Julio Cortazar: Short Stories Lesson Plan

Cortázar's work belongs to the literary tradition of magical realism. Other authors who have written in this tradition include Jose Saramago, Jorge Luis Borges, (who edited the literary magazine which published Cortázar's first short story, "House Taken Over"), Gabriel García Márquez, Isabel Allende, and Jorge Amado. Saramago's short story, "The Double", as well as the film adaptation of it, Enemy, explores the concept of a shadow, or of two conflicting selves residing within one person. This concept of doubles, multiple selves, and the shadow is woven through Cortázar's stories, making Saramago's tale a useful reference. Borges' has written prolifically but one collection in particular,...