Jorge Luis Borges Research Paper

One of the great questions in life is the argument of whether we do things because of fate or free will. Jorge Luis Borges explores these ideas thoroughly in several of the stories in his book, Ficciones. In his stories, Borges uses motifs such as labyrinths and infinity in many of his stories, in order to reflect his style of magical realism. Borges uses infinity to represent the interminable possibilities in life, which is most evident in the stories “The Babylon Lottery” and “The Garden of Forking Paths.” Borges also uses labyrinths to represent the infinite possibilities, however, he also alludes to the idea that all possibilities lead to the same inevitable fate, as seen in “Death and the Compass.” These motifs, along with Borges’ frequent

However, Borges doesn’t use labyrinths literally, and instead uses them to represent the paths and decisions presented in life. Borges reference to labyrinths in “The Garden of Forking Paths” is very Meta in that the descendants of Ts'ui Pên believe the labyrinth to be an actual labyrinth, when the labyrinth is actually a collection of books containing infinite possibilities, which is the same way Borges uses labyrinths. This displays Borges habit of self-inserting himself into his stories; in this case, in the form of the Chinese writer. In the story “Death and the Compass,” Borges uses shapes and puzzles to represent the labyrinth Lönnrot gets pulled into. Scharlach even talks about forming the labyrinth when he says, “I sensed that the world was a labyrinth, from which it was impossible to flee” (Borges 139). He claims that he came to this realization in a feverish haze, which could represent the line between real and magic, which again shows how Borges’ use of labyrinths is metaphorical. Borges uses the metaphorical labyrinth to show how Scharlach was “unable to flee” the decisions we is given and the choices he makes. Borges similarly uses the labyrinth in the story “Tlon, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius.” In the line, “Tlon may be a labyrinth, but it is a labyrinth plotted by men, a labyrinth destined to be deciphered by men” (Borges 34), Borges connects the story back to “Death and the Compass,” by discussing the wish of man to figure out puzzles. In both of the stories, the protagonists try to solve puzzles and mysteries that others have given up on, but their desire to do so dooms them both, as Lönnrot is killed and the protagonist of “Tlon, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius” has his world taken over by the very aliens he was attempting to study. This also demonstrates another way that Borges uses labyrinths in his stories. In “Death and the Compass” there is a lot of discussion about chance and