Simultaneous parodies: criticisms of literature in the writings of Adolfo Bioy Casares, Jorge Luis Borges and Jenaro Prieto

Abstract

This article informs the tendency of adopting what we will call ironic standings in Argentinian and Chilean literary circles during the early forties by way of contrasting the work of a Chilean author, Jenaro Prieto, with that of two Argentinians, J. L. Borges and A. Bioy Casares. The identification and exposition of this behavior is guided toward questioning parody as a tool and strategic means for Sabotage. In order to achieve this analysis, we will focus on the manifestation of a textual mechanism that is able, due to semantic inversion and pragmatic evaluation, to undo literary techniques and styles, and thus have an impact on the readership’s preferences.