Borges ⋄ Freud ⋄ Lacan: Los senderos bifurcados del deseo
Abstract
This dissertation examines the notions of reality, time, and writing as subjective constructions present in the epistemological and literary compositions of the Argentine author Jorge Luis Borges, all examined in accordance to the theoretical approaches of psychoanalysis: Freud and Lacan. This work concentrates on Borges's metaphysical essays and short stories which reveal the double façade of reality: "Reality is structured as a fictional work and all fictional texts resemble, in one way or another, the truth of reality." Hence, truth is always a subjective and ideological construction. In addition to any objectivity it might evince, throughout my work, reality is equated with psychic reality, dream work, and the mirror stage. It also analyzes the issue of time as a logical, intrasubjective construction, never as a chronological stance. Finally, Borges writing is used as a vehicle to unveil the truth that resides in the depths of the human unconscious. My research shows that literature is not just a fantastic source of imagination; but on the contrary, it is a way to reveal the intricacies of the human mind and its impact on cultural representations. The post-psychoanalytical approach used in this dissertation not only expands the existing models of reading Borgesian works and fantastic literature in general, but also leads to create new ways to deconstruct reality and find truth in the illusory moments of life, such as dreams, hallucinations, and the chaotic relationships of the subject with herself. My in-depth analysis addresses a series of relevant questions concerning (a) the components of which life, reality, and truth are composed; (b) the significance of time as an instance to reveal the precipitation of truth in subjectivity and cultural representations; and (c) the act of writing as an inherent action in the formation of sexual identity and configuration. Therefore, by challenging the recurrent frameworks which tend to consider Borges's writing as fantastic and metaphysical literature, my dissertation allies itself with innovative modes of exploring the blurred boundaries between the so-called real and the illusory, thus invoking a third space in which reality is not the opposite of the unreal, but its other side.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Merrell, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Latin American literature
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