ethos-and-epics

[ethos-and-epics]

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[ethos-and-epics]

Searching for Morality in The Point That Contains The Universe

by KA, SM and WR

Have you ever wondered what you’d do if you witnessed everything in the observable universe at once? The totality of everything, each moment, location, and event, all past, present, and future colliding into one right before your eyes. What would you do? This is what our protagonist experienced when he looked into the Aleph, a singular point that contains all other points in space.

The Aleph is an autofiction written by Jorge Luis Borges, published in September 1945. The story focuses on the persona’s experience with the Aleph, exploring concepts about memory and reality, giving a fresh perspective on how we view our world. Allow us a moment of your time to dive deeper into the aftermath of observing the entirety of the universe and the consequences of a limited perspective that stem from it.

Once Beatriz, the woman Borges loves, passes, he expects that everything in the universe will change around him while he remains in the state he was in when she died. True to his word, he persists in his limited perspective, his reaction towards any contradiction being to doubt anything but himself, despite overwhelming proof that he may be wrong. When he discovers Beatriz’ flaws by looking into the Aleph, he doubts the authenticity of what he witnessed despite his entire reality being shifted. When Daneri, Beatriz’ cousin and Borges’ resented friend, is awarded for a poem Borges passionately criticized, he blames society for rewarding envy and dullness. His own work did not receive a single vote. Through the conclusion of the story we can see the author’s viewpoint on his protagonist’s self-centeredness. He is punished in his limited point of view, his work unawarded, his reality uncertain, and his Beatriz slowly forgotten.

This short story shows a snapshot of the consequences of allowing a single factor to so heavily affect our lives. Borges, who hinged his happiness on Beatriz, found his world collapsing following her death, and his purpose tainted once her flaws were exposed. Denari, despite being awarded in the end, only receives success with the Aleph’s aid, and questions his sanity when Borges lies about not seeing it. Their entire realities are put into question once the bubble of their own perspective is popped. In the face of seeing the truth of everything in the universe, both characters remained closed-minded, a symbolic representation of real life. Sometimes, despite being presented with the truth, we remain in our own little bubbles and refrain from acknowledging different perspectives. This leaves the reader with a profound message; Life is not meant to be seen through one unchanging lens or lived solely for a singular object.

Overall, the story encourages the reader to consider what they have made their Aleph or their Beatriz. It invites the reader to explore outside their typical point of view, to look beyond their usual focal point, and consider what the world around them looks like when their perspective is refocused. It cautions against keeping a fixed mindset, as reality is often different when approached from another angle. This story reminds us of how little we know about ourselves and the universes, and how comprehending it better requires understanding others.

The Aleph, containing all points in the universe, ultimately challenges its witness to look beyond what they see. It is a story about the simultaneous power and danger of perspective told through a character with such a limited point of view. While Borges used the Aleph to see all of time and space at once, all he truly needed to see the world was to look beyond himself.

References: Monegal, & Rodriguez, E. (2025, April 17). Jorge Luis Borges | Biography, Books, Poems, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jorge-Luis-Borges