Bloom And Borges Sparknotes

Moreover, while Bloom endorses the linearity of influence, and Borges highlights its fluidity, a third distinct perception emerges. Thompson (2014, p.114) utilises David Foster Wallace’s short story B.I. #59 as a framework from which to interrogate Bloom and Borges’ arguments, detecting, “throughout [Wallace’s] fiction, influence comes not only from the past (as in Bloom’s model), or from a future, anticipated text (as in Borges’s model) but also from the cultural present.” Consequently, Wallace’s narrative is inextricably connected to the present, synthesising a “complex network of antecedent sources” (Thompson 2014, p.129). Thompson (2014, p.129) confirms, noting, “Wallace’s fiction also borrows from the cultural present, in all its varied …show more content…
Bell-Valada (1999, p.53) expands, declaring, “[Borges’] precursor Poe was definitely a kindred spirit and even an originator.” Moreover, Borges (1998, p.196) claims Poe “created a genre”, contending all detective novels “came out of Poe; they were all begotten by Poe.” Borges’ assertions support cultural transmissions, as Poe inspired a literary movement that has retained societal prominent. Bennett (1983, p.263) elaborates, labelling Borges a “perpetuator of literary forms pioneered by Poe.” Further, Bennett (1983, p.263) discerns, “Poe is the author to whom Borges returns most frequently in praise, criticism, and explicit imitation.” Ostensibly, phrases such as ‘perpetuator’ and ‘explicit imitation’ reveal Borges was not merely influenced by Poe, but actively imitated his thematic values. Yet, suggesting Borges exclusively imitated Poe is reductive, and belies Borges’ literary skill. Rather, Borges (1998, p.196) comments, “my style … is far different from Poe, since Poe wrote in what we may call a pompous style, and I write in a rather grey, everyday style.” Thus, Borges does not reflect Poe verbatim, but challenges and develops his central notions. Bennett (1983, p.275) echoes this sentiment, observing, “Borges presents the inevitable confrontation of a late writer not only with a major precursor but with the originator of those very forms that are the necessary vehicles and expressions of his vision.” Therefore, the literary relationship between Poe and Borges is not stagnant and/or linear, as in Leavis (1972) and Bloom’s (1973) conceptions. Instead, Borges simultaneously perpetuates and modernises Poe’s ideals, merging these ideals with his own to allow fluid cultural reconfigurations. Similar factors abound in Borges’ influence upon