Jorge Luis Borges

I decided to blog about the short story by Jorge Luis Borges. This is a very interesting piece, not only because it stimulates the mind by making you think, but because it is very well and uniquely written.

In my personal opinion, I believe that the writer of the story is actually Borges himself. He is the one who jots the tales, but the one who creates them is the speaker of this story. From my point of view, the speaker of the story is actually a metaphor that symbolizes Borges’ imagination. That’s why the speaker says that Borges is nothing without him, because if he had no imagination, he couldn’t write such beautifully composed stories. On the other hand, Borges’ imagination would be nothing without him as well, since it needs someone to physically write down its thoughts.

Zobeide

Zobeide is a city built by several men who had the same dream about chasing a naked woman who is running through a city, but the woman always manages to escape. The men modeled the city they built based on the appearance of the city in their dreams. However, they always closed off all of the possible exits through which the woman could escape. Many men, who had the same dream with the woman, arrived at the city and contributed in building it and trying to trap the woman. The failed, and from continuing to block off the city, they managed to trap themselves within it. The story was very interesting. It kind of teaches you a moral.

Armilia & Argia

Armilia is a city filled with pipes, sinks, and bathtubs. It gives a mystical impression. Only nymphs and naiads live in this city. These are water gods. Since the story mentions that the humans feel they should pay tribute for misusing the water, it gives the idea that water is an important element in the city. How the city first came about is unknown throughout the story.
Argia, on the other hand, represents an undergound city full of dirt. It seems lifeless since there is no movement. The only thing that can be heard every night is a door slamming shut, which I believe symbolizes the door to hell.