Borges's 'The Library of Babel' is a surreal masterpiece exploring the infinite complexities of the universe through a metaphorical library. With its intricate narrative and philosophical undertones, the story captivates readers with its portrayal of a boundless cosmos contained within the confines of a vast library. Through Borges's unique literary style, the tale delves into themes of existence, perception, and the pursuit of knowledge, leaving an indelible mark on the landscape of modern literature.
Intro
"The Library of Babel," one of the masterpieces by Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges, depicts a vast library set in a fictional universe where each book contains a unique permutation of letters. Despite its brief length of approximately 7 pages, this short story, composed of 410 pages within a specific linguistic structure, showcases remarkable imagination.
Born in 1899 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Jorge Luis Borges was a novelist, poet, and essayist. His father, a lawyer, also had a keen interest in literature. Borges, who was homeschooled rather than attending school, began his literary career in Spain after the First World War in 1919. He gained fame with his renowned short story collections "Ficciones" and "El Aleph," published in 1944 and 1949, respectively. Borges criticized the dictatorship of the Perón regime in Argentina at the time and spent his later years in Switzerland until his death.
As a writer, Borges is revered not only in Latin American literature but also in world literature. "The Library of Babel," included in his 1944 short story collection "Ficciones," is a work filled with symbolism and metaphor, inspiring numerous subsequent writers and contributing significantly to Borges's esteemed reputation.
Characters
In a work that is arguably difficult to classify strictly as a novel, the characters are not clearly defined. The protagonist, if one can be identified, is the narrator describing the Library of Babel, making the characters ambiguous.
Plot summary
In the universe referred to as the Library, countless hexagonal galleries stretch endlessly. These galleries are stacked endlessly in infinite layers, and from each gallery, one can see other galleries infinitely above and below. In the center of each gallery is an air shaft, and each of the six faces of the gallery has five shelves, while the remaining two faces lead to corridors. Here, the dead are disposed of by others, who throw the corpses into the central void, where they disintegrate in mid-air before reaching the ground. At the end of each corridor is a mirror, leading some to believe the library isn't infinite, but the protagonist insists otherwise.
Meanwhile, each of the 20 shelves in the galleries holds 410-page books, with each page consisting of 32 lines, each line containing around 80 characters. Strangely, the characters do not form coherent text. The protagonist realizes two principles of the library: its existence since ancient times guarantees its eternity, and the total number of characters and symbols is fixed at 25, causing some books to consist of repeated sequences of just three letters.
Once, a librarian discovered that no book is unique, and every book exists in the library. This revelation excited people, some of whom sought to find a "proof of their worth" by locating a "treatise." Others proposed creating the ultimate book by randomly shuffling all characters and symbols. Conversely, some argued for eliminating unnecessary books from the infinite collection.
The protagonist holds a belief that there exists a master catalog containing the essence and secrets of all books in the library, and he believes the library will persist eternally, albeit cyclically, regardless of the fate of humanity.
Review
Like many of Borges' short stories, this work is also difficult to read and understand. Moreover, it lacks a conventional plot and does not progress through events; it merely embodies the author's notions and concepts about the Library of Babel. As one reads along, one can't help but stumble upon Borges' provocation:
"Do you, who are reading my text, believe that you understand the language I have written?"
This work is included in Borges' collection of short stories called 'Ficciones.' Thus, the author explicitly states the fictionality of the narrative from the outset. Could Borges be suggesting that one need not necessarily comprehend his universe? Considering Borges' perplexing expressions within the realm of postmodern literature, such ambiguity is not surprising.
Reading this piece reveals Borges' worldview. It can be described as a collection of metaphors filled with allegory and symbolism, with the Library being a particularly striking symbol. Borges explicitly states what the Library symbolizes in the opening of the story: the Universe.
"The universe (which others call the Library) is composed of an indefinite, perhaps infinite number of hexagonal galleries."
By examining how Borges portrays the Library, one can ascertain his conception of the universe. He perceives the universe as infinite, describing the hexagonal chambers as stacked innumerable layers, resembling cells, with no discernible end. Furthermore, a mirror at the end of each corridor, capable of duplicating everything, leads some to believe the Library is not infinite. However, Borges regards the mirror's existence as evidence of the Library's infinity.
On the other hand, it seems that Borges perceives the universe as exhibiting randomness within strict principles. Each chamber of the labyrinthine library he describes adheres to a structure: a hexagon with four walls, containing a total of 20 shelves, with each shelf consistently holding 32 volumes. Moreover, each book maintains the same number of pages, lines per page, and nearly identical character counts per line.
Additionally, this library operates under the law of having 25 characters and symbols. Yet, each book is composed of these 25 characters and symbols randomly arranged, allowing for practically infinite variations.
Ultimately, it can be inferred that Borges views the universe as a system governed by randomness within certain consistent laws. In other words, the author suggests that the universe infinitely repeats itself, which is an intriguing notion. The mysteries of the universe remain largely unsolved; humanity has barely scratched the surface of its enigma. No one knows what the universe truly is, whether it has an end, why it came into existence, or if it will cease to exist. Speculations abound about whether there are other universes beyond ours or if ours is the only one.
In this work, Borges presents his conception of the universe, yet it is not the definitive answer. Readers are invited to contemplate and empathize with the concepts the author presents or formulate their own interpretations. Personally, I often find myself lost in contemplation of the mysteries of the universe while gazing at the night sky, and in that regard, this work provides me with much food for thought.
As the narrative reaches its conclusion, the author acknowledges the contradictions between the claims of the library being infinite and finite, offering a compromise.
"I propose a solution to this age-old problem: 'The library is infinite, but periodic,'" Borges suggests.
This suggests that the library possesses an infinitely repeating structure, which, when applied to the universe, implies an infinite repetition of the cosmos. Borges's view of the universe seems to be cyclical rather than linear, perceiving it to be governed by certain laws yet exhibiting randomness within them.
This work is likely open to various interpretations, offering insights into the author's perspective on the world. Moreover, Borges's use of the library as a metaphor for human behavior allows for a portrayal of life within its confines.
The actions of individuals within the library reflect the pursuit of truth and the struggle to find it, akin to how the protagonist embarks on a journey to find a particular book amidst the infinite volumes. Some advocate for randomizing and rearranging the books to find the ultimate tome, while others suggest removing what they perceive as unnecessary. These actions mirror the efforts of real-life individuals striving to pursue their ideals and truths.
However, the tragic aspect portrayed in this work lies in the uncertainty of whether the sought-after book truly exists, leading to conflict among individuals in their pursuit. The desperate struggle to possess something whose existence is uncertain vividly illustrates the tragedy of human life. Despite the uncertainty of whether what we seek truly exists or can be realized, we tirelessly strive for it. Perhaps people value the belief in the existence of what they pursue more than its actuality, as it provides the impetus to live.
If I cannot read the book which offers glory and wisdom and joy, permit me at least to bring some spark of it to the hands of others
seems like a cry for the validation that even if one cannot attain their goal, knowing that someone else has seen it would provide the strength to continue the pursuit. It reflects how, in the pursuit of one's goals, individuals often ruthlessly push aside competitors or obstacles without any qualms, mirroring our own behavior.
Reading this work prompts reflection on one's own life journey within the labyrinth of Babel's library.
Final thoughts
Everyone wanders the library with a common question. However, the fact that everyone was born in different rooms of the library and carries their own stories and books seems to be gradually forgotten in today's world. Perhaps it is precisely because people have forgotten this that the disputes, which seem to be increasing in frequency, are escalating beyond mere disagreements into irreconcilable conflicts. When encountering someone other than ourselves in the library, shouldn't our first emotion be camaraderie and curiosity, akin to the library of today, rather than wariness?
