Jorge Luis Borges,
 This sword represents the type of sword that gave John Vincent Moon "the scar" at the end of the story.  Picture taken during the Irish Independence Movement 1922. | Setting and Allusions in “Form of the Sword” Setting: There are two settings in the story, one for the frame story and one for the main story. In the frame story, the setting is a small village in Uruguay called Tacuarembro at the time of around the 1950s. In the main story the setting is in Connaught, Ireland during the Irish Independence movement of 1922. Allusions: Some allusions of the story are…A reference to Schopenhauer. Schopenhauer was a German philosopher.Another reference is to the Judas money. Judas was one of Jesus’s diciples. He is famous for turning Jesus over to the Roman Empire, for which he received a large reward. |
Foreshadowing for the story "Form of the Sword"
In the story, foreshadowing is key to understanding the story. Some examples of foreshadowing the story are:
Borges is describing 'The Englishman' (John Vincent Moon), he says that "There were those who said he had been a smuggler in Brazil" (213). This quote shows that 'The Englishman' had a shadowy past.
Another example of foreshadowing would be "His real name is of no importance" (213). This shows that Borges is hiding 'The Englishman's' Identity because he must have done something bad.
One more example is when Borges says that "A couple of times a year he would lock himself up in a room in the tower an, and two or three days later he would emerge as if from a bout of insanity from the battlefield, pale, tremulous, abashed-and as authoritarian as ever" (213). The audience can infer that 'The Englishman is trying to forget those two or three days because he probably did something bad a long time ago.
Foreshadowing helps the reader understand the story because it prepares the reader for what is about to happen.
Exposition: Rain Storm, Narrator stays with 'The Englishman'
Rising Action: When 'The Noble Comrade' saves John Vincent Moon's life.
Climax: When Mr. Moon makes a telephone call and prepares to turn in his savior to the British.
Falling Action: 'The Noble Comrade' gives Vincent Moon his half crescent moon scar and gets shot to death.
Resolution: Vincent Moon accepts his wrong-doing and regrets everything he did.
