Pathetic wrestlers: perspectivism in "Fenix" by J. R. Ribeyro and "Jacob and the other" by J. C. Onetti

This article offers a comparative analysis of "Fenix" by Julio Ramon Ribeyro and "Jacob y el otro" by Juan Carlos Onetti. Both authors have literary projects that merge in terms of worldview, profiles of their characters, and certain narrative devices. The protagonists of these two short stories are pathetic fighters, in the sense that they both failed in their athletic careers, nobody keeps the faith on them, and their victory won't be praised. The analysis focuses on narrative perspectivism (the variety of narrative voices) and its function in each short story. Finally, I pay attention to the presence of skepticism in the ending of the both narratives. While in "Fenix" fight seems unproductive but provides human dignity, in "Jacob y el otro", fight, although everybody always fails, represents the liveliest emotion for human beings.