The Aleph

In deciding to “consecrate” himself to the memory of Beatriz, Borges makes an annual visit to her family’s home on her birthday. He refers to these visits as being “melancholic and vainly erotic.” What does this choice of words reveal about Borges’s intentions? Are there any other acts might he have performed that would be less intrusive?

Borges gives various detailed descriptions of Beatriz, through pictures and memory. What do these details reveal about her? How do her character traits play into what later transpires?

Argentino’s poems inspire ridicule throughout the story. How might Borges have reacted if his work were laudable or impressive? How might this have changed the story?