In “The South”, Jorge Luis Borges focuses on the life of Juan Dahlmann, a secretary of a library that seeks a romantic death, like that of his deceased grandfather. However, in February 1939, while walking up the stairs, Dahlmann manages to acquire a laceration on his forehead, which causes him to be bedridden and feverish for several days. As a result, he is taken to the sanitarium, where he undergoes several medical examinations and discovers that he has septicemia. Dahlmann is overcome by anger and hatred as he realizes that a romantic death is no longer possible. Thus, unable to handle this situation, Dahlmann constructs his own version of reality, which becomes the central theme of the story. The fabric of reality is altered in order to allow Dahlmann the opportunity to die a romantic death, like that of his grandfather. Throughout the story, Dahlmann demonstrates a strong desire to eliminate some aspects of reality as seen when Borges writes, “Perplexed Dahlmann decided that …show more content…
As a result, the legitimacy of this world is brought into question. Nevertheless, it is the creation of this contrived world that provides Dahlmann with the ability to fight a man that has disrespected him. Although, there is reluctance at first due to the lack of a weapon, Dahlmann is quickly given a naked dagger and accepts the duel, “He felt that if he had been able to choose, then, or to dream his death, this would have been the death he would have chosen or dreamt” (174). By accepting the dagger and the duel, even if it were in a fabricated reality, Dahlmann is able to finally achieve his goal of dying in a similar manner to that of his grandfather, and escape his true fate of dying in a hospital. Thus, the tone of the story is able to shift from one of anger to one of peace and