Ficciones: 17. The South Summary & Analysis

Juan Dahlmann, the story’s protagonist, is the paternal grandson of a German pastor who emigrated to Argentina in the late 19th century. On the other side of his family, his maternal grandfather was killed by Argentina’s natives in a “romantic” death. Dahlmann considers himself Argentinian. He buys a ranch in the countryside but stays in Buenos Aires due to his work. Every summer, he dreams of retiring to his ranch.

One night, Dahlmann walks up his stairs to read The Thousand and One Nights. On his walk, he hits his head. He enters a strange mental state, unable to leave bed. He describes this existence as “hell.” Later on, Dahlmann is taken to a sanitarium, which turns out to be a worse experience than staying in his bed due to cruel treatment. He takes comfort in the fact that he will soon be able to go to his ranch.

After days of agonizing treatment, Dahlmann leaves the hospital to recover in the South. Before he gets on the train, he stops for lunch at a café. He pets a cat and reflects that this contact was an illusion, as man lives time in succession while animals live in an “the eternity of the instant.” On the train, Dahlmann takes out his copy of The Thousand and One Nights to read. He regards his choice to bring the book on his trip as a defiant confirmation that his misfortunes are over, as the book was a part of his original misfortune. He tries to read but finds reality more interesting. As he looks out the window at the passing country, he reflects on the fact that his literary knowledge of the south is much greater than his actual knowledge.

Dahlmann gets off the train on a desolate plain. In the nearest town, he eats a meal at the general store. He thinks he recognizes the shopkeeper, but then realizes that the man simply resembles one of his nurses at the hospital. There, people throw spitballs at Dahlmann. Dahlmann tries to ignore them, opening up his book and trying to get lost in the fantasy of the story. However, when the men continue to torment him, Dahlmann eventually gets up to leave. As he is leaving, the shop owner comes up to him, addressing him by name and telling him to pay the men no attention. Dahlmann is not surprised by the fact that the other man knows his name, even though they’ve never met before.

In a moment of boldness, Dahlmann confronts the men. One of them challenges Dahlmann to a knife fight. An old man throws a knife to Dahlmann, and Dahlmann feels that this duel is fate. Though Dahlmann knows he will lose the fight, he reflects back to his time in the hospital. He realizes that this situation is the one he would have chosen for his own death.