The Aleph is a coplex story, like the Circular Ruins (written by same author, Jorge Luis Borges). This is the summary and the analysis for "The Aleph"
We are greeted with the intro "La candente mañana de febrero en que Beatriz Viterbo murió". We now know that it is a warm morning, but it was a day in february where a Beatriz Virterbo has died. The precise date is not written, so we only know it was a random day in february. We then learn about the narrator's feelings (once again depicted as Borges himself) once Beatriz (his girlfriend) had died 5 years ago. He feels as if the world slips away from his grasp, as he starts to see the world change, leaving Beatriz behind. Every year, Borges visits the house of Beatriz's family to give salutations to their daughter. Each time on that special anniversary day, he brings a gift, like books or a type of wine. This time he brung a (i forgot the name) and a bottle of Argentine Cognac. He enters the house and sees the cousin of Beatriz, named Carlos Argentino Daneri. We'll call him Daneri. He was a mediocre poet, not the best in the world, with a vastly exaggerated view of his own poetry. He tells to everyone that he has made his goal to write the best poem in the world, with stunning detail. He always thought of him as the best writer in the world, giving him the trait a bit of a narcistic person. During dinnertime with Borges and the Beatriz family, the so-called poet told everyone about his poem, titled "The Earth", obviously because it described the Earth.
Español: "He visto, como el griego, las urbes de los hombres,
los trabajos, los días de varia luz, el hambre;
no corrijo los hechos, no falseo los nombres,
pero el voyage que narro, es... autour de ma chambre."
English: Mine eyes, as did the Greek’s, have known men’s
towns and fame,
The works, the days in light that fades to amber;
I do not change a fact or falsify a name, The voyage I set down is... autour de ma chambre.
Once he finished reading his poems, he read stanzas that were all approved by himself. Nothing special with each one. Once the dull family dinner had ended, Borges took his leave and went to his home.
Days later, Daneri did something Borges would have never thought he'd do. He called Borges. As much as they knew they despised each other, Daneri said they'd like to meet at the bar to share a couple of drinks next door. Once they met at 4 o'clock, Daneri said that a company was willing to destroy his house to expand their business. This surely made Daneri angry, not for his house, but for what was in his cellar strangely. Borges questioned what could be in that cellar which is so important, and Daneri responded that the Aleph is in his cellar. The narrator, having no clue what the heck an "Aleph" is, thinks that Daneri became insane and that he's losing the grip of reality. Once their little chit-chat had died down, they both sperated their ways and headed off home.
The next day, Daneri called Borges once again, and before even listening to what Daneri had to say, Borges came to the Beatriz's family home. The cousin of Beatriz told Borges about his cellar, and wanted to show him what the Aleph looked like. Leading the narrator to the downstairs cellar, Daneri locked the cellar door and left Borges in there.
For sure, Borges was convinced that Daneri went full crazy. He even started to theorize that he could've been poisoned while drinking in the bar yesterday with the menace. As he could have done nothing to escape, Borges went through the darkness. Then, he sees something that, for sure, caught his eye. A glowing, floating, white orb. Shining as bright as the sun, it's impossible to miss it. It's mere presence already blinding the narrator, approached closer and closer, until it was at his fingertips. What he saw in the "aleph" was many places around the globe, no, the universe. Borges saw the Pyramids of Giza, the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty, and nearly everything all in one sight.
Borges knew what he just witnessed was a one in a lifetime chance he'd see it. Shocked and afraid of what power held the Aleph, he backed away. Suddenly, the door to the cellar open, and Daneri's arrogating face popped out of the doorway.
./.;
Analysis
Beatriz is based on the real lover of Borges, named Estella Canto.
