Julio Cortázar Questions and Answers
Julio Cortázar
Literary Analysis of Julio Cortázar's "House Taken Over"
"House Taken Over" by Julio Cortázar explores themes of fear, invasion, and loss of control. The story follows siblings Irene and the narrator as they experience an inexplicable and gradual takeover...
Julio Cortázar
House Taken Over Summary
In "House Taken Over," a brother and sister who live together in a large old house are first disturbed, then displaced by mysterious intruders.
Julio Cortázar
What is the first fantastic event in "Casa Tomada" ("House Taken Over")?
One of the most interesting things about the first out-of-the-ordinary event that occurs in Julio Cortázar’s story is its lack of precision. Two siblings live in the house that is gradually...
Julio Cortázar
Discuss the motif of nature in Julio Cortazar's "Meeting."
In Meeting, the motif of nature highlights the themes of revolution and the transcending character of Luis/Fidel, one of the chief revolutionaries of the Cuban Revolution. The story begins with a...
Julio Cortázar
How is magical realism expressed differently in "Letter to a Young Lady in Paris" than in "A Very Old Man with...
In "A Very Old man with Enormous Wings," magical realism is used to veneer the inhumane treatment of a creature whose uniqueness is impossible to separate from the mundane. In "Letter to a Young Lady...
Julio Cortázar
What are the themes of "Simulacra" by Julio Cortázar?
In some ways I guess you could say that this story shares many themes with a lot of the work of Julio Cortazar: it comments on life and urges us to make the most of it, and helps us to recognise...
Julio Cortázar
What procedures does Cortázar use to disrupt realist fiction conventions in "Continuity of Parks" and "House Taken...
Cortázar's short stories are great examples of "hijacked" realist fiction. Both "The Continuity of Parks" and "House Taken Over" incorporate elements of magical realism that cause us to question...