The Art of Invention Reality as a Narration in a Borges' Text

Abstract

In this article I analyze and compare the strategies used by Jorge Luis Borges when representing basic conceptions of History and Literature in his short story “El tema del traidor y del héroe” (“The tale of the traitor and the hero”). I focus our analysis on the descriptions of and relationships between both, History and Literature, in the text. I stand by the hypothesis that socially and academically supported differences and similarities, discussed usually during any mutual comparison between both disciplines, are not just confronted in the tale but even parodied by the Argentinian author. Under this scope it is evi- dent that Borges understands History and Literature (and even what we tend to call reality) as different ways of storytelling, id est, alternative perspectives and interpretations of the world.