Narrative Structure and Point of View in Julio Cortázar’s...

Narrative Structure and Point of View in Julio Cortà ¡zar’s Hopscotch Julio Cortà ¡zar’s Hopscotch is not simply non-linear fiction, as the novel provides an early precedent for many of the characteristics found in contemporary hypertext fiction. Readers familiar with electronic hypertext fiction will likely notice the similarities in narrative structure, point of view, and the postmodern tenet of form contributing to content. Cortà ¡zar writes in the Table of Instructions that Hopscotch contains 2 books mainly, likely meaning the different reading sequences; however, the first two sections, â€Å"From the Other Side† and â€Å"From This Side,† can be considered the different books to which Cortà ¡zar alludes. Just as distinct plot threads exist†¦show more content†¦As readers we can not disavow our knowledge of Oliveira’s experiences in Paris, particularly regarding La Maga, when reading â€Å"From This Side,† but we should certainly consider the significance of this knowledge, which, for example, creates dramatic irony in the context of Traveller and Talita. The narrative structures of the first two sections do not follow the typical dramatic arc, as no climax or resolution exist in either section. I caution readers against identifying as possible climaxes of â€Å"From the Other Side† Rocamadour’s dying (chapter 28, discussed across various pages) or Oliveira’s leaving La Maga, as the former serves primarily as a catalyst for change; more importantly, Chapter One begins with Oliveira’s asking, â€Å"Would I find La Maga?† (3) because he has already left her. When readers eventually ascertain the plot sequence of â€Å"From the Other Side,† they can see that they do not read along the traditional dramatic arc that develops over time, but rather read segments while immersed in a perpetual middle. This characteristic leaves readers in a continual present in which the passage of time does not progress the plot, much like in hypertext fiction. Although the plot of â€Å"From This Side† develop s linearly, the presumed ending of chapter 56 continues this perpetual present: readers