Borges and I

“Borges and I” is fundamentally a meditation on identity. Borges presents a duality of identity—the personal, private self (“I”) and the public persona (“Borges”). This division reflects the complexity of identity, suggesting that individuals have multifaceted, often conflicting selves. The tension between “I” and “Borges” raises questions about self-perception and how others perceive people. It emphasizes the idea that personal identity is not fixed but can be shaped by external factors, including one’s own creative work.

For Borges, creativity is rooted in the complex terrain of the inner self, a realm profoundly influenced by one’s personality and experiences, including the act of reading literature. With this, Borges identifies more with the books he has absorbed than with those he has authored. Consequently, his inner identity is not merely shaped by his own creative expressions but by the rich tapestry of literature he has encountered. His external identity, represented by the written works he produces, assumes a different role, providing that same opportunity for identity building to other readers. Borges suggests that as soon as he transforms an idea into a narrative or book, it transitions from his inner self to becoming part of his public persona and the literary canon.