The House Taken Over: a Metaphor for Personal Transformation

Understanding the Context

You ever think about how a book or story really reflects the world around it? Julio Cortázar's short story “The House Taken Over” is a great example of this idea. It's like a mirror to its own time and place. Written back in the 1940s, it gives us a peek into life in Buenos Aires back then. But, honestly, it's about so much more than just that.

The Story Unfolds

So, here's the deal with the story. It centers around a brother and sister living in their old family home. They call it "our house," and it's pretty much their whole world. These two are all about their routines, barely stepping outside, and not really caring what's going on out there in the big wide world.

Then, one night, everything starts to change. The brother hears these weird sounds from a part of the house they never use. Creepy, right? Those noises soon take over everything, leaving them wondering what's happening to their beloved home.

A Metaphor for Change

Cortázar uses the house as this awesome metaphor for personal change. At first, it's all about safety and comfort—a little bubble that's familiar and cozy. But when things start shifting inside those walls, the siblings gotta face stuff they'd rather ignore.

This transformation isn't easy for them—who likes change anyway? The sister freaks out and decides to bail rather than face the unknown. She's not up for losing what she knows by trying something new.

Different Reactions to Change

The brother though? He’s cool with it. He sees change as just another part of life and decides to check out that mysterious section of their home. Yeah, it's kind of scary, but he's down for exploring where he hasn't been before.

This is really relatable today because everyone's always talking about personal growth and reinventing themselves. The story shows that while changing can be tough and uncomfortable (and let's be real, sometimes painful), it's also exciting—it opens up new doors.

Wrapping Up Thoughts

In the end, “The House Taken Over” gives us a deep dive into what personal transformation can look like using this simple yet powerful metaphor of a house. Cortázar gets how complex dealing with change is—it can totally freak you out but also inspire you.

The story sticks with us because even now, change is something we're constantly dealing with in our lives. So maybe next time life throws something unexpected your way, you'll remember that house in Cortázar's story—as a reminder that while change is inevitable, it might just lead to discovering something amazing about yourself.

References

• Cortázar, J. (1963). The House Taken Over. In End of the Game and Other Stories.
• Echevarría, R.G., & Pupo-Walker E.M., eds. (1996). The Cambridge History of Latin American Literature.
• Williamsen A.J., (1989). Allegory in Cortazar’s Short Fiction: Memory as Social Conscience in Argentina.
• Bellos D., (2009). Personal Transformations: Exploring Contemporary Reflections on Change.
• McMurray G., (2011). Julio Cortázar: New Readings on His Fiction and Essays.