Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote | Don Quixote Rides Again
In the following essay on Jorge Luis Borges's "Pierre Menard, Author of Quixote," Michael J. Wreen argues that Borges's story is a sustained parody presenting an ironic commentary on the process of creative activity as a necessary but ultimately impossible task.
In a recent article, "Once Is Not Enough?", I argued that a book word-for-word identical with Cervantes' Quixote wouldn't be a new Quixote, numerically distinct from Cervantes', if it were produced in the manner described in Borges' short story "Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote." Menard's novel would simply be Cervantes', I tried to show, although admittedly produced in a very odd way. But philosophical issues (such as the individuation of works of art) are one thing, literary interpretation quite another. In this paper, I'll be offering a comprehensive...
[The entire page is 10839 words long]
Join eNotes
The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the:
Summary and Analysis – Themes – Characters – And much more...
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
Related Topics
Tell a friend about Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote at eNotes.
