Os bruxos da literatura: um diálogo entre Machado de Assis e Jorge Luis Borges

Abstract

Two fictions that touch each other, two writers with points in common. Thus we find with the Brazilian writer Machado de Assis (1839-1908) and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986), two exponents of literature who universalized and consecrated their literary art. With points coinciding in their narratives and subtle gradual differences of depth, we will stimulate a reflection on the parallel we draw between the "Old Cosmo's Witch" and the "Old Witch", since these represent permanent sources for anyone who, in a way or from another, seek the intelligence applied to literary art. We will focus, in particular, on issues that involve the unfolding of the narrative, the resumption of themes, the configuration of the characters, the ambiguity and the intertextuality present in the literary writing of the writers. For this work, we pinch from the rich and multiple works of Machado and Borges two stories, on which we intend to establish a comparative investigation. They are: "Missa do Galo", published in 1894, and "Ulrica", published in 1975. We thus seek to contribute to some broader literary questions concerning the two writers, whose mastery in dealing with literary language, as well as in exploitation of its mimetic strength, enables readers the prestigious task of coproducing their texts. Keywords:Comparative Literature. Short Story. Intertextuality.