Have you ever read an instruction manual on how to climb a staircase? This may seem absurd as climbing a staircase is such a common event that we take for granted. But Julio Cortazar has written ‘Instruction on How to Climb a Staircase’ and ‘Instructions on How to Wind a Watch’ to present us with a new way of looking at the intricacies of everyday life. The excerpt from ‘The Instruction Manual’ by Julio Cortazar can be read from many different perspectives.First, we can read it as a reminder of how everyday events and objects which we take for granted are in fact incredibly complex.
This in turn functions to raise our awareness of the complexity of humans, encouraging us to view humans with admiration and wonder. Second, we can read the story as drawing our attention to the way in which we humans can sometimes allow the possession of material goods to govern our lives. Third, we can read it as a commentary on the manner in which time can consume us and lead us to be obsessed with it.Fourth, we can read it as a reminder of the omnipresence of death and the need to accept death as an integral aspect of human life. From one perspective, this excerpt can be read as a representation of the complexity of everyday life and the human mind.
The first part of this excerpt, ‘Instructions on How to Climb a Staircase’, is written in a formal style, similar to an instruction manual, using mathematical language, such as “right angle”, “parallel” and “perpendicular”, thus de-familiarising the daily event of climbing a staircase and presenting a new perspective to the reader.The use of second person point of view allows the reader to directly follow through the ‘instructions’ as if they themselves are climbing the stairs, and thinking the thoughts the writer is putting into their heads. This further de-familiarises the event of climbing a staircase, as it seems to be the reader who requires these instructions. The writer’s descriptions also support this idea, as they depict known objects, such as staircases, shoes and feet, as foreign objects, which are being described for the first time.
For example, Cortazar describes a foot as “that part of the body located below and to the right”. The detail in these descriptions allow the reader to see the human mind as something to be admired, as all these daily events in our lives are performed without a second thought. The first part of the excerpt shows the reader the brilliance and intricacy of the human minds, but the second part of this excerpt depicts another side of humans, the side of us which can sometimes allow the possession of material objects to govern their lives.The second part of this excerpt, ‘Preamble to the Instructions on How to Wind a Watch’, depicts the reader receiving a watch, describing the watch as a “tiny flowering hell”, a “wreath of roses” and a “dungeon of air”. These descriptions are a juxtaposition of apparently contradicting images, as hell is not usually expressed as tiny and flowering, wreaths are normally associated with funerals, while roses are associated with love, and a dungeon is not a place that is spacious and filled with air.
This is mentioned at the start of the text and could be interpreted that the reader has to make a decision about whether the watch is good or bad. Later on in the passage, the watch is portrayed as a burden through the mention of the idea of having to wind it everyday, making sure it is set to the correct time, and always having a fear of it being stolen, thus presenting the idea that as time goes by, the watch becomes an obsession, not a gift.This idea can be reflected in present society, as when a person purchases material goods, the immediate feeling is happiness, but over time, the material object becomes a burden and obsession, and having negative consequences. The writer also describes the watch as being connected to the reader, such as “they are gifting you with a new, fragile, and precarious piece of yourself” and “they’re giving you yourself for the watch’s birthday”, all relating to the idea of obsession; that the watch has the ability to take over your life by giving you responsibilities in which you cannot handle.
This theme is further developed in the second paragraph of ‘Instructions on How to Wind a Watch’, with the watch being portrayed as a living being, describing its “veins” and having “cold blood”, suggesting the us that the watch has more power than the wearer. These examples all relate to the fact that humans can let the possession of material objects govern their lives, and portraying humans in a bad light. As well as representing material goods, the watch in the passage can also be read as a representation of time. This excerpt can also be read as a portrait of how people can be consumed and obsessed with time, with the atch representing time, and how time will run out in the end. In ‘Preamble to the Instruction on How to Wind a Watch’, the writer depicts the wearer as being obsessed with the watch, and time, and the reader is given thoughts such as having “an obligation to wind it” and an “obsession of looking into the jewellery-shop windows to check the exact time”.
The idea of fear that time will run out contributes to this and intensifies the obsession. This reading can be reflected in society, as the ongoing fear of time running out can be seen in everyone.The element of time can lead to the idea of death, as when there is no time left, the only escape is death. From a different perspective, this excerpt can be read as a representation of the fact that we cannot escape death, as it is always there, and that death is an essential stage of human life. The third part of this excerpt, ‘Instructions on How to Wind a Watch’, depicts this idea, with the first sentence of the passage, “Death stands there in the background, but don’t be afraid”, allowing the reader to believe that there is an omnipresence of death.
The writer continues by describing how to wind a watch, giving a sense that the watch can create time, and can “outrun” death, and also labelling the mortality of human beings. The watch is now represented as a fantastical and fictional object, by being able to create time. Following this is a description of a world where there is infinite time, with the way in which the sentences are written contributing to the idea. Long sentences, words and vowels are used, which could be read as slowing down time- “trees spread their leaves, boats run races”, “breezes of earth” and “the sweet smell of bread”.
This is rapidly contrasted in the following paragraph, with the writer using short phrases and words, creating a sense of running out of time- “What did you expect, what more do you want? ”. These examples depict the writer using the language and sounds, as wells as the content of the text, to create the appropriate emotions in the reader. This can be read as a reminder that life can quickly end, before the person has time to realise this.The last sentence of this excerpt, “And death is there in the background, we must run to arrive beforehand and understand it’s already unimportant”, summarises the idea that we cannot escape death, and that we should not fear death, as fearing death will not be of any help in the end. This excerpt can be interpreted in many ways. In one sense, it is a representation of the complexity of everyday life.
From another perspective, it is a reminder of how humans can sometimes allow material objects to rule over their lives.It can also be read as an illustration of the manner in which time can consume us, and lead us to be obsessed with it. However, from a different perspective, this excerpt can be read as a representation of the omnipresence of death, and that we should not fear it. Although this story may seem strange, Cortazar has illustrated many ideologies that can be related to the people in today’s society. So, even a small thing in life, such as climbing a staircase, can represent a large idea in society.
