar a lso employs in h is o th er novel, Los prem ios. In the l a t t e r work, however,, th e game is not so com plicated, fo r i t involves only a m ystery th a t th e re ad er attem pts to solve along w ith th e c h a ra c te rs in th e novel. In order to understand th is m ystery, i t w ill be necessary to examine b r ie f ly the p lo t o f the book. An extrem ely d iv e rse group o f people have won, as the * 363 f i r s t p riz e in a lo tte ry , a c ru is e aboard th e Malcolm, a luxurious ship o£ the Magenta S ta r L ines. A ll of the passengers have gathered in the London Bar in Buenos A ires to aw ait the s a ilin g tim e. As they a re beginning to become somewhat im patient, the winners and the people who have come to wish them bon vovaee a re su rp rised to see the p o lice a rriv e . Everyone who is n o t a c tu a lly going on the c ru ise is ordered to leave the b ar; a p o lice in sp ecto r takes charge, and orders th e m etal screens over the doors and windows to be closed w hile he gives the passengers th e ir in s tru c tio n s . When they f in a lly leave the London, i t is n early dark, and they a re taken under p o lic e e sc o rt d ir e c tly to the sh ip . The v e sse l g ets under way immediately, but a f te r having spent the n ig h t on board, the passengers awaken in the morning to discover th a t the sh ip is s t i l l anchored in the estu ary only a few m iles from th e ir d ep artu re p o in t. They q uestion the crew, but no one has a m eaningful answer. They are to ld only th a t they a re p ro h ib ited from going to th e s te m of the sh ip . At f i r s t th is p ro h ib itio n does not concern them g re a tly , but a f te r the ship has been a t sea fo r a day, th re e of the passengers, Lopez, Raul, and 364 Medrano decide th a t th e o f f i c i a l ex p lan atio n th a t th e re is a case of typhus on board is u n s a tis fa c to ry . Determined to d isco v er the tru e m otive behind th e ir r e s t r ic ti o n , the th re e men s e t out to explore th e s te r n o f th e sh ip . D iscovering th re e p is to ls and a q u a n tity o f ammunition on h is e x p lo ra tio n s, Raul hides them in h is cab in and l a t e r gives one o f them to each o f th e o th e r two men. When Jorge, th e son o f one o f th e women, becomes i l l , Medrano, who has become in te re s te d in th e m other, demands th a t the d o cto r be brought to th e boy. The p h y sician comes and, g iv in g th e boy some m edication, announces th a t th e illn e s s is n o t s e rio u s . The d o cto r re tu rn s to h is q u a rte rs , b u t during the n ig h t the b o y 's fe v e r in c re a se s, and Medrano again c a lls upon him fo r a s s is ta n c e . When th e d o cto r doe3 not come, Lopez, Raul, and Medrano tak e th e ir weapons and go to search fo r him. Medrano manages to reach th e ra d io room and to send a message to Buenos A ires, but he is k ille d by one o f the crew when he momentarily re la x e s . The nex t morning, two seap lan es, w ith th e same p o lic e in sp e c to r in command, reach the Malcolm. A fter a b r ie f in v e s tig a tio n and c o n su lta tio n w ith members o f th e crew, th e in sp e c to r c a lls a l l th e passengers to g e th e r in the 365 lounge and informs than th a t because of th e untim ely death from typhus o f Senor Medrano, i t w ill be necessary to end the c ru ise a t th a t p o in t. Several of the passengers p ro t e s t th a t Medrano did not d ie of typhus, but was sh o t, but the in sp ecto r in s is ts upon h is v e rsio n . The r e s t of the people, not having a c tu a lly seen the body, accept th e in s p e c to r'8 explanation of M edrano's d eath . Everyone is ordered to board the seaplanes fo r the journey back to Buenos A ires; upon a r r iv a l four hours l a te r , they a re a l l asked to sign a document co n tain in g the o f f i c ia l v ersio n of the Medrano in c id e n t. A ll sig n except th e fiv e who had previously p ro te ste d , but the a u th o ritie s allow them to leave anyway-, re a liz in g th a t no one would b elie v e th e ir stran g e sto ry even i f they were to ta lk . Unlike Borges and Bioy C asares, C ortazar cheats a b i t in the game he plays in Los premios. fo r the mystery is never resolved. W e never le a rn why the passengers were not perm itted to go to the s te m , nor why the p o lic e became involved; in the l a s t a n a ly sis, we a re ju s t as puzzled as the passengers. But i t is C o rta z a r's purpose to leave the s itu a tio n unresolved, fo r in a world of chaos, not many m ysteries are capable of re so lu tio n . A lso I l l u s t r a t i v e o f C o rta z a r's appeal to a lim ite d audience a re th e p h ilo s o p h ic a l d ig re s s io n s encountered in T - qb pyymion. Employu>g a v a r ia tio n o f th e E x p re ssio n ist technique o f James Joyce, C o rtaza r, in long, i t a l i c i z e d passages, ex p resses h is id eas through th e thoughts o f P e rsio , a fig u re who appears to have no o th e r fu n c tio n in th e novel than to serv e as a v e h ic le fo r th e a u th o r's philosof/it?. sil m e d ita tio n s. T ypical o f th e se passages is th e fo llo w in g which d e a ls w ith th e q u estio n o f a n ti-m a tte r: A esa hor a de desaoego v de can san ci^ (porque e l reposo m gtifgmlfto de d e rro ta . v e l sueno m ascara de una nada m etida en cada poro de la v id a ). l a Ipftggn tropom orfica. desdeno«*nu»nfe p in ta d a por P icasso en un cuadro aue fue de A p o llin a ire , fig u ra man aU e nunc a l a comedia en su punto de fu sio n , cuando todo se inm ovil^za a n tes de e s t a l l a r en e l acorde cue re so lv e ra la te n sio n in so p o rta b le . P^yo p e n a a p n t t ai) f a r m * n o n f H o a v m i a f l t o a a h i d e la n te . l a g u ita r r a . e l m usico. e l barco aue c o rre h a c ia e l s u r. la s m uleres v lo s hombres que e n tre te je n sus pasos como lo s ra to n e s blancos en l a la u la . Que fo esp erado reves de la tra in* n acer de una sosoecha u lim a qua aobrepase lo a u e ^ e sta o curriendo v lo aue no e s ta o cu rrien d o . aue se s itu a ese punto donde q u iza alca n za a o p erarse l a coniuncion d e l o lo y donde la fa b u la a rra n c a a pedazos la p i e l d e l c a ra e ro . donde la te rc * r* mano e n tr e v is ta apenas por P ersio en un in s ta n te de donacion a s t r a l , emouna por su cu en ta la v ih u e la s i n c a l a v s in cu erd as. in s c rib e en un eso acio duro como marmol una m usica p ara o tro s o id o s. No es comodo enten d er l a a n tig u ita r r a como no es comodo e n te n - d e r la antimai-ar i a . pero la anflmAt-ari a es va cosa de p e rio d ic o s v com unicactones a co n ereso s. e l a n tiu r a n io . e l a n t i s i l i c i o d e s ta lla n en la noche. una te rc e t ? mano 367 s id e r a l se propone con la mas d esafo rad a de la s provoca- cion^s para a rra n c a r a l v ie la de su contem plation. No es comodo presum ir una a n tile c tu r a , un a n tis e r , una antlhorm lg a. la te rc e ra mano ab o fetea an teo lo s v c l a s i - f i c a c iy ies. arran ca lo s lib ro s de Xos e s ta n te s . descubre l a razon d * 1 « i n m g e n e n e l e a p f i l o . s u r e v ^ l a c l o n s i m a - t r i c ^ v demon lac a. 5ge 7 ffiU tu C P tan fltU. y que es entonces de n o so tro s de. 1& s a t i s f a c to r ia e x is - te n c ia donde la ln o u ietu d no Pasaba de una__parva m eta- f i s l e a alemana o fra n c e sa , ahora que en e l cuero cabe- llu d o se posa la s ombra de la a n ^ ie s tr e lla . ahora que en e l abrazo d e l amor sentlm os un v e rtig o de_ antiam ofr y no oorau^ ese palindrom e d e l cosmos^sea la negacion O.por que te n d ria que s e r l a negacion e l a n tlu n lv e rs o ?) sln o l a verdad que m uestra la te rc e ra mano. la verdad que esp era e l naclm lento d e l hombre para e n tra r en la a le g r la .I * F in a lly , C o rta z a r's appeal to a s o p h is tic a te d audience is m anifested through th e re c u rre n t themes o f R avuela* The a u th o r's concept of th e u n iv erse as chaos, fo r example, as illu s t r a te d in th e s tr u c tu r e o f th e n o v el, has alre ad y been d iscu ssed a t some le n g th . But th e w ork's p e c u lia r e x te rn a l o rg a n iz a tio n re p re se n ts s t i l l more: th e concept o f syn chronic tim e, o f th e a b i l i t y to e le c t sim ultaneously se v e ra l p o ssib le d e s tin ie s . In much th e same fash io n as T s 'u i P@n's novel in B orges' "El jard £ n de senderos que se b ifu rc a n ," Ravuela p re se n ts the re a d e r w ith a th e o r e tic a lly i n f i n i te number o f ch o ices, fo r he can begin th e novel w ith ^ J u l i o C o rtazar, Los premios (Buenos A ires: E d ito ria l Sudamericana, 1960), pp. 317-318. 368 any of the 155 ch a p te rs, read the rem ainder of th e book in any sequence he chooses, and i t w ill s t i l l make sense w ith in the co n tex t of th e u n iv erse as chaos. This Idea of synchronic time is p resen t in more than the s tru c tu re of Ravuela. however, fo r M o relli o ften expounds the theory: Puesto que soy solam ente e s te cuerpo ya podrido en un punto cu alq u iera d e l tiempo fu tu ro , esto s huesos que escrib en anacronicam ente, s ie n to que ese cuerpo e s ta reclamandose, reclam andole a su conciencia esa opera** cion todav£a inconcebible por la que d e ja rfa de s e r podredumbre. Ese cuerpo que soy yo tie n e la presencia de un estado en que a l negarse a s£ mismo como t a l , y a l negar sim ultaneam ente e l c o rre la to o b jetiv o como t a l , su conciencia acceder£a a un estado fu era d e l cuerpo y fuera d el mundo que ser£a e l verdadero acceso a l s e r . (Ravuela. p. 61) This same concept is even more c le a rly s ta te d in Chap te r 116, also in the words o f M o relli: "s£, todo coin cid e. Pero no se t r a t a de una v u e lta a la Edad Media n i cosa p arecid a. E rror de p o stu la r un tiempo h is to ric o absoluto: Hay tiempos d ife re n te s aun- oue p a ra le lo s. En ese sen tid o , uno de lo s tiempos de la llamada Edad Media puede c o in c id ir con uno de los tiempos de la llamada Edad Modema. Y ese tiempo es e l p ercibido y habitado por p in to re s y e s c rito re s que rehusan apoyarse en la c irc u n sta n c ia , s e r 'modernos' en e l sen tid o en que lo entienden los contemporaneos, lo que no s ig n ific a que opten por s e r anacronicos; se n c i- 1lamente estan a l margen d e l tiempo s u p e rf ic ia l de su epoca, y desde ese o tro tiempo donde todo accede a la condicion de fie u ra . donde todo v a le como signo y no como tema de d escrip cio n , in te n ta n una obra que puede parecer ajena o antagonica a su tiempo y a su h is to r ia circundantes, y que s in embargo lo s incluye, los 369 e x p lic a , y en u ltim o term ino lo s o rie n ta h a c ia una tra sc e n d e n c ia en cuyo term ino e s ta esperando e l hom bre." (Ravuela. p. 545) • Another th eo ry which C o rtaza r holds in common w ith Borges i s th e p o s s ib ility o£ th e r e a d e r 's c re a tin g th e work o f l i t e r a t u r e sim u ltan eo u sly w ith th e au th o r (see th e d i s cu ssio n o f " P ie rre Menard, a u to r d e l Q u ilo te" in C hapter I I o f th is stu d y ). This concept is a n a tu ra l r e s u l t o f Cor- t a z a r 's allow ing th e re a d e r to s e le c t th e o rd e r in which th e book is to be read ; and he does n o t in ten d fo r the p o in t to be m issed, fo r he s ta te s i t re p e a te d ly as in Chap t e r 79 when he v e rb a liz e s th e theo ry by means of a q u o ta tio n from M o re lli: " P o sib ilid a d te rc e ra : la de hacer d e l le c to r un com p lic e , un camarada de camino. S im u lta n e iz a rlo , puesto que l a le c tu ra a b o lira e l tiem po d e l le c to r y lo t r a s - la d a ra a l d e l a u to r. As£ e l le c to r podr£a lle g a r a s e r co p a rt£ c ip e y co p ad ecien te de l a e x p e rie n c ia por la que pasa e l n o v e lis ta , en e l mismo momento y en la misma form a." (Rayuela, p. 453) Summary I t has been th e purpose o f th is c h a p te r to analyze th e p e r tin e n t f i c t i o n a l w ritin g s o f J u lio C o rtaza r in o rd er to determ ine w hether th e se works possess a s ig n if ic a n t r e la tio n s h ip to m agical re a lism as i t has been d efin ed by 370 Angel F l o r e s .^ Through a d e ta ile d exam ination o f the four p rin c ip a l elem ents of m agical re alism (com bination of fan* tasy and r e a lity ; transform ation o f the re a l in to the un r e a l; d is to r tio n of time and space; appeal to a r e s tr ic te d audience) as they apply to the f ic tio n a l works of C ortazar, a p o sitiv e correspondence has been shown to e x is t between th ese works and m agical realism . ^"M agical Realism in Spanish American F ic tio n ," H ispania, XXXVIII (May, 1955), 190-191. CHAPTER VIII CONCLUSIONS The e x is te n c e o£ any l i t e r a r y movement is la rg e ly a q u e stio n of d e f in itio n , and m agical re a lism is no ex cep tio n . The au th o rs examined in th is study have tr a d itio n a lly been id e n tif ie d w ith th e w rite r s o f f a n ta s tic l i t e r a t u r e , fo r they c e r ta in ly employ many o f th e same tech n iq u es. But to p lace th e m agical r e a l i s t s w ith in th is categ o ry is b oth i n a c c u ra te and in s u f f ic ie n t, fo r th e w rite r s o f f a n ta s tic l i t e r a t u r e (such as ghost s to r ie s and scien c e f ic tio n ) d ir e c t th e i r works to th e mass audience, w hile th e p r a c t i tio n e rs o f m agical re a lism a l l have in common an appeal to th e s o p h is tic a te d , i n t e l le c t u a l re a d e r. Moreover, th e w rite rs o f f a n ta s tic l i t e r a t u r e do n o t sh are th e " d e s ire to tran scen d th e lim its o f tim e, space and p h y sical r e a l i t y . . . which i s c h a r a c te r is tic o f th e m agical ^John E. E nglekirk and o th e rs , An O u tlin e H isto ry of Spanish American L ite r a tu r e (3rd ed. r e v .; New York: A ppleton-C entury-C rofts, 1965), p. 172. 371 372 r e a l i s t s . This appeal to " le e to re s de mente a l e r ta , enterados de m etaf£ sica, aficio n ad o s a l a n a lis is , d is c ip lin a d o s en 2 la s leyes de un juego re fin ad o " is m anifested in many forms in th e works o f th e s ix au th o rs d iscu ssed in th is d is s e r ta tio n . In Bioy C asares, and e s p e c ia lly in B orges, fo r example, i t can be seen in th e i r e ru d itio n , in t h e ir knowledge o f th e w o rld 's l i t e r a t u r e and philosophy. These e ru d ite re fe re n c e s a re u s u a lly employed to make c re d ib le some f a n ta s tic ev en t. Although he does n o t use them to the same e x te n t as Borges and Bioy, Anderson Im bert employs th e same kind of re fe re n c e s fo r a s im ila r purpose. The somewhat narrow er e ru d itio n (lim ite d g e n e ra lly to modem a r t and l i t e r a t u r e ) o f C o rtazar, on th e o th e r hand, serv es as a means o f im parting r e a l i t y to M o re lli, so th a t th e a u th o r's thoughts, expressed in th e words o f th is f ic tio n a l fig u re in Ravuela. w ill command th e a tte n tio n and re sp e c t due an e s ta b lis h e d p h ilo so p h er. N eith er Dabove nor Ocampo dem onstrates a s ig n if ic a n t 2 Enrique Anderson Im bert, H is to ria de la l i t e r a t u r e hispanoam ericana. Vol. I I : Epoca contemporanea (Mexico: Fondo de C u ltu ra Economica, 1961), p. 241. 373 degree o£ e ru d itio n , but they have in common w ith th e o th e r £our w rite rs a p referen ce fo r c e r ta in re c u rre n t themes: th e E te rn a l R eturn and im n o rta lity ; th e i d e a l is t theory of B erkeley th a t p ercep tio n i s n ecessary to e x iste n c e ; th e enigma o f tim e and space. Also ty p ic a l of th e au th o rs d i s cussed in th is study is th e ir fondness fo r engaging in an in t e lle c tu a l chess game w ith th e re a d e r, although Dabove and Ocampo do n o t employ th is device n e a rly so e x te n siv e ly as th e o th e rs . U sually, and th is is p a r tic u la r ly tru e o f Borges, Bioy, and Anderson, th e game tak es th e form o f a s e r ie s o f c lu e s, as in a d e te c tiv e s to ry , which p re fig u re th e outcome o f th e work. But re g a rd le ss of th e com plexity o f th e se au g u rie s, they expect to be understood, and they r e ly upon th e a n a ly tic a l s k i l l s o f th e re a d e r to b rin g him to th is p o in t o f comprehension, not a f te r th e sto ry o r novel has been com pletely read, b u t a t th e tim e the c lu e s a re p re se n ted . At o th e r tim es, however, th e game appears in th e g u ise o f the extrem ely com plicated, la b y rin th in e s tru c tu re o f th e work, as in th e case o f Ravuela. Fuea. "El o tro la b e r in to ," and "La b ib lio te c a de B abel," to men tio n only fo u r prom inent examples. Another fa v o rite theme, re c u rrin g in th e works o f Borges, Bioy, Anderson* and 374 C ortazar, b u t n o t in those o f Dabove and Ocampo, is the concept, o fte n d ir e c tly re la te d to th e e x te rn a l s tr u c tu r e o f th e novel o r sto ry , o f th e u n iv erse as chaos. Also p re se n t to some degree in th e works o f a l l s ix w rite rs is the theme o f m ental te le p a th y o r thought tran sm issio n . One example o f th e in te lle c tu a l appeal which d i s t i n guishes Borges from th e o th e rs, i s th e n e c e s s ity fo r the re a d e r to have a comprehensive knowledge of th e a u th o r's com plete production in p ro se, h is essays as w e ll as h is s to r ie s , fo r he o ften dem onstrates a p re d ile c tio n to quote h im self, to w rite a sto ry based upon a theme used p re v io u sly in an essay (o r v ic e v e rs a ), and even to indulge in s e lf-p a ro d y . This device is y et an o th er a sp e c t o f Borges' c o n tin u a l game w ith h is re a d e rs. F in a lly , evidence o f th is concern fo r the s o p h is ti cated re ad er is encountered in th e b e lie f , h eld by Borges, Anderson, and C o rtazar, th a t th e re a d e r c re a te s th e l i t e r ary work sim ultaneously w ith th e w rite r, in volving him in th e c re a tiv e pro cess, even going so f a r , in th e case o f Borges, as to suggest th a t th e r e a d e r's v e rsio n is a c tu a lly su p e rio r to th a t of th e au th o r h im self (" P ie rre Menard, a u to r d e l Q u ilo te ") . 375 In t h e i r attem p ts to overcome th e lim its o£ tim e, space, and p h y sic a l r e a l i t y , th e m agical r e a l i s t s employ a v a r ie ty o f tech n iq u es, which, have been c la s s if i e d w ith in th re e g en e ral c a te g o rie s corresponding to th e f i r s t th re e elem ents o f Angel F lo re s ' d e f in itio n o f m agical re a lism : th e com bination o f fa n ta sy and r e a l i t y ; th e tran sfo rm atio n of th e r e a l in to th e u n re a l; th e d is to r tio n o f tim e and space. To e f f e c t tem poral d is to r tio n , most o f th e au th o rs examined in th is study employ some v a r ia tio n in th e con cep t o f the voyage in tim e. At tim es a kind o f tim e ma ch in e is used (La invencion de M orel; "La tram a c e le s te " ) , b u t u su a lly th e journey through tim e is m anifested in th e d o c trin e o f th e E te rn a l R eturn and im m o rtality . The s in g le ex cep tio n i s Santiago Dabove; l i t t l e concerned w ith tempo r a l q u e stio n s, he d e a ls only w ith th e id ea o f a synchronic p a s t, p re se n t, and f u tu re . This l a t t e r concept is a lso p re se n t in th e works o f th e o th e r fiv e w r ite r s , p a r tic u l a r l y in those o f Borges, Bioy, and Anderson. Im p lic it in th is theory is th e id e a , c o n tra ry to the commonly-held view, th a t th e tem poral sequence is cap ab le of being d i s ru p ted , a lte r e d , o r com pletely d estro y e d : th e p a s t can be changed, tim e can be stopped o r a c c e le ra te d , th e sequence 3 76 can possess an in f in ite number of ra m ific a tio n s. A ll of the authors employ temporal d is to rtio n as a means of e ffe c tin g a d iss o lu tio n o f r e a lity , but only Borges and Bioy seem concerned w ith questions of s p a tia l d is to rtio n . For th ese two w rite rs , the two concepts are inseparable, fo r i f one is p resen t, in th e ir view, th e re is an a p r io r i assumption of the presence o f the o th e r. The d is to rtio n of space is m anifested in the works o f Bioy as a s e rie s o f p a r a lle l worlds in which a l l actio n s occur in alm ost the same fashion, but w ith s lig h t v a ria tio n s in each of them (La invencion de M orel: "La trama c e le s te " ). For Borges, s p a tia l d is to rtio n occurs in th e vastn ess of the Argentine pampa or of India, or w ithin th e l i t e r a l microcosm th a t is the Aleph. His most common fig u re , how ever, is the la b y rin th . I t is the p e rfe c t symbol fo r h is conception of the u n iv erse, fo r w hile i t appears to be endless, v a s t, and ch ao tic, i t n ev erth eless possesses a d e fin ite form and a d e f in ite c e n te r; to Borges, the search fo r order in th is chaos is one of the most worthwhile of man's a c tiv it ie s . In combining fantasy and r e a lity , a l l th e authors discussed in th is th e sis employ v a ria tio n s o f the 377 w ork-w ithin-a-w ork device. U sually, th is technique takes th e form o f one o r more secondary p lo ts o ccu rrin g w ith in a la rg e r framework, but b esid es th is sim p lest form o f the device, Borges and Bioy Casares a lso employ an in te re s tin g v a ria n t: th e ir use o f fo o tn o tes (c itin g both r e a l and apocryphal re fe re n c e s), which has the e f f e c t o f c re a tin g a pseudo-essay and of im parting v e r is im ilitu d e to the fa n t a s t i c events o f the n a r ra tiv e . Besides th e pseudo-essay form, th ese two authors use in a d d itio n s t i l l another v a ria tio n o f the work w ith in a work, in which the testim ony o f both r e a l and im aginary fig u re s (made to seem r e a l by th e ir presence among r e a l persons) a t t e s t s to th e r e a l it y o f a f a n ta s tic episode. Besides the work w ith in a work, a l l o f the w rite rs who are the su b je c t of th is study use the technique of ju x tap o sin g f a n ta s tic episodes a g a in st a background o f ord in ary d e ta ils , such as the names of s tr e e ts and w ell- known landmarks, a c a ta lo g o f the co n ten ts o f a room, a d e ta ile d d e sc rip tio n of th e c h a ra c te rs and th e ir a c t i v i t i e s . The v a ria tio n s in th is technique are p ra c tic a lly en d less. To b rin g about th e tran sfo rm atio n o f the r e a l in to 378 the u n re a l, th e six authors d iscu ssed in th is study use th re e tech n iq u es: th e contam ination of r e a l i t y by a dream, th e double, and th e re v e rs a l of ev e n ts. Only one of th e se devices is n o t used by a l l s ix o f the w rite r s : th e double. N eith er Dabove nor C ortazar employs th is technique. With th e f i r s t o f th ese d ev ices, th e re a d e r has th e im pression th a t he is observing an o rd in ary , d e ta ile d r e a lit y , but then th is r e a l it y is sh a tte re d by th e i n t r u sio n o f a dream in some form, e ith e r induced by sle e p , o r by a drug, o r by an in ju ry . On occasion, however, the dream is not th e r e s u lt of th e s u b je c t's unconscioueness; he is f u lly aware of h is surroundings and o f h is a c t i v i t i e s , and does n o t r e a liz e th a t he is a p a rt o f someone e l s e 's dream. At o th e r tim es, th e dream is a c tu a lly th e im aginings o f th e su b je c t w hile conscio u s. R egardless o f th e form th a t th e dream assumes, i t is in v a ria b ly re p re sented as the tru e r e a l i t y in th e n a r ra tiv e . Except in the case o f Borges, who a ls o uses i t in v ario u s o th e r forms to expound h is u b iq u ito u s theory th a t one man i s a l l men, the double is u su a lly m anifested in some v a r ia tio n o f th e E tern al R eturn. 379 The l a s t o f the techniques fo r e ffe c tin g the tr a n s form ation of r e a lity in to fan tasy , the re v e rs a l o f events, i s the most w idely used o f the th re e . The author f i r s t e s ta b lis h e s a d e ta ile d r e a lity , and then converts i t sud denly in to u n re a lity . Such works as Borges' "B iograf£a de Tadeo Isid o ro C ruz," B ioy's "El o tro la b e rin to ," and Cor ta z a r 's "Continuidad de lo s parques" a re e x c e lle n t examples of the use of th is device. G enerally, a l l of the w rite rs discussed in th is d i s s e rta tio n f a l l w ith in the range o f F lo re s ' d e f in itio n of m agical realism , but i t is obvious th a t of th e e n tir e group two are most c o n s iste n t in the employment o f the techniques o f m agical realism : Jorge Luis Borges and Adolfo Bioy C asares. I t is equally apparent th a t one o f the w rite rs , Santiago Dabove, does not always p resen t extensive evidence of h is a sso c ia tio n w ith the m agical r e a l i s t s , probably b e cause of h is sev erely lim ited production. I t is lik e ly , however, in view of the works th a t he did produce, th a t i f he had been ab le to w rite more before h is death, he would 3 have continued to c re a te works o f m agical realism . 3 Dabove's fam ily is p re se n tly preparing fo r p u b lic a tio n the r e s t o f h is works. The a u th o r's b ro th e r, h is 380 The o th er th re e w rite rs , S ilv in a Ocampo, Enrique Anderson Im bert, and J u lio C ortazar, a l l dem onstrate con sid e ra b le evidence o f th e ir re la tio n s h ip to m agical r e a l ism, although n o t always in the same manner, nor in the same degree. Anderson, fo r in sta n c e , shows a good d e a l of concern fo r tem poral q u estio n s, e s p e c ia lly in Fuea. and C ortazar dem onstrates a g re a t in te r e s t in the in te lle c tu a l re a d e r. Ocampo shows a p referen ce fo r th e in te rp la y between fan tasy and r e a l ity , b u t does not e n te r ex ten siv ely in to the o th e r a re a s. Her p o sitio n as one of the lead ers of m agical re a lism is d o u b tless owing to h e r c o lla b o ra tio n w ith Borges and Bioy C asares on the famous and h ig h ly in f lu e n tia l A ntologfa de la l i te r a t u r e f a n ta s tic a . which has been mentioned se v e ra l tim es in previous ch ap ters o f th is study. But even w ithout h er c lo se re la tio n s h ip to Borges and Bioy (she is th e l a t t e r 's w ife ), she would n ev e rth eless be considered a p r a c titio n e r o f m agical re a lism because of h er use of i t s techn iq u es. l ite r a r y executor, has n o t s ta te d e ith e r th e q u a n tity of m a te ria l o r the type o f n a rra tiv e s th a t a re to be pub lish e d , but i t w ill be in te re s tin g to note whether they are in the same vein as La m uerte v su t r a i e . BIBLIOGRAPHY BIBLIOGRAPHY Primary Sources A. Books Anderson Im bert, Enrique. Fuga. Edited by John V. F al- c o n ie ri. 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"Un cuento de Borges, 'L a casa de A s t e r i o n , R evista iberoam ericana. X X V (1960), 41-44. Barrenechea, Ana Marfa. "Ravuela. una busqueda a p a r ti r de c e ro ," Sur. No. 288 (mayo-junio, 1964), pp. 69-73. Borges, Jorge Luis. "La b ib lio te c a t o t a l ," Sur. LIX (agosto, 1939), 13-16. Fernandez Moreno, Cesar. Review of Plan de evasion, by Adolfo Bioy C asares. Sur. No. 133 (noviembre, 1945), pp. 67-69. F lo res, Angel. "Magical Realism in Spanish American F ic tio n ," H ispania. XXXVIII (May, 1955), 187-192. Gonzalez Lanuza, Eduardo. Review o f La invencion de Morel. by Adolfo Bioy C asares. Sur. No. 75 (diciem bre, 1940), pp. 159-161. M astronardi, C arlos. Review of La trama c e le s te , by Adolfo Bioy C asares. Sur. No. 179 (septiem bre, 1949), pp. 72-75. C. Unpublished M aterials Irby, James E. "The S tru ctu re of the S to rie s of Jorge Luis B orges." Unpublished Ph.D. d is s e rta tio n , U niversity of Michigan, 1962. 386 Secondary Sources A. 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T ranslated and ed ited by Robert Lima. New York: New York U niversity P ress, 1965. Bioy Casares, Adolfo. The Invention of Morel and Other S to ries (from La t-rqma c e le s te ). A ustin: U niv ersity of Texas Press, 1964. Borges, Jorge Luis. Discus io n . Buenos A ires: Eknece, 1961. ___________________. F iccio n es. T ranslated by Anthony Kerrigan and o th ers and ed ited w ith an in tro d u c tio n by Anthony K errigan. N ew York: The Grove P ress, 1962. 387 Borges, Jorge L uis. H is to ria u n iv e rs a l de la in fam ia. Buenos A ire s: Emece, 1958. ___________________ . O ther I n q u is itio n s . T ran slated by Ruth L. C. Simms w ith an in tro d u c tio n by James E. Irb y . A ustin: U n iv ersity o£ Texas P ress, 1964. Borges, Jorge L uis, and Adolfo Bioy C asares (e d s .) . Cuentos breves v e x tra o rd in a rio s . Buenos A ire s : R aigal, 1955. Canto, E s te la . Los espeios de la sombra. Buenos A ires: E d ito ria l C larid ad, 1945. ______________. El estanque. Buenos A ire s : G oyanarte, 1956. ______________. El hombre d e l c ren u scu lo . Buenos A ire s : E d ito ria l Sudamericana, 1953. ______________. El muro de marmol. Buenos A ire s : E d ito ria l Losada, 1945. ______________. La noche v e l b a rro . Buenos A ires: P la tin a , 1961. ______________• El r e tr a to v la imaeen. Buenos A ire s : E d ito ria l Losada, 1950. C ortazar, J u lio . H isto ria s de cronopios v de famas. Buenos A ire s: Ediciones M inotauro, 1962. ________________ . The W inners. T ran slated by E laine K errigan. New York: Pantheon Books, 1965. D iccionario de la l i t e r a t u r e latinoam ericana (A rgentina, segunda p a r te ) . W ashington: Union Panamericana, 1961. Dos Passos, John. M idcenturv. Boston: Houghton M ifflin , 1961. _________________ . U. S. A. New York: The Modem L ib rary , 1939. 388 D u rre ll, Lawrence. The A lexandria Q u a rte t. New York: E. P. Dutton and C o., 1960. Fernandez Moreno, C esar. f .b o i i a i m de B orees. Buenos A ire s: E d ito ria l P e rro t, 1957. F lo re s, Angel. Franz Kafka: Chronology and B ib lio g rap h y . H olton, Maine: Berne P o rte r, 1944. F lo re s, Angel, and Homer Swander ( e d s .) . Franz Kafka Today. Madison: U n iv ersity o f W isconsin P ress, 1958. Gandara, Carmen. Los e sp e io s . Buenos A ires: E d ito ria l Sudamericana, 1951. _________ . La fie u r a d e l inundo. Buenos A ires: Emece, 1958. ________________ . La h a b ita d a . Buenos A ires: Emece, 1947. ________________ . Kafka, o e l p aiaro v la ia u la . Buenos A ire s: El Ateneo, 1943. ________________ . El lu e a r d e l d ia b lo . Buenos A ires: E d ito ria l Sudamericana, 1948. G arcia, German. La novela a rg e n tin a : un i t i n e r a r i o . Buenos A ires: E d ito ria l Sudamericana, 1952. G irri, A lberto. M isantropos. Buenos A ires: B o te lla a l Mar, 1953. Hamilton, C arlo s. H is to ria de l a l i t e r a t u r a hispano- flm pr^anfl. New York: Las Americas P ublish in g Co., 1961. Vol. I I . L a n c e lo tti, Mario A. El ascen so r v o tro s c u e n to s. Buenos A ires: Guillerm o K raft, 1960. ____________________ . El t r a f i c a n t e . Buenos A ires: E d ito ria l Sudamericana, 1954. Lange, Norah. Antes que mueran. Buenos A ires: E d ito ria l Sudamericana, 1944. 389 Lange, Norah. Los dos r e t r a t o s . Buenos A ire s: E d ito ria l Losada, 1956. _____________ . Personas en la s a la . Buenos A ire s: E di t o r i a l Sudamericana, 1950. Menton, Seymour ( e d .) . El cuento hiapgnnflm ^r^flnn. Mexico: Fonda de C u ltu ra Economica, 1964. 2 v o ls . Nazoa, A quiles ( e d .) . Cuentos contem poraneos h isp an o - am ericanos. La Paz: B u rib a ll, 1957. Peyrou, Manuel. El a rb o l de Ju d a s. Buenos A ire s: Emece, 1961. . Las lev es d e l iu eeo . Buenos A ire s : Bnece, 1959. . La noche r e p e tid a . Buenos A ire s: Qnece, 1953. P rie to , A dolfo. Borges v la nueva e e n e ra c io n . Buenos A ires: L etras U n iv e rs ita ria s , 1954. r£os P atron, Jo se L u is. Jo rg e Luis B orges. Buenos A ire s : E d ito ria l La M andragora, 1955. Sabato, E rnesto. The O u tsid e r. New York: A lfred A. Knopf, 1950. ________________ . Sobre heroes y fumhas. Buenos A ires: L ibros d e l M iraso l, 1961. ____________ . El tu n e l. Buenos A ire s: Qnece, 1951. Sanchez, Luis A lb erto . Proceso v contenido de l a novela hispanoam ericana. M adrid: E d ito r ia l Gredos, 1953. T orres-R foseco, A rtu ro . The Epic o f L a tin American L ite r a t u r e . New York: Oxford U n iv e rsity P re ss, 1956. Nueva h i s t o r i a de l a gran l i t e r a tu re iberoam ericana. 3rd ed. Buenos A ire s: Emece, 1960. 390 Zum Felde, A lberto. Indice c r£ tic o d e l a lite r a tu r e hispanoam ericana. Vol. I I : La n a r r a t i v e . Mexico: E d ito ria l Guaran£a, 1954. B. P e rio d ic a ls Azancot, Leopoldo. "Borges y K afka," In d ice . XVII, No. 170, 65. C a rilla , Em ilio. 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Creator Carter, Erwin Dale, Jr. (author)

Core Title Magical Realism In Contemporary Argentine Fiction

Degree Doctor of Philosophy

Degree Program Spanish

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag Literature, Modern,OAI-PMH Harvest

Language English

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Advisor McMahon, Dorothy Elizabeth (committee chair), Hesse, Everett W. (committee member), Servin, Manuel P. (committee member)

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c18-211832

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