Cortazar Stories

AnaMarie Mehmel

Professor Benander

World Literature II

17 January 2011

Reader Response:  Julio Cortázar is an interesting author who uses his stories to make people look a little deeper into what they are reading then just seeing what is on the surface. In his story “The Continuity of Parks,” Cortázar manipulates two stories into one. He makes people believe that books are real; also, that books can be so dangerous that they can kill. People use books as an escape, and they can suck the reader into their reality. Of course those are the best books. In the story “Our Demeanor at Wakes” he wants people to realize that people can create reality, even if it was false at first. Yet, the story is so bad because these people fake their sorrow, for whatever reason good or bad. Yes, it becomes real the more they play their role, but still, they completely push the real relatives out of their own wake. Who are they to say that they needed to teach the “grieving” family a lesson? Nevertheless, Cortázar’s story about the manipulation of fiction to reality is important because people should realize that that happens all the time in everyday life. The story “Axolotl” is the same, but it also is important because the story is an example of how telling someone’s story can lessen the suffering they feel. The poor axolotls were suffering from being stuck in their glass prison, but having the man tell their story helped. Personally, having someone to talk to and tell my troubles too helps me feel better, so I can understand why the axolotls wanted their story told. Cortázar’s stories are all similar in that they all show that people escape from reality because of art. In the stories “The Continuity of Parks” and “Axolotl” he shows the escape in the form of books; in “Our Demeanor at Wakes” the escape is through being in someone else’s shoes. Most people really do want that escape.