Borges and I

After our adventure into the realm of strange and post-modern, we can revert into a more comfortable genre: short stories. For this topic, we’ll tackle something a bit different, the collection of short stories and essays by Jorge Luis Borges, called Labyrinths This collection is usually analyzed from a post-modern perspective, as Borges was one of the creators of the genres and leaders in its criticism. However, the work does have aspects that can have meaning made from them when the formal method is applied.

                It is important to note that the collection is all made up of short stories. Borges did not write long fiction in his entire body of work, and there is a purpose to that choice. The form of the short story affords and implies meaning and helps along the creative and self-reflexive theme that dominates the work of Borges.          

                First, the short story recalls storytelling, an act innate to human nature. It is as if Borges were coming up with this story or telling it all to us himself- these can be read in one sitting. Short story carries on the oral tradition, which is valued by Borges. Secondly, the brevity of the oral form lends itself to lightness and playfulness. A light and playful style is paramount to the effect of the stories- if they are taken too seriously, the true meaning cannot be derived. The true meaning, in many cases, is a purpose to flaunt the author-reader dialogue and play with the notion of storytelling itself. The style opposes the rigidity implied by written language, and introduces a sort of spontaneity. Lastly, the idea of a narrative economy is supported by the short form of the stories. A narrative economy is the idea that nothing in the text should be included that is unnecessary to the development of the narrative. This approach places narrative first, and the form stresses it.

                Borges choosing to write exclusively in the short story and essay is critical to the understanding of his work, but also has implications for literature as a whole. The post-modern movement goes along with the short story, as a more intellectual, theoretical, and abstract way of thinking. It strives to break the chains of the tradition of the Ayn Rand-esque tome. It doesn’t take itself so seriously, but it is absolutely serious in intention. Perhaps, for the future, we may be seeing a divergence from the novel altogether. Interestingly, this would be a reversion back to the oral tradition, where a story is only as long as it can be remembered. We will see how the work of Borges and others has contributed to the development of text as a whole.

Kefala, Eleni. "Borges and Narrative Economy: Conservative Formalism or Subversion of Signification?" Variaciones Borges 18 (2004): n. pag. Borges.pitt.edu. Web. 5 June 2016.