Borges- Emma Zunz
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Emma Zunz- Jorge Luis Borges While returning from the textile factory of Tarbuch and Loewenthal on the fourteenth of January, 1922, Emma Zunz found at the back of the entrance hall a letter dated in Brazil by which she knew her father had died. The seal and the envelope fooled her at first; then she became discomfited by the unknown handwriting. Nine or ten scribbled lines sought to fill up the page; Emma read that Señor Maier had ingested a strong dose of veronal by mistake and died on the third of the current month in the hospital in Bagé. The letter was signed by a companion from her father’s boarding house, a certain Fein O’Fain of the Rio Grande, who could not have known that he was addressing the daughter of the deceased. Her first sentiment was indisposition in her stomach and knees; then she felt blind guilt, unreality, cold, fear; then she wanted it to be the next day already. She understood right afterward that this wish was useless because her father’s death was the only thing that had happened in the world and that would keep happening without end. She retrieved the paper and went to her room. She furtively guarded it in a drawer, as if, otherwise, it would meet other ends. She had already started to see them loom; perhaps she was already as she would be. In the growing darkness, Emma cried until the end of the day of the suicide of Manuel Maier, who was Emanuel Zunz in the old, happy days. She remembered summer vacations on a small farm near Gualeguay, remembered (tried to remember) her mother, remembered the house in Lanús that they auctioned off, remembered the yellow lozenge panes of a window, remembered the prison sentence and the opprobrium, remembered the anonymous letters with the newspaper clipping on “the cashier’s embezzlement,” remembered (but this actually she never forgot) that her father, that last night, had sworn to her that the thief was Loewenthal. Loewenthal, Aaron Loewenthal, previously the factory manager and now one of the owners. Emma had guarded this secret since 1916. She had revealed it to no one, not even to her best friend, Elsa Urstein. Perhaps she was
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Transcript of Borges- Emma Zunz
Emma Zunz- Jorge Luis BorgesWhilereturningfromthetextilefactoryofTarbuchandLoewenthal onthefourteenthofJanuary, !"", Emma Zunz found at the bac# of the entrance hall a letter dated in Brazil bywhich she #new her father had died$ The seal and the en%elo&e fooled her at first' then shebecame discomfited by the un#nown handwriting$(ine or ten scribbled lines sought to fill u&the &age' Emma read that )e*or +aier had ingested a strong dose of %eronal by mista#e anddied on the third of the current month in the hos&ital in Bag,$ The letter was signed by acom&anion from her father-s boarding house, a certain .ein /-.ain of the 0io 1rande, whocould not ha%e #nown that he was addressing the daughter of the deceased$ 2er first sentimentwas indis&osition in her stomach and #nees' then she felt blind guilt, unreality, cold, fear' thenshe wanted it to be the next day already$)he understoodright afterward that this wish wasuseless because her father-s death was the only thing that had ha&&ened in the world and thatwould#ee&ha&&eningwithout end$ )heretrie%edthe&a&erandwenttoherroom$ )hefurti%ely guarded it in a drawer, as if, otherwise, it would meet other ends$ )he had alreadystarted to see them loom' &erha&s she was already as she would be$3n the growing dar#ness, Emma cried until the end of the day of the suicide of +anuel +aier,who was Emanuel Zunz in the old, ha&&y days$ )he remembered summer %acations on asmall farmnear1ualeguay,remembered4triedtoremember5hermother,rememberedthehouse in Lan6s that they auctioned off, remembered the yellow lozenge &anes of a window,remembered the &rison sentence and the o&&robrium, remembered the anonymous letters withthe news&a&er cli&&ing on 7the cashier-s embezzlement,8 remembered 4but this actually shene%er forgot5 that her father, that last night, had sworn to her that the thief was Loewenthal$Loewenthal, 9aron Loewenthal, &re%iously the factory manager and now one of the owners$Emma had guarded this secret since !:$)he had re%ealed it to no one, not e%en to her bestfriend, Elsa ;rstein$
