SHORT STORIES [Borges, Marquez, Calvino, DuCornet]
BLOG POST #3 [10 points]In "The Circular Ruins," "One of These Days," The Soft Moon," and "The New Zoo" the respective authors use surreal, absurd or terrifying circumstances to highlight a particular idea about the social or physical reality. Choose one story of the four and draw a parallel(s) between the story and the truth about the social realm, the physical realm, or the human perception of the physical realm that it explores.
posted by Tim Kahl @ Monday, September 04, 2006
2 Comments:
“The Circular Ruins” can be read as a metaphor for many things. To some it represents a model of immortality. For me, it speaks more to the construction of self as one dreams it/thinks it up. The fact that the speaker is willing himself to sleep suggests that this drive to impose a pattern of the self on one’s own being is at once both willful and subconscious. This is a strange notion for many to bear, but there seems to be some validity to this. There is a strong subconscious component to how we construct ourselves.
“One of These Days” is a very spare and dynamic study in two characters, one a corrupt lawyer whose will and determination forces a situation where the dentist must comply with his wishes in the interest of his professional life. The tension between them is high until one learns at the end of their history. Then their confrontation is resolved (with much subdued violence), and the old power relationship is resumed. In a sense, it is a microcosm of the feeling and relationship that many Latin American people have toward their political leaders. It is almost allegorical in that fashion. Marquez is a very political writer.
“The Soft Moon” is an absurdist take on how we regard, societally-speaking, the vagaries of nature. Calvino entertains a dialogue between those of faith and those who know and explain everything away. He is also just talking about the transformation of place (in this case, earth) into an alternative form. He sees great purpose in reimagining our sense of place. This may be the reason why “the one who knows[Sibyl]” seems to be depicted as somewhat pompous. Also, I think there is some subtle commentary on the nature of gender roles. The fact that he has switched the stereotypical gender roles in the story suggests that there might be some commentary on this factor as well.
“The New Zoo” is just a bizarre anti-story. Its structure as a kind interview for a newspaper story. It also posits an alternative place where the attractions become sets of frreaks. Is this not unlike Burning Man? DuCornet is probably commenting on the nature of the spectacle in our society, that it is our freakish tendencies and moves towards the margins of society’s prescriptions that makes us “interesting” to each other.
The story of "one of these days", by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, marks a parallel between the foundation of any society/nation and the idea of democracy. In this story, the mayor, or "ruler" of the town, seeks the support of a commoner, or "ruled" citizen. There is a transfer of power from the Mayor to the dentist, who beholds all the power among his shabby kingdom. The mayor begs to the Dentist with grief in his eyes, just as a begger on the street in his city. This essentially reflects the social reality that a nation cannot function solely by the power of the ruler, but rather through the power of the people and the ruler. Apropo of this, the mayor is just as human and ungodly as the simple 'ol dentist he is beggin to.
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