The Gospel According to Mark: An Exploration of the Darker Domains of the Primitive Mind George Thomas College

The Gospel according to Mark written by Jorge Borges is a brilliant short story that captures the attention of the reader through the craft of tight narration leading to a shocking climatic action. The suddenness of the climax stuns the reader for some time, but when he or she turns to pick up the clues strewn all over the plot, feels compelled to appreciate the primitive world created by the author through the use of few connected, seemingly ordinary events; a world in which the unexpected slaughter of Balthasar Espinosa, a very likable young man, seems perfectly explainable. At the end, the author is capable of delighting the reader by throwing light to the mysterious hidden realms of the primitive psyche.

Let us jump into the most important question that the story creates in the mind of the reader. What provokes the Gutre family to sacrifice Balthasar at the end of the story? The intentions of the Gutres are not very clear, as they are not much expressive. The mystery surrounding the archaic world in the ranch is amplified by the fact that there is very little communication happening between the Gutres and Balthasar. But when the Gutres speak, they end up giving vital clues that will help the reader decode their thought...