Introduction Jorge Luis Borges, born in 1899, is an Argentine short story writer and poet. “The Gospel According to Mark” is one of his stories published in 1970. It covers biblical ideas and crucifixion. It begins with an introduction to Baltazar Esponosa and his journey to his cousin's farm run by the Gutre family. Esponisa spends time with the Gutres after a flood and is eventually transformed into a divine figure. In “The Gospel According to Mark,” Jorge Luis Borges demonstrates extreme control over characterization, theme, and setting to create a beautifully written story with a beautifully executed plot twist, the crucifixion. We say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The way Borges characterizes his characters explains why the Gutre family crucified Espinosa. The audience learns of the Gutre family's strange regression to an older point in the world when Espinosa finds the family's Bible. Espinosa Espinosa is looking at the Bible. Espinosa says: “The news stopped in the 1870s, when they no longer knew how to write. After a few generations they had forgotten English; their Spanish, at the time Espinosa met them, gave them problems.” When Espinosa says this, the reader learns that the Gutres date back almost to an ancient, biblical era. Because of this they are not aware of many modern things. This is a surprising characterization because it explains why the Gutres would consider crucifixion. Through the setting, Borges also provides the context for the end of the crucifixion. An important part of the setting is the flood that occurs in the story. The flood is described for several paragraphs and remains a recurring theme thereafter. In the text it is said that “the Salado has overflowed”. Borges describes a great flood of Junin, which could be compared to the biblical flood of Genisis. This explains why the Gutres could come to see Espinosa as a divine figure. The “Gospel According to Mark” theme also really highlights the crucifixion as its shining star. Borges writes this story as one of naivety and backwardness on the part of the Gutres and of errors of judgment on the part of Espinosa that lead to sacrifice. As stated by the quote in the first paragraph, Espinosa believed that they were naive and innocent people, but their naivety resulted in his death and sacrifice. The Gutres knew no other way, and when Espinosa came and read to them stories of people like them achieving a better life, they made the connection between Espinosa and a divine figure. The theme fits perfectly with the other literary devices. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Conclusion Overall, all three literary concepts fit together perfectly to advance the plot and ending. If the characterization was wrong or the setting wasn't as impeccable, the ending wouldn't make sense. “The Gospel According to Mark” by Jorge Luis Borges takes humanity to a pre-Christ era and suggests what it might be like if humans returned to previous habits.