Spanish and Portuguese Language and Literature Commons^™

On The Dark Side: Conrad's "The Secret Sharer" And Valenzuela's "La Palabra Asesino" , Donald L. Shaw

Studies in 20th & 21st Century Literature

Conrad’s famous “The Secret Sharer” and the short story “La palabra asesino” [“The Word ‘Killer’” in its English translation] by the Argentine Luisa Valenzuela both concern psychological self-exploration and self-discovery, through contact with a killer, a situation which challenges conventional moral standards. It is suggested that a comparison between the two stories may throw reciprocal light on both of them. In each story an act or acts of murder becomes a trigger which sets off a train of psychological events, somewhat different in the two cases. Discussion of the differences highlights the authors' priorities and the significance they attach to …