I am fascinated in human charater and how writers are able to develop these characters. I would be interested in learning how to write and develop my own style. From a more anylytical point of view, I am also very interested in how well things are written. The best writers have a way of putting into words the most simple things in descriptive ways. A skill that I would like to aspire too.
The Circular Ruins and the Theories of Structure and Semiotics Tuesday, Nov 17 2009
Uncategorized 9:04 pm
Gary Champagne
Dr. Devries
English 3150
December 8, 2009
The Circular Ruins and the Theories of Semiotics and Structure
The evolution of literary theory from Phenomenology to Psychoanalysis has brought about different views and arguments on how to analyze literary work. The best theory to analyze The Circular Ruins, by Jorge Luis Borges, is the theory of Structure and Semiotics. This theory, divided into several categories, looks at how symbolism is structured and what they communicate within a story. The use of metaphors, in terms of structure and semiotics, are inherent in the The Circular Ruins. Coupled with his style of writing, which is classified as Magic Realism, and his use of metaphors, which are intricately woven throughout all of his writings, Borges believes that “metaphors are an integral part of memory and metaphorical language is inherently and primarily visual.” (2) Because metaphors, which are signs substituted for other signs because of their similarities, are so important in Borges’ writings, he created six categories of metaphors of his own that are incorporated in all of his literature.
But not all of Borges’ six categories apply to The Circular Ruins. First and the most basic metaphor, shows a parallel between two visually analogous objects, when the narrator describes the encroachment of fire. “First (after a long drought) a faraway cloud on a hill, light and rapid as a bird; then toward the south, the sky which had a rose color of the leopard’s mouth; then the smoke which corroded the metallic nights; finally, the panicky flight of the animals.” (50) The second of Borges metaphor is when auditory perception is translated into visual terms, this happens when the narrator describes the magician after his son has left. “He perceives the sound and form of the universe with a certain colorlessness.” (49) He inserts his fifth metaphor of time and space when the narrator describes the lecture in the theatre in one of the magician’s dreams. “The faces of the last ones hung many centuries away at a cosmic height, but were entirely clear and precise.” (46) These three examples of how Borges uses metaphors in his writings provide an excellent illustration of semiotics and structure.
Borges uses of metaphors with indexical references are made all throughout the story. Beyond Borges’ categories of metaphors, there are three basic types of symbols that are categorized under semiotics. First is iconic. Iconic means it resembles what it stands for. Second is indexical. Indexical means it is associated with what it is a sign of. Third is symbolic. Symbolic means the sign is only arbitrary or conventionally linked with its referent. (87) Borges uses of metaphors with indexical references are made all throughout the story. “Red Adam who cannot stand alone; as unskillful and crude and elementary as the Adam of dust was the Adam of dreams….” (48) How he structures the metaphors of time and space, parallel between two visually analogous objects and auditory perception is why his writing style is considered Magical Realism.
Magical Realism was a term first used by Franz Roh, a German art critic, in 1925. ”He used the term to emphasize (and celebrate) their return to frugal representation after a decade of more abstract art.” (1) In the 1950s the term began to be applied to Latin American literature. In literature, the term Magical Realism can best be described by “it’s visualizing capacity, that is, by its capacity to create (magical) meaning by seeing ordinary things in extraordinary ways.” (22) Borges’ structures his images to fit together in order to create meaning, which then becomes a “system of systems, a relation of relations.” (89) Borges sets this up by using dreams as the framework in which he develops his systems of systems and relations of relations. The dreams are for the purpose of creation, but the systematic process of education and creation within those dreams thus becomes the relation of relations and the process of creation becomes in of itself a system of systems, a circular nature of a dream within a dream, “At times, he was troubled by the impression that all this had happened before.” (48).
Another part of the system and relation is the human isolation. Tragedy is about human isolation and the need or longing to not be alone becomes the driving force to create a living image of him. Despite his isolation, we also know he is not completely alone. The Magician is on occasion visited by nearby peasants, who leave food. It is not until the end that the narrator describes him communicating to the gods of fire seeking a sense of validation for his creation. Once the image is created, he is sent off to live in a nearby circular ruin to live in isolation. Both are isolated from each other to begin the process of creation and destruction all over again.
How this tragedy of creation and destruction is told is another form of structure based on a system and relation called Narratology. Narratology consists of generalizing the model of myths into a “quasi-objective existence that unfold their own concrete logic with supreme disregard for the vagaries of individual thought and reduce any particular consciousness to a mere function of itself.” (90) This can be done in the form of a narration or narrative. In The Circular Ruins, the narrator of the story is heterodiegetic, the narrator is absent from the story and serves only to provide a description of the story. One of which he either is watching from somewhere or is passing down the story from an oral tradition point of view. The narrator in The Circular Ruin is telling the story, not only as if he is watching it, but as if others are watching it as well, ”which some narrators of his story prefer to compute in years and others in lustra.” (47) The point of view of the narrator in The Circular Ruins is that of a tragic myth with its own concrete logic of quasi-objective existence of creation and destruction that repeats itself over and over again.
This creation and destruction in The Circular Ruins also falls into the tragic genre of apocalyptic indexical symbolism. The end of the story best exemplifies this when the narrator describes how the ruins are destroyed by fire. Borges descriptive use of themes and symbols of the story are structured and well developed in a way that categorizes the story to include the genre of tragedy with irony. The description of the magician in isolation appears to be by choice so that he can complete his life’s purpose. “His purpose, supernatural, was to dream a man and insert him into reality.”(46) This creation story has similarities to the creation story in the Book of Genesis. The narrator describes the man wanting to make a perfect image of him which is very similar to God creating Adam in his own image. “As unskillful and crude and elementary as this Adam of dust was the Adam of dreams fabricated by the magician’s night of effort.” (48) In order to create the perfect image, the man works for years through his dreams. His dream of creation leads him to dream an amphitheater full of phantoms of which he instructs them in “anatomy, cosmography, magic and countenances.” (46) Unsuccessful with his first protégé, the magician embarks on a second attempt and becomes successful with the help of the fire gods. Only the magician and the fire gods know the true identity of the phantom. His image, “not to be a man, to be projection of another man’s dream,” (50) is defined by the fact that fire will only embrace him and not consume the image.
The creation of the mere image to fit together with the images of the magician and the fire gods are good examples of how Borges uses images to form structure. First, there are the multiple gods symbolized by the tiger, horse, bull, rose and tempest “revealed to the magician that its earthly name was Fire.” (48) Second, the Gods of fire order the magician to give life to the image and instruct it through the process of his dreams. Third, the phantom is born and is instructed to practice the same rites in another circular ruin to begin the process all over again.
Borges use of the title of the story, The Circular Ruin, is ironic and indexical as to how everything is cyclical and similar to creation stories by some cultures. The ruins were destroyed by fire long ago and are once again destroyed by fire in the end of the story. After the destruction by fire, a new creation story begins repeating the dream. Another example is when the magician dreamt an image and brought it to life. Only the gods of fire knew its true nature. When the magician is consumed by fire, he realizes that he is also nothing more than a dream. “With relief, humiliation, with terror, he understood that he too was a mere appearance, dreamt by another.” (50) The revelation of the dream provides answers for the magician and he begins to understand that life is temporary with no clear answers.
Borges does not provide any clear answer, for the story, in his use of themes and symbols. The relation to the dreams, magician and god of fire provide contrasting ideas in terms of creation and destruction and what they symbolize. “The man emerged from sleep… and understood that he had not really dreamt.” (47) Other questions arise throughout the story as to what the main character is phantom, dream, magician, god, or lesser god. After a dream, he awakens and what is left behind for him appears to be an offering of some figs and a jug from nearby peasants. Or were the offerings left for the god of fire? The god of fire is not only a god of destruction, but also a god of creation. He is comprised of a multiple of creatures with the power to give life and give the phantom an appearance of living flesh. Holding true to its very nature, the god of fire destroys everything except the dreamer. Which leads to the question, was the dreamer dreamt by the gods of fire? Or is there another dreamer just like him that created him in order to continue the cycle.
Borges is a master at using symbols and metaphors to form structure. He eloquently weaves a system of systems and relation of relations throughout the story giving a reader a sense of mystical reality. The mythical framework of The Circular Ruins provides a strong narrative that describes a tragic and ironic tale of a dream of creation and destruction that recycles itself. Borges theme of dreams and circular life provides a framework for metaphors that are symbolic of how life repeats itself. In some cultures, such as the Hopi, who state in the Book of Hopi that there are nine worlds of existence of which we are in the fourth world, provide a good example of stories of destruction and recreation. Another example is the Bible which tells of a previous world destroyed by flood, and after this world there is to be another world that will last for a thousand years. Life is circular becomes the framework for The Circular Ruins. By weaving three of his own categories of metaphors into the framework, Borges provides an imagery that cannot be analyzed in any other theory other than structure and semiotics. His structure and use of metaphors is why his stories are classified as Magic Realism. All of which are well defined in the theories of structure and semiotics.
Works Citied
Borges, Jorge Luis. Labyrinths, New York: New Directions Publishing Company, 1962. (46-50)
Eagleton, Terry, Literary Theory an Introduction. 2ed. St. Catherine’s College, Oxford.
Blackwell Publishing, 1996. http://kdevries.net/teaching/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Eagleton.pdf. (80, 83, 84, 89, 90)
Parkinson, Zamora, Lois. The Visualizing Capacity of Magical Realism: Objects and
Expression in the Work of Jorge Luis Borges. University of Houston. http://www.janushead.org/5-2/zamora.pdf (22)
Wall, Catherine E., Jorge Luis Borges, Interart Aesthetics, and the Hispanic Avant-Garde:
Apuntaciones critics: la metafora’ (1921). Romance Quarterly, Spring 2001, Vol. 48 Issue2, p100, 11p http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.lib.csustan.edu:2048/ehost/detail?vid=3&hid=12&sid=144afb0e-658e-404d-8d92-b5c8f8c5fcfe%40sessionmgr12&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=afh&AN=5358441 (2)
Theory essay Thursday, Nov 5 2009
Uncategorized 10:01 pm
I plan to work with The Circular Ruins using semoitics to explore/answer/and understand the meaning behind the story.
Remixing the book of sand Thursday, Oct 22 2009
Uncategorized 7:36 pm
Remixing the book of sand would be an interesting and challenging way of interpeting the book. The visualization and special effects that could possibly be generated could have an interesting impact on an audience. In fact the thought of writing a script would lead me to do something along the lines of The Twilight Zone or finding film clips that can reflect a silent film with closed caption. The mystical existence of the book and what does it symbolize and the struggle and conflict of the narrartor’s inability to come to terms with what it all means. I think a music background is important. A song I would incorporate is Carry on my Wayward Son by Kansas and possibly others.
Tools people use for writing or reaearch Thursday, Oct 22 2009
Uncategorized 7:25 pm
Tools used for writing or research very in great detail. The simplest form is a pencil and paper. From there we can incorporate a wide variety of things such as books, newspapers, computers, journals borucheres to name a few. From these items we can go into much further detail in taking different avenues for example a computer can be used for a variety purposes. It can give you links to various websites and provide detailed information about specifec topics. Also it is a user beware mechanism as in much of anything else we must dtermine credibility of the source. Television, theatre and radio are also sources.
The Book of Sand Saturday, Oct 10 2009
Uncategorized 1:50 am
Gary Champagne
Professor Devries
English 3150
06 October 2009
The Book of Sand
The Book of Sand, by Jorge Luis Borges, is full of a myriad of symbolism provoking thought and ideas as to what is life or the meaning of life. Borges, or shall we call him the narrator, starts with providing a description of volume of which he makes clear is not intended to be geometrical, but it does provide for a description for space. His use of symbolism is evident throughout the story. He starts by trying to tie it in to the veracity of the story when he states “To claim that is it true nowadays the convention of every made-up story. Mine, however, is true.” His position on the truthfulness of the story is by design to set the reader up, but for what?
The narrator best describes himself as a collector of Bibles of variety in literary content and assorted languages. His scholarly experience in reading them also explains his viewpoint in describing Luther’s Bible as the “worst.” As we know the Bible is a guide on how to live life and some may arguably claim that it provides for the meaning of life. He is not alone in trying to find out what does this all mean. The narrator introduces us to an old man who knocks on his door. He is also a collector of Bibles. He is a foreigner who also appears to be in search of the meaning of life. He offers the narrator a Holy book with the words “Holy Writ” inscribed on the spine with the name Bombay written below it. The old man tells the narrator how he had acquired the book form a Talisman of a lower caste society. The old man considered this Talisman illiterate and for a few rupees and a Bible he acquired the book. Upon giving up the book, the Talisman refers to the book as The Book of Sand because it appears that the book, like sand, has no beginning or end.
Upon first inspection, the book appears several hundred years old and unusually heavy. In appearance it has similar qualities of an old Bible, well worn, typographically poor with double columns and ordered in versicles. To add to the puzzling nature of the book, it appeared to be written in Indian with numbers in Arabic that were placed in random order. If that wasn’t perplexing enough, the book never opened to the same page twice. This symbolic mystical nature of the book appears to represent the infinity of time and space as the guest states “If space is infinite, we may be at any point in time.” Is the old man suggesting that the symbolic meaning of the page numbers and what are on the pages are infinite only to be confined within the space they are in? And if this is so does a single page represent a grain of sand so small in time and space that it is limited by its very nature, but still is a part of the whole.
But what then does a grain of sand truly represent? If we are to consider the symbolic meaning of a grain of sand to symbolizing a human life, then as a human does it also signify our limitations? Are we nothing more than a grain of sand taking up space for a limited time? If we are to view humans in a much broader context of the infinity of time and space, what is our role and what is our connection? Are we equipped to know or understand any of it? In other words, are humans capable of understanding all that ever was and all that will ever be in the infinity of time and space? The obvious answer is no! Why? Because as humans we are limited by our very own capacities which in turn also limits our abilities. We are capable of certain things and incapable of others. Without knowing our true potential we are provided with an opportunity to express free will. Based on this freewill our successes and failures will provide boundaries of which we will find our limits.
If this is true, our limitations will prevent us from knowing the purpose of time and space and the role we play in it. Which brings us to our next question, what is the purpose of our existence? If a human nothing more than a grain of sand ill-equipped to understand all there is in the infinity of time and space, then are we not anything more than a piece of that space passing through time. But how much time will we exist and for what purpose? Is it easier to try and ponder our existence and acquire some profound meaning? What is that purpose and why? It is in our nature to question this very thing and seek answers. But if we can accept that we are truly nothing more than a grain of sand, and we are truly limited in our capacity, then we will never find the meaning of life. So what we are left with? Getting to know our own limitations and making the best of what we have. We all have been given unique abilities which are limited. Yet we are further limited within those limitations.
The narrator provides us with a good example as to what it means to know your limitations. Intrigued by the book he begins to covet it. Unknown to him, the guest’s intention is to get rid of the book, they agree on a price and the book soon becomes an obsession which starts to consume his life. Upon careful inspection of the book, he finds the only thing constant within the book are the illustrations that appear every two thousand pages apart and are never repeated. Also, the book has neither a beginning or an end. His obsession in finding a meaning drives him into a self imposed exile. Upon coming to his senses he realizes that he has lost his friends and more less has becomes a hermit. He has come to recognize that he is unable to crack the meaning of what book is all about. The infinity of the book meant that he could never finish what he had started. He finally figures out that it is time to part with the book. Instead of selling it or donating it to the local library, he decides to hide the book where hopefully no one can find it deep in the bowels of the library where he once worked. There he hoped the book can rest where no one can find it and become consumed with it as he did. The narrator had finally come to terms with his own limitations. Unable to unlock the secret of the Holy Writ, he believes it is best that the book be left alone to exist in its own time and space for infinity.
The Bible symbolizes book ends as the Alpha and Omega of time and space. This is done through the symbolic passing of ownership of the Bibles for the Holy Writ. The beginning of ownership is acquired through purchasing the Holy Writ with a Bible and the selling of the Holy Writ by acquiring another Bible. In a sense we can say that there is an alpha and omega in the passing of time and space in the ownership of the Holy Writ. Through an analysis of the Bible, we can say that the purpose of the Bible is to provide for a way of life. If one chooses to live their life according to the Bible, they will not unlock the meaning of life. However, they will live a meaningful one. The Bible is a guide with boundaries, which are subject to interpretation and in turn, only serves to reinforce our very limitations of existence. At some point in time, we must put aside and bury what it all means and for what purpose, deep down in the recesses of our minds and learn to enjoy what we have and who we are for the limited time we have. If we don’t, we stand a chance of losing what little precious time we have to enjoy the gift of life.
With this gift of life we are also given gifts. We must find nurture and develop them. These gifts that we have been given allow us to do many wonderful things. The gift of life is not only an opportunity to exist, but it is also a chance to become enlightened, creative, and constructive. So what is the meaning of the Story of the Book of Sands and its symbolic gestures of time and space and what is the connection with the buying and selling of the Bibles for the Holy Writ? Do the Bibles in this story symbolize a beginning and an end? Does the symbolic meaning of the Holy Writ represent humanity and its existence as humans pass through time and space? Are birth and death symbolized through the passage of time and space as a page appears and then disappears in the Holy Writ? The purchasing and selling of the Bible appears symbolic of God as the alpha and omega. If God truly is the alpha and the omega, does this in turn mean that God is also Time and Space? If God is time and space, then does that make us a small piece of fabric of God that exists for a fraction of infinity within that time and space? If this is true, then what can be God’s intention be with us? What purpose do we serve God? The search for what it all means will never be answered in our existence as we know it. If Revelations in the Bible is to let us know that life will exist after death, then if we are to follow the guide the Bible sets forth are we to believe that the true meaning of life will be revealed to only those who are worthy and just? Only Time will tell if this is true.
Story by John Crowly Thursday, Oct 8 2009
Uncategorized 9:32 pm
Then Story by John Crowley isd intertesting is how it is structured. A fictional account of a story wwhich is embedded in a dream. If using a thoery based on psychoanalysyis would could read into sexual oppression as the story in the dream begins with reference to old Greek custom sex between men and boys as a norm in society. But also dreamer has a desire or need to help the oppressed or those who may be ostracised. He helps rescue a girl from death because of an illicit act. Then he helps release the descendecnt of pan. He has feelings of represseion that needs released as he says “
“Now go,
again. Hide from them when you must; despoil them when you can.
Seize on their wives and daughters,
piss in their vegetable gardens, tear
down their fences, drive mad their sheep and goats. Teach them fear.
Never never let them take you again.
I said to him. Live. Take care they do not come near you”
He has contempt an anger for the oppressors of which he must let go and is only able ot within his dream.
Wednesday, Sep 30 2009
Uncategorized 1:45 am
In review of the Book of Sands and The Circular Ruins both stories provide symbols that represent or reflect life. The Book of Sands can be viewed as the book of life. Both time and space are infinite. God can be represented by the bibles that were given in exchange for the Book of Sands. The Book of Sands itself can be the book of the living. As you open a page you have a different page number on both sides representing two different lives. Once their life disappears the page disappears. When a new life begins a new page appears. It becomes infinite in both time and space. God is the beginning and the end.
The Circular Ruins appears to be a creation story influenced by the Incas. The story is filled with symbolism as fire represents earth. Life is given in a dream to a phantom. At one point the dreamer wants to take back some knowledge because he sees more than good, In the end we find the dreamer is also no more than a dream of someone else. Who also may be a dream. On point of view is that the dreams are reoccurring and may represent mankind and their inability to learn from mistakes.
I was unable to access the Book of Sands puzzle. However, The Circular Ruins was an intriguing piece. The voice helped provide a sense vision in as if he was the dreamer. It was quite interesting in his use of diction in his story telling ability.
What was the Author’s intent? Thursday, Sep 24 2009
Uncategorized 6:50 pm
The first thing that came to mind was the intent to show a sense of order. phenomenology had to have come first since it is the science of the phenemona. The understanding that “being and meaning are interlinked with one another. Once we begun to create literature then comes Hermeneutics which begins to question what is meant in literature. Or the science of interpertation. And it wasn’t until after that the the readers role became significant in how he brings in his/her interpretation based on their culture beliefs and personal experience.
Is there one correct meaning? Without knowing the authors intent this is an impossible questions to answer. However it is safe to presume that there is one meaning. For the sake of argument, lets say that there is only one meaning. Depending on how it is worded (i.e. literarty context) may be subjective based on personal and cultural experiences. Ultimately, the reader will have the final say so in how and what they interpret from the text.
Hello world! Tuesday, Sep 15 2009
Uncategorized 6:48 pm
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