Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Ficciones, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Investigation and Knowledge
Language and Human Consciousness
Perspective, Authorship, and Subjectivity
Infinity
Reality vs. Illusion
Summary
Analysis
Borges gives a brief introduction to this section of the book. He says that the eighth story, “The Garden of Forking Paths,” is a mystery, while the first seven are fantasies. He also writes that he is not the first author of the story “The Library of Babel.” He goes on to say that to write long books is extravagant, and that it is better to pretend those books have already existed and write commentary on the main idea. Thus, much of Borges’s work in this book consists of notes on imaginary books.
Borges’s introduction prepares the reader for his style and thematic focus. His decision to forgo writing a long book and instead write commentary on fictional books shows that he is focused on criticism as an art form.
Themes
