Exam 1

Julio Cortázar

• From: Argentina 

• Further Information:

  • Associated with the Latin American Boom literary movement 

  • Known for his experimental short stories and novels that explore limits, tension, and freedom in writing

  • His stories begin with limits that create tension and intensity, making meaning possible

María Luisa Bombal

• From: Chile

• Further Information:

  • Her narratives feature female protagonists who invent fantastical realms 

  • Considered by some to be an influence of what later would become magical realism 

  • She was inspired by Mozart, Chopin, and Beethoven. 

    • Mozart: playfulness and the carefree joy of childhood

    • Chopin: passion and emotion 

    • Beethoven: horror, suffering, and undefinable drama

Jorge Luis Borges 

• From: Argentina

• Further Information:

  • Was a poet, essayist, short story writer and one of the most influential Latin American authors.

  • He lost his vision in the mid-fifties and had to dictate his work to his mother and friends 

Clarice Lispector 

• From: Brazil

• Further Information: 

  • Known for her experimental, stream-of-consciousness style and for exploring the inner thoughts of women who challenged traditional gender roles

  • Her works explore madness and spirituality

  • She wrote about what it means to be human and her writing it difficult to translate

Gabriel García Márquez

• From: Colombia

• Further Information:

  • He is known as “Gabo” he wrote stories that mixed fantasy and reality together which is called magical realism.

  • His characters are often driven by lust, greed and power while facing harsh social and political forces

  • Was a major author of the Latin American Boom in the 1960s and 1970s

Elena Poniatowska

• From: Mexico

• Further Information 

  • She published her first book, Lilus Kikus in 1954

  • She is often seen as a Post-Boom writer who gave a voice to women and ordinary

  • She also voiced Mamá Coco in the Spanish version of Disney’s Coco

Nélida Piñon

• From: Brazil 

• Further Information: 

  • Is the daughter of Galician immigrants and often wrote about Brazil’s hardworking immigrant communities

  • All her stories show Brazilian society across all classes

  • First women to lead the Brazilian Academy of Letters and asses away in 2022

  • She was a prolific writer, publishing over 20 novels and short story collections

Rosario Castellanos

• From: Mexico

• Further Information:

  • Mexican writer and intellectual from Chiapas

  • She studied in Europe and was interested in women’s roles in Mexican society, becoming a pioneer for feminist thought

  • Her stories are often about women and social issues

Rosario Ferré

• From: Puerto Rico 

• Further Information:

  • She wrote short stories, novels, and essays, often about women, gender roles, and erotic attachment

  • Her story “The Youngest Doll” critques patriarchal domination and appears in her 1976 collection

Mario Levrero

• From: Uruguay

• Further Information: 

  • He worked as a photographer, bookseller, comics writer, humorist, and crossword creater

  • He wrote novels and short stories

  • He is known for exploring the psychology of his characters and was considered one of Latin America’s “raros” (the strange ones)

César Aira

• From: Argentina

• Further Information: 

  • He has translated and edited books from many countries and is one of Argentina’s most prolific writers

  • He has published over 80 books that have been translated worldwide 

Some Aspects of the Short Story 

• Author: Julio Cortázar

• Summary: 

  • Story begins with a physical limit, exploring boundaries that create tension. He aims to compel the reader, keeping them fully engaged so they return to the world afterward richer and deeper. Want the story to almost give the readers a knockout punch

The Tree

• Author: María Luisa Bombal 

• Summary: 

  • Brigida reflects on her married life, desires, and past. By experiencing moments of freedom and imagination through music and memory. The Tree outside her window symbolizes intimacy, personal escape, and emotional refuge. But its removal at the end represents the loss of her secret sanctuary and confrontation with reality.

The House of Asterion

• Author: Jorge Luis Borges

• Summary:

  • This story retells the myth of the Minotaur from its own perspective. Lives in an infinite labyrinth-like house, isolated from society but believing he’s unique and chosen. He kills 9 men every 9 years, thinking he’s delivering them from evil, and wait for his redeemer.

Continuity of Parks

• Author: Julio Cortázar

• Summary:

  • Follows a man reading a novel in his chair until the line between fiction and reality goes away. The novel he is reading is about lovers plan a murder, and as the male lover enters a house, the story’s worlds merge. The man in the novel is about killing the man who is reading the story

The Imitation of the Rose 

• Author: Clarice Lispector

• Summary: 

  • Laura is recovering from a mental breakdown and is preparing for a dinner with her husband and friends. As she tidies her house, she becomes fixated on a bouquet of roses she bought that morning Their beauty both fascinates and unsettles her because it symbolizes the fragility of her stability. She doesn’t know if she should give them away or keep them.

Eyes of a Blue Dog 

• Author: Gabriel García Márquez

• Summary;

  • A man and woman only meet in their dreams and aren’t able to find each other in real life. They long to connect but can’t remember the phrase “Eyes of a blue dog” their only link once they wake up. This story explores loneliness, desire, and the divide between dreams and reality.

Park Cinema 

• Author: Elena Poniatowska

• Summary: 

  • This man is obsessed with an actress he sees on the screen. He loves her image but is frustrated by the distance between fantasy and reality. This story explores how movies affect people emotionally and how fantasies can clash with daily life

Big-Bellied Cow 

• Author: Nélida Piñon 

• Summary: 

  • A man forms a deep emotional bond with this cow he buys Dapple, seeing her as his closest companion. As Dapple grows old and sick, he struggles with grief and doesn’t want to put her down. He also doesn’t want to breed her with the neighbors bull. But when she is dying he doesn’t want to put her down he lets her die slowly. The story explores human loneliness, aging, and the complex connection between man and nature.

Cooking Lesson

• Author: Rosario Castellano 

• Summary: 

  • A newly married woman stands in her spotless kitchen, overwhelmed by her new domestic role. As she tries to cook a simple meal, her thoughts wander from recipes to memories, and reflections on marriage, womanhood, and identity. The meat starts to burn and becomes a symbol of her loss of control and individuality. The story explores the conflict between societal expectations of women and their desire for autonomy and meaning. 

The Youngest Doll 

• Author: Rosario Ferré

• Summary: 

  • After the aunt got bitten by a prawn it lodges in her leg, and the aunt spends her life making dolls for her nieces, each one crafted with eerie precision. When the youngest niece marries a greedy doctor, she receives a final doll. Filled with honey and containing the aunt’s diamond earrings. Over time, the niece becomes lifeless and doll-like herself, revealing that she has turning into a doll, while prawns crawl from her empty eyes. 

Beggar Street 

• Author: Mario Levrero

• Summary: 

  • A man tries to fix a lighter when it suddenly stops working. As he takes it apart, it mysteriously expands with each layer he removes until it fills his entire room. Driven by curiosity, he crawls inside the lighter’s tunnels only to end up outside on a strange street. Blurring the line between reality and imagination.

The Sacrifice 

• Author: César Aira 

• Summary: 

  • A man wakes up on a rainy morning and worries that water might have ruined his art magazines. When he checks, he discovers his favorite magazine of Artforum has mysteriously absorbed all the rain and kept all the other magazines dry. Amazed her interprets it as a selfless act of love, wondering if objects can love humans in return.

Short Story

• A brief work of fiction that usually focuses on one main event or character. It aims to create a single, strong impression rather then explore many plot lines. Often ends with a twist, insight, or emotional impact that leaves readers thinking.

Magical Realism

• A literary style that blends realistic settings with magical or fantastical elements. The magical parts are presented as normal, everyday occurrences in the story’s world. This style often highlights cultural beliefs or deeper truths about reality and human experience.

Latin American Boom

• A literary movement during the 1960s and 1970s when Latin American writers gain international recognition. Authors like Gabriel García Márquez, Julio Cortázar, and Mario Vargas Llosa became well-known for their innovative storytelling. The movement introduced experimental styles and magical realism to a global audience.

Post-Boom 

• Literary movement that followed the Latin American Boom, starting in the mid-1970s, It focused on more accessible language and everyday themes instead of the complex, experimental styles of Boom writers. Authors often highlighted social issues, women’s voices, and urban life.

Stream of Consciousness

• A narrative technique that shows a character’s thoughts and feelings as they naturally flow in their mind. It often skips traditional structure or punctuation to mimic real thinking patterns. This style helps readers experience that character’s inner world more personally and directly.

Minotaur

• A mythical creature from Greek mythology with the body of a man and the head of a bull. It lived in the Labyrinth on the island of Crete, designed to trap it. The hero Theseus killed the creature.

Chopin’s Études

• Set of piano pieces composed by Frédéric Chopin in the 19th century. They are both technically challenging and musically expressive, designed to improve a pianist’s skill. Many are also performed as concert pieces because of their artistic beauty. 

Poetic Language

• The use of words and phrases in a way that emphasizes rhythm, sound, and imagery. It often includes figurative language like metaphors, similes, and symbolism to create emotion or mood. Writers use it to make ordinary language more vivid and expressive.

Dream Logic

• A narrative style where events follow the illogical, fluid, and often surreal patterns of dreams. Cause-and-effect relationships may be distorted, and time, space, and identity can shift unexpectedly, It creates a sense of wonder, confusion, or subconscious truth in a story.

Labyrinths

• Complex, maze-like structures or paths that are difficult to negative. They often symbolize confusion, a journey of discovery, or a challenge that must be overcome. In literature and art, they can represent the complexity of the human mind or the twists of fate. 

Your Humble Servant

• A phrase used to express respect, submission, or willingness to serve someone. If it often appears in formal or historical contexts, showing politeness and deference. In literature, it can reveal a character’s social position or attitude toward authority.

Prawn

• A small aquatic crustacean similar to a shrimp, often found in freshwater or saltwater. It is commonly used as food in many cuisines around the world. In literature, a prawn can also serve as a symbolic or fantastical element, representing something unusual.

Rubber Tree 

• Can symbolize resilience, adaptability, or hidden potential, as it produces valuable latex over time despite its unassuming appearance, It may also evoke exotic or tropical settings, emphasizing nature’s richness and mystery. Writers sometimes use it to reflect growth, endurance, or the slow unfolding of events. 

Dapple

• Cow from the story Big-Bellied Cow. Can symbolize pastoral life, fertility, and abundance, Its spotted or patterned hide can also suggest uniqueness or gentle, natural beauty.

Artforum

• Can symbolize cultural sophistication, artistic taste, or personal obsession. It might represent the character’s dedication to art, intellectual pursuits, or aesthetic refinement. It is also a type of magazine in the story “The Sacrifice.”

Humanization

• When an author gives human traits, emotions, or intentions, to nonhuman characters, objects, or animals. it can make abstract ideas or inanimate things more relatable to readers. This technique often helps explore themes, emotions, or moral lessons through unexpected perspectives.