The Aleph

Born in 1899 in Buenos Aires, Jorge Luis Borges inherited the prospect of becoming a writer from his father, who had tried to make his way in the literary world. His well-traveled childhood exposed him to such wide-ranging European influences as Symbolism, the philosophy of Schopenhauer, and gaucho poetry. He returned to Argentina as a young man and became deeply involved in the literary scene, founding several magazines. Borges procured a job as a lecturer on American and British Literature, traveling across Uruguay and Argentina to speak on myriad topics. Unfortunately, Borges also inherited his father’s eyesight, which eventually progressed to complete blindness. Despite his keen awareness of this setback and the challenges presented by the new fascist regime, Borges continued working and published his collection The Aleph in 1949.

Borges dedicated both the collection and story to his friend Estela Canto. Like the deceased Beatriz of the story, Borges’s relationship with Estela involved unrequited love. In her book about their relationship, which contains romantic correspondences between the two, Canto states,

Borges’s attitude moved me. I liked what I was to him, what he saw in me. Sexually I felt nothing for him, he didn't even make me uncomfortable.