Julio Cortázar is an Argentine author born August 26, 1914. In addition to being a writer, he was a teacher and translator. For political reasons, he went into exile in France. He was a supporter of Fidel Castro and served on the International War Crimes Tribunal. His best known work is the hopscotch game, 1963. Cortázar won the Argentine Konex prize in 1984 and died on February 12 of that same year.
The author is part of boom Latin American, occurred in 1960 and 1970. His works are considered to be of high intellectual level, experimental, with political engagement and brands of magical realism, fantastic or wonderful. Julio Cortázar wrote prose and poetry, but is well known for his Tales. Thanks to his commitment, he was aware that the “problem of every intellectual is a problem of responsibility”.
Read too: Victor Hugo – exponent of French romanticism
Julio Cortázar Biography
Julio Cortázar was born in Belgium in August 26, 1914. However, your parents were argentine
. After First World War, period in which his family lived in Switzerland, he moved to Argentina. In addition to being a writer, Cortázar was also teacher, graduated in 1932. He even taught at the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters of the National University of Cuyo, in addition to publishing texts by literary criticism. Your first book of poems — Presence — was published in 1938.involved with political issues, the writer resigned to his position as a university professor shortly before Juan Domingo Perón (1895-1974) become president of the country. He then proceeded to write for literature magazines and became english and french translator. He decided to go into exile in Paris and began working as a translator for UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).
Although France became his main place of residence, he was in other countries. In the 1960s, traveled to Cuba and decided to support Fidel Castro (1926-2016). His fame emerged in 1963, when he published the book the hopscotch game, his best known work. the writer too was a member of the Russell Court or International War Crimes Tribunal. In 1981, acquired French nationality in protest against the military dictatorship in Argentina. However, in 1984, he received the Argentine Konex award. And he died in France, on February 12 of that same year.
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Literary Characteristics of Julio Cortázar
Julio Cortázar is part of the call “boom Latin American", a literary phenomenon occurred in the 1960s and 1970 and characterized by the “explosion”, visibility, of Latin American literature in Europe and other parts of the world. For some critics, the hopscotch game and theinaugural work of that period. Because of this, but also because of original elements, Cortázar's works have the following characteristics:
experimentalism
political engagement
fragmentation
stream of consciousness
Psychological depth of characters
existential issues
high intellectual level
Miscellaneous: mix between narrative, chronicle, poetry and essay
Break with temporal linearity
Everyday themes combined with fantastic elements
Magical, fantastic or wonderful realism:
nonsense
absurd situations
strangeness
Mystery
![Cover of the book O Jogo da Amarelinha, by Julio Cortázar, published by Companhia das Letras.[1]](/f/2c7ec85518faa8f23dd671002e590a3e.jpg)
See too: Fantastic tale - type of narrative that goes beyond the limits of reality
Works by Julio Cortázar
Presence (1938)
the other bank (1945)
bestiary (1951)
End of the game (1956)
secret weapons (1959)
the awards (1960)
Cronopios and fame stories (1962)
the hopscotch game (1963)
all fires the fire (1966)
Back to the day in eighty worlds (1967)
62: model to set (1968)
last round (1968)
Observatory Prose (1972)
Manuel's book (1973)
Octahedron (1974)
Silvalandia (1975)
someone who walks around (1977)
one such luke (1979)
We love Glenda so much (1980)
Desoras (1982)
The cosmopist's autonauts (1983)
save the twilight (1984)
Unexpected roles (posthumous) (2009)
the hopscotch game
What stands out in the writer's main work — the hopscotch game — is its structure, because the book can be read in two ways. According to its author, “this book is many books; but, above all, it's two books"|1|. Thus, the reader and reader can choose how they will read the work:
Linear reading, ending in chapter 56.
The reading begins in chapter 73. And, at the end of each chapter, there is an indication of which chapter should be read next.
In all, the hopscotch game has 155 chapters, divided into three parts:
By her side: chapters 1 to 36.
From this side: chapters 37 to 56.
from other sides: chapters 57 to 155.
At firstpart, the book tells the story of Argentine Horácio Oliveira, who lives in Paris, and his relationship with the Uruguayan Maga. Oliveira is an intellectual and is part of the Clube da Serpente, where art is discussed. In contrast, Maga, Rocamadour's mother, is an alienated woman, who therefore clashes with intellectuals.
At second part, the story takes place in Argentina, after Oliveira separates from Maga. At this stage of the work, the protagonist finds himself somewhat lost.
already the third part, is more profound and reflective:
“I'm tying my shoes, happy, whistling, and suddenly unhappiness. But this time I caught you, anguish, I felt you prior to any mental organization, to the first hint of denial. Like a gray color that was a pain and was the stomach. And almost at the same time (but later, this time don't fool me) the intelligible repertoire opened the way, with a first explanatory idea: “And now live another day, etc.” From where he continues: “I am distressed why... etc."|1|
See too: Sagarana - the book of short stories by Guimarães Rosa
Phrases by Julio Cortázar
Next, let's read some sentences by Julio Cortázar, taken from his last interview with the newspaper bugle, from Argentina, in December 1983:
"Human rights are fundamental, an ethical issue, a moral issue."
"I speak as an intellectual who is aware of the problems of the people."
"In every Latin American country, the hues are so great that even comparisons are a failure."
"The problem of every intellectual is a problem of responsibility."
"One who gives full priority to the political message usually writes very mediocre works."
"I have never written a line, thinking of the reader who will read it."
“I'm aware that I don't write to keep my papers in a drawer, but so that they are published and reach a reader.
"Most people are mesmerized by what they are reading and drop their own personality during reading time."
"You have to be honest with yourself."
"The revolution is not made with bees or ants, it is made with men."
"If men continue to defend closed and sectarian positions on what is immoral or moral, what is good or bad, they are not revolutionaries."
“Machismo is one of the sequels of Latin America.”
"Nobody realizes they're sexist until someone puts them against the wall."
"No one is more serious than a boy when he is playing."|1|
Grades
|1| Translations by Warley Souza.
Image credit
[1] Company of Letters (reproduction)
by Warley Souza
Literature teacher
