Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote

“Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote” constantly deploys irony as one of its most common literary devices. In literature, irony can occur when the readers understand the full significance of a character’s perspective and action, while the character themselves does not. The critic in this story does not seem to realize the impossibility of Menard’s project, still seeming to analyze his work with the utmost self-seriousness. The irony present serves to draw attention to the contrast in importance placed on each of the two versions of Don Quixote. The irony, then, serves to highlight the central themes of the work, particularly the Relationship Between Reader and Author, as well as the highly allusive and dense writing parodied by Borges in using the criticism form.

“Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote” serves as a parody of the form of literary criticism, with Borges leaning into the dense and intertextual nature of the form. In doing this, Borges employs a very specific voice, one which is dry, intelligent, authoritative, and opinionated.

When discussing the inspiration for Menard embarking on this project,