The Spatial Construction of Difference in Milton Hatoum’s Dois Irm os

This essay offers a reading of Milton Hatoum’s novel Dois irm os (2000) through the focus on the description of space. Central to the book is the discussion of the ways in which differences may or may not be reconciled. I argue that the dispute between the twin brothers reflects a concern for other kinds of oppositions that are made visible through the juxtaposition of spaces such as the Amazon/ the Orient, the city/ the forest, the house/ the maid quarters, among others.