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  • Essay / The Power and Existence of God in 'El Milagro Secreto'

    The existence and power of God have long been controversial and ambiguous subjects. Does God exist? Can God intervene in the real world? In a modern world filled with technology, material things, and tragic events, it is sometimes easy to doubt the existence of God. But in his short story El Milagro Secreto, author Jorge Luis Borges examines the omnipotence of God and the things God can do for his faithful followers. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get an original essay To develop his theme of the importance of the power of God, Borges uses literary references. In this story, he references religious texts, such as the Quran, as well as religious authors and philosophers. Borges begins his story with the following quote: “And God made him die for a hundred years, and then he encouraged him and said to him: - How long have you been here? "A day or part of a day," he replied. " (Quran, II, 261) First, it is important to recognize that this quote is taken from a religious and sacred text. It allows the reader to begin reading the story by thinking about the idea of ​​God and having the concept of God in his mind It is also very interesting to consider the meaning of the quote, not just where it comes from. This story talks about the relativity and flexibility of time in the hands of God. power of God when God makes a person die for a hundred years and revives them at any time Borges chose this quote intentionally and it plays an important role in implanting the ideas of God's omnipotence in the world. he reader's mind uses other literary and philosophical references to continue to develop his subject. For example, he refers to Jakob Boehme (18), a religious mystic, to the Sepher Yezirah (19), which is the book of. creation in Judaism. and the Jewish poet and philosopher Abraham Ibn Ezra (21), to name just a few examples. The significance of these references is not obvious, but when one discovers what and who these references are, the importance becomes apparent. The protagonist of the story, Jaromir Hladik, reads a large portion of these religious authors and texts, so the reader cannot help but think about the existence and importance of God, at least in context of Hladik's life. In general, references to religious philosophical texts are subtle but nonetheless important and make the reader think about God and his importance. Another typical Borges style is the use of suspense to show and not just write about the power of God. Very often, real life is very ordinary and predictable. It is not often that a person witnesses divine intervention or help from God. It is for this reason that Borges uses suspense to create a contrast between the real world and the supernatural world and to emphasize the power of God. For example, when Hladik is in the library searching for God, Borges writes: “A black-eyed librarian...said to him:...My parents and my fathers' fathers searched for this letter [with God]; I looked for it blindly. He took off his glasses and Hladik saw eyes that were dead" (23). Borges could only write about his discovery of God, and not about the process and Hladik's journey in search of God. But create the character of the librarian with strange features and fear creates suspense and makes the moment when Hladik finds God much more satisfying. The use of suspense in such a rare and strange situation shows that God is unpredictable and powerful..