The Garden of Forking Paths by Jorge Luis Borges

How does the absence of the first two pages affect our understanding and appreciation of the rest of the story?

The absence of the first two pages gives the story the feeling of authenticity, as though the papers were really just found, not written right then. It also gives it more of a realistic feel through the lack of information given to the reader. In fiction writing the author spends time to make sure the reader knows who the characters are and what they are doing, but in found documents the reader must deduce that kind of information from whatever writing is left behind. 

What exactly is the solution that Stephen Albert has discovered to the mystery concerning the project of the narrator’s ancestor?

Albert discovered that the narrator’s ancestor wrote a labyrinth through time. The project of the ancestor makes no sense when viewed from a typical thought process of linear progression of time, leading to many people thinking he was crazy. However, as soon as the solution is said out loud it becomes incredibly obvious that the book, and the labyrinth, were not created to be viewed as one line of time moving through a physical space, but rather a narrator in a space moving through different paths of time. The book is an infinite labyrinth, able to grow and branch off into billions and millions of timelines.

What precisely is the analogy that connects a labyrinth in space with a labyrinth in time? What kind of questions does Borges raise in the story about the nature of Time.

The analogy is the idea that much like a labyrinth you walk through, in time every choice and turn leads you down a new route. While some choices would bring you to the same place, others will lead you to unknown ends. And after every choice more appear, creating a larger and larger web of possibilities as you progress. This raises the question of what happens if we make different choices?  Where would they lead? How many possibilities are really out there?

How does the story relate to hypertext? 

  This story is seen as an example of hypertext before hypertext could be invented. Much like the idea of the labyrinth, the story is full of these links that lead to other stories and facts, forcing the reader to choose at every intersection if they want to follow these ‘links’. In a normal story the reader is pulled along the one line of time, and are not given choices to make about how they want to follow the story, however, including these ‘links’ to outside information creates new paths for the reader to follow, creating a bigger and bigger labyrinth of choices the reader creates for themselves as they read the story.

List all the “authors” in the story, their relationship to each other, and how each contributes to the narrative. Describe how Borges blurs the traditional distinction between author, narrator, and characters.

The author of this story is Yu Tsun, the former professor of English at Tsingtao Hochschule and apparently a spy for the German government. He seems to be both the main character, the narrator, as well as the dictator. The line is blurred because although you know a Dr. Yu Tsun dictated this at the beginning of the story, it is not until the very end that you realize the main character truly was him. The two sides of this character, the professor and the spy, are kept so separate in the story that it seems as if they are two different people, the narrator and the character.  

What other questions does the text of the story prompt you to ask?

The story prompts you to think about the choices you are making in your life and the different paths being created all the time as you approach your life and make decisions. It makes you consider the possibility of worlds where things have gone differently, maybe from the beginning of time. However, it makes me wonder if finding those worlds would be a bad thing. What choices would people make when they knew there was a world where they chose differently? How would people act if they could access those worlds? Would people try on decisions like they try on clothes? How would society change?

The Challenge, by Mario Llosa, is a story is told from a masculine viewpoint, there is no representation of what could be considered feminine ideas anywhere in the story, leaving it very one sided and uninteresting.

Cruz Sierra describes masculine subjectivity as the viewpoint of the world formed from masculine ideals. These are ideas in society about the thoughts, actions, and feelings that are applied to men and considered appropriate when exhibited by masculine presenting figures. These ideas include things such as the role of the protector, internalization of emotions, an active role in society, and strength of will and body. 

The Challenge is told from an entirely masculine binary, excluding any feminine elements unless they are being used to contrast the strength of the men from the frailty of women. The men are represented in strength, not flinching at the danger they are being put into and not allowing themselves to exhibit any emotional response to the events of the story. 

One of the clearest examples of the masculine subjectivity in this story is Justo’s reaction to his father’s presence before the fight. “Thought he was going to hug him but he confined himself to a brusque gesture” (p.396). You can see here the understanding of how a man must act in public, restricting himself from displays of affection. The tone of the narrator when discussing this action also shows the strength the gender roles have over these men, he approves of the brusque gesture over the danger of showing feminine emotion.

Having this story focus solely from a masculine perspective with only masculine tendencies leads to a shallow and unwelcoming story. There is nothing that allows a reader to connect to the characters or create a sense of depth the the men being portrayed. Without the use of the feminine side of the dichotomy the story can only be read at surface level. While there is a feminine piece, when the narrator’s wife shows concern over his actions, this scene is not meant to include femininity but rather show the strength of the man for not exhibiting the same emotions as his wife. Telling the story this way makes it difficult for the reader to feel anything in connection to the characters, even at Justo’s death, leading to an uninteresting and 2-D story. 

Convincing a man to do anything is difficult, doing so without letting him know you’re trying to convince him is even harder. Chus Ferrer is no different. He took some figuring out. At first I had tried flirting with him, tried to get into his bed so I could whisper my ideas while he slept. Turns out he had his eyes and his heart somewhere else. I switched to a new tactic. There is nothing that starts a heart yearning faster than a beautiful voice and soulful, slightly lost eyes. 

Once I got his attention where I wanted it, it was just a matter of planting the ideas. Giving him a script with a mariachi. Suggesting a scene Ferrer could fantasize about long after filming. Mentioning my past ties and the chance I could get him what he wanted. Things fell into place smoother than even in my imagination. Julian was even easier. It took awhile but that was okay, after all this planning a little rest was nice. I used all my tools, made him feel needed, made him feel wanted, and of course, made him want to prove himself. A simple comment here and there, “you are going to look very hot” or “you really turn me on.” Suddenly, I had a mariachi in Spain on set for a movie I was helping produce. 

The movie was a success, even bigger than I had imagined. The Mexican public loves their mariachi, and now they had one representing them on the big screen. With my name in the credits I was finally getting somewhere in the film industry. Chus Ferrer could go live in his fantasy world of mariachi love, I didn’t need him anymore. A little bit of flirting here and a little bit of business there and I started to gather interest in my film. All that was left was to get my lead to come back to Spain. 

I understood him. I knew the attention Chus Ferrer’s film would bring. Julian had never been that interested in games, and here I had given him the exact type he didn’t want. Making sure he didn’t blame me was the hardest part. I waited and waited for his call, and with every day that passes I got more and more nervous the movie had gone too far. If he hated it that much he would never come back and I could never complete my goals. 

I found another film to work on while I waited, and then another one. Finally, I got the call, Julian wanted me to come to him. Wanted me to be with him. I could feel the relief in my chest, I really had done it. I said no. I let him chase me, let him feel like the man.  He canceled his plans. Got on a flight and came here. I let him wait, let him think about me. 

I sat down across from him at the restaurant and looked at his face. It was almost as familiar as my own. At that moment I felt my plans fall apart. I told him everything, all my planning, ally manipulations. Yet, he was still interested. 

I promised to make things right. The fame was an issue, a man attached to an image. But I could use that. My film could be modified, could work in his favor. He agreed. My film is my life, my history, my world, and he agreed to it. I knew why I had chosen him over the other Mariachi’s. I was ready to expose the worst parts of my life for him, to fix the mess I made. To accomplish all of my goals. Finally, I’m ready to tell my own story, the story of Guadalajara.