Re: 9/5 The Aleph and the Other Stories

[포틴]

아래의 단편을 읽습니다.
0. The Aleph
1. The Street Corner Man + Rosendo's Tale: 이 두 편은 같은 얘기를 다른 두 사람이 하는 겁니다. 그래서 묶어서 하나로 읽습니다.
2. The Approach to Al-Mu'tasim
3. Ibn Hakkan al-Bokhari, Dead in His Labyrinth + The Two Kings and Their Two Labyrinths: Labyrinth 에 대한 두 편을 묶어서 역시 하나로 읽습니다.
 
Discussion Questions
 

1. Who do you think is the greatest writer who never received the Nobel Prize? (e.g., Tolsty)

2. Of the three stories above (Stories 1, 2, and 3, excluding The Aleph), which one do you like best? Explain what the story is about and why you like it, and discuss what you think Borges was trying to convey through it.

The Street Corner Man + Rosendo's Tale

3. After reading Rosendo’s Tale, was there any changes in viewing the story, The Street Corner Man and people in it? How does shifting to Rosendo's internal reality change your judgment of his 'cowardice' and the neighborhood's macho code?

The Approach to Al-Mu'tasim

4. In the final paragraph and footnote, Borges compares The Approach to Al-Mu'tasim to potential inspirations, while dismissing the connection between Homer’s Odyssey and James Joyce’s Ulysses (‘harebrained’ as he put it). Borges introduces Parliament of Birds (Mantiq ut-Tar) by Farid ud-Din Attar in commonality around the theme, metempsychosis (the transmigration of souls) but is rather neutral in their connection—by saying “…the point of contact between the two works are not many.” What purpose does this move serve in the context of the story—is it a genuine attempt at source tracing, or a metafictional distraction?

Ibn Hakkan al-Bokhari, Dead in His Labyrinth + The Two Kings and Their Two Labyrinths

5. In Ibn-Hakkan, the labyrinth is a massive brick structure built to hide a man, whereas in The Two Kings, the labyrinth is the featureless, infinite desert. How do these two opposing visions of a 'labyrinth' redefine what actually makes a trap inescapable—is its physical complexity or sheer isolation?

The Aleph

6. The Symbolism of the Aleph
Beyond being a physical point where all space converges, what does the Aleph symbolize or provoke in the story? Is it a metaphor for human imagination, a critique of our desire for total knowledge, or a mirror for how we process grief and loss?

7. Carlos Argentino Daneri: Genius, Hack, or Cultural Satire?
Borges portrays Daneri’s poetry as painfully mediocre, yet Daneri wins the Second National Prize for Literature while Borges receives zero votes. Is Borges simply an unreliable narrator blinded by personal jealousy, or is he using Daneri to satirize the pretentious, hollow nature of the Argentine literary establishment?

8. Total Knowledge vs. Oblivion
The story contrasts the total omniscience of the Aleph with the forgetfulness of the human mind—symbolized by Borges gradually losing his memory of Beatriz's face. Does Borges view this as a necessary grace that allows us to survive grief? Why?