Jorge Luis Borges (1899 -1986) was an Argentine short-story writer, essayist, poet and translator, and a key figure in Spanish-language literature. His best-known books, Ficciones (Fictions) and El Aleph (The Aleph), published in the 1940s, are compilations of short stories interconnected by common themes, including dreams, labyrinths, libraries, mirrors, fictional writers, philosophy, and religion. "The Shape of the Sword" was first published in July 1942. In the story, an Irishman, now in the Irish War of Independence and how he received the large scar on his face. Borges starts the story narrating as himself. He ingratiates himself with the Irishman, and they go out to drink together on the patio. Borges asks about the origin of a crescent-shaped scar on the Irishman's face. His story is as follows. The Irishman describes the war and the introduction of a new comrade, John Vincent Moon, into their band of rebels. He explains that the new comrade was a coward and was arrogant about his mental capabilities but terrified of being hurt. He describes how he himself saved Moon's life when soldiers attacked them. A bullet scraped Moon in the shoulder as they caped, but the wound was only superficial. He and Moon fled together to a general's house, where they stayed for ten days. The ninth day, he went out to avenge the death of some comrades. Moon always stayed at the house, pleading his injury. When the Irishman returned on their last day in the house, he heard Moon on the telephone, selling him to the
23 дек 2020
