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How was your understanding of cultural and contextual considerations of the work developed through the Interactive Oral?FiccionesGrace Geyerinfluences and illusionsHow does the Holocaust, modernism, existentialism and Marxism play a role in the interpretation of Ficciones?The Holocaust: persecution and murder of 6 million Jews by the Nazis Borges did not agree with the way Nazis treated Jewish peoplemodernism:a trend of thought that makes human beings want to create, improve and reshape their environment new industrialized worldexistentialism: the search and journey for true self and personal meaning in lifecentered upon existence and the way humans find themselves Marxism:there is a dominant classthe belief that the struggle between social classes is a major force in history and that there should eventually be a society in which there are no classesNicole NicholsEinstein’s Theory of Relativity To what extent can Einstein’s Theory of Relativity be applied to the chapters in Ficciones and what can we derive from Borges use of Einstein’s theory in the novel?Einstein’s Theory of Relativity:Gravitational lensing: when light goes over large objects it bends creating a lens for things behind itNo instrument can see or measure space-timeGravitational Waves: they are caused by violent events thought to cause space-time ripples first picture shows space without matter,second picture shows space with matter and how all matter is at different speeds creating a different space-time for each point -picture sourceBorges:He believed in existing and non-existing phenomenaExisting phenomena- something can be seen, felt, tasted, etc., especially something unusual or interestingNon-existing phenomena- something unusual or unique that can not be physically explored -deifnition sourceAsher FlanaganBabelHow do you see this biblical story reflected in Borges’s works?United v. DisparateHuman PotentialUniformity v. DiversitySamuel DillenderMagic Realism:How do you think the Magic Realism movement impacted Jorge Luis Borges’ work?Inspired by European surrealist movementSimilar to surrealism, but ultimately has a different aimUses Fantastical or unrealistic elements in a real or normal situation.Characteristics of magic realist works:- Elements of Fantasy- Real/normal setting- Narrator- Political/social critiqueRyan BellBorgesian:What Borgesian elements are used in Jorge Luis Borges’ Ficciones, and how do these elements add a deeper meaning/understanding to the novel?Borgesian Conundrum- “Whether the writer writes the story, or it writes him.”Borgesian- elements seen in Borges’ works-Labyrinths-Mirrors -Reality-Identity-Infinity-The Nature of TimeCarmela HorwitzBiography of Jorge Luis BorgesHow may the events of Borges’ life have influenced the ideas and perspectives in Ficciones? Most obvious influences on Ficciones:His father owned a library- read books like Huck Finn, The Thousand and One Nights, Don Quixote- His knowledge of literature and so many stories influenced the short stories in FiccionesHe returned to Buenos Aires and in this phase of his life wrote essays, poems, literary journals, and a biography 1938- His father died, he had an accident and was severely injured on his head and got blood poisoning- almost died, lost ability to speak, feared for his sanityIt was in the 8 following years that he wrote Ficciones, heavily influenced by his near death experience and struggle with his own sanity Later became totally blind, losing his ability to write without dictating Dipti Pattni How do the themes of time and eternity play a key role in the novel Ficciones? -come together mainly in the novel, “Babylon Lottery” -The story details the development of a lottery system that is recognizable at first, then incredible and monstrous, through its metamorphosis into an entity at once understandable and mysterious. -The lottery begins as just that, a drawing of lots, with a prize for some. Soon though, penalties are introduced for those with shorter lots.-Once the lottery is simultaneously rewarding and punitive, it begins absorbing other societal institutions. -Eventually, society is fully dictated by the lottery, with fortunes rising to dizzying heights one month and being wiped away the next, all thanks to the workings of the Company that delivers the results of the lottery. And all at once, the lottery is a constructed incarnation of fate.Haris RoashanThe symbol of the Labyrinth in FiccionesHow is the symbol of the Labyrinth in Jorge Luis Borges’ Ficciones used to parallel the complex physical and mental aspects of human nature?-Different uses of the Labyrinth throughout the stories in Ficciones-Explanation of the Labyrinth metaphor-Relating this metaphor back to the human condition and hopefully to my audience-Explain how the complexity of his writing is almost like a Labyrinth in itself Aman Folami ReeseThe influences of Borges’ Argentine and English backgroundHow does one consolidate obligations that arise from being of two different cultures and shape their identity?“When I was a boy, I thought of myself as being more an Argentine. This is something hard to define, but I know and we Argentines know what we mean by it. Now as time goes on, I seem to be falling back, or thinking of my English forefathers, people who came from Northumberland. But of course all those things don’t contradict each other. I mean, I don’t think of myself as having English blood and then think of myself as having Spanish. I think what is really important is what one is now.”For the most part Borges’ is thought of as Argentine ,however , there is English blood in him from his paternal grandfather. In regards to his fame he is most often referred to as one of the greatest Argentine authors of his time not the greatest almost fully Argentine author of his time. It is important to note that although he is primarily thought of as an Argentine author his first language was actually english and he grew up in a fully bilingual household. Throughout his education and literary career Borges has been influenced by many english writers and theologians. In Ficciones a tug and pull between various aspects of one’s identity are put into perspective in the last chapter “The South” in which the main character is Argentinian and German and highlights the dichotomy that arises when one is of two widely different cultures. It further illustrates the difference between national identity and the identity which is derived from one’s descendants. ................
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