Victoria Gornopolskaya

After reading the essay “Narrative Art and Magic,” by Jorge Luis Borges, I stopped to think about the different ways that art and magic could apply to a particular narrative. I came to the conclusion that art and magic must exist in any well-thought out narrative in order for a story to really connect as opposed to just words on a page. Borges draws an example from the epic tale of Odysseus and how he escapes the sirens’ songs of death through magic and courage. In doing so he shows that figurative language and innovative creativity are key tools for a writer when trying to make an impact through the use of magic. I also believe that by using the movie The Showdown, as an example Borges is saying that all great narratives must begin with a rising action that sets off this chain reaction of events that make a great story cohesive and artistic in approach.