Fiction Packet #3 Response

I found the contents of this packet to be the most enjoyable out of the readings this year.  One of the more interesting stories was The Fifth Story by Clarice Lispector, as they all followed the same narrative, however they were given a different direction.  They all had the same style of writing, yet gave different perspectives on the same mundane situation.  Each time the story was told, the writer added new information or insight on the situation of killing cockroaches inside the apartment, however the final story simply gives a one statement summary of the situation "I was complaining about the Cockroaches", which is essentially the literal plot of the story line.

August 25th 1983 by Jorge Luis Borges was a very interesting tale as well, as it conveyed a normally impossible event that may or may not have been a dream.  It not only questioned the validity of Borges' reality, but also told of Borges' potential future and what he think it will hold.  Borges' "future self" tells him about his writing feats in the years to come, however Borges is skeptical, thinking that he will not change so much.  The work demonstrated the path of time and how it does not move to your will; Borges' future self did not turn out as he had intended.  The story begs the question: Will Borges' life change now that he knows he will kill himself (assuming Borges isn't simply dreaming)?

These stories demonstrated a trite and effective method of storytelling that utilized elements of a clear and effective plot.  Apart from the beginning stories by Peter Markos, each story had a clear-cut narrative and linear plot line.  The beginning stories were indeed abstract, yet their styles were unique and vague in their storytelling.  They sought to describe a concept in an ambiguous and meaningful manner, evoking thought within the audience.  The stories used the bare structure of a story, utilizing nameless characters and vague descriptions of the actions.