Tag Archives: week 2

Infinity

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As a I concluded reading the Library of Babel by Jorge Luis Borges, my thoughts remained filled with the concept of only having a finite number of things within in an infinite space. The Library, or the Universe, is as Borges describes, “indefinite and perhaps infinite,” it stretches into vast galleries and hexagons, yet, all the books in the library reach a total number, somewhere on the library shelves the rows of books end although there is space for them to reach and take up space forever. It feels disappointing that there could not be an endless amount of books. I view this as a representation of humanity reflecting on its own limits, that although we live it what may be an infinitely stretching universe, we only fill a few rows of it’s shelves and one day the last human, the last book, will form their last thought and word, and complete the collection of books. It is also a reflection of a single person realizing their limitations. If all books that could ever be written are already written and bound on the shelves, what more could one person contribute to the Library, they must only read or attempt to search for meaning and themselves among the pages.

I have heard before that it is nearly impossible to know if you have a truly original thought that no one has ever had before, even if right now in your head you try to form the most random idea, how would you know you were the first person to ever think that out of the billions of people who have ever existed? Within the Library of Babel there all books that could ever exist, potentially holding all thoughts that could ever exist. Even within the infinity there might be a limit to the total amount of thoughts and ideas that humanity could ever think of, and what happens if the amount of new ideas becomes so very limited, how do we create new thoughts, how do we know they are new?

Marginalia in the Library of Babel by Mark C. Marino – responce, Trinity Buck

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The short reading, Marginalia in the Library of Babel by Mark C. Marino, left a lasting impact on me after I read it, which I believe was his intention. This work follows Marino as he creates a powerful reader response to Borges’ work “Library of Babel” and shows the effect that was imprinted on him after he read it. Marino describes how he craves leaving his mark on the world the same way Babel left such a mark on him. This is represented in the quote, “But my machine is evolving the power of speech. It told me I was not alone, that I could leave a record of my footsteps, carve my marks upon the wall for those who discover my hexagonal cell. How can I not help but be gladdened by the possibility? Unless it is not a possibility. Unless I am, as always no more than a trace imagined by these packet-switching machines and their omniscient fiber-optics.” This quote not only represents Marino’s lust for leaving a record of his footsteps in the world, but the undeniable human instinct to want to make a change and leave the world different from which they came. Humans crave to be special and to never be forgotten after they’re gone because death is such a scary idea. However, being able to leave a lasting memory or impact makes it less frightening. This quote also represents an existential crisis, because he is going back and forth on whether or not this is a possibility, then becomes insecure, thinking that maybe he isn’t special and will just be forgotten after all. Another powerful idea discussed in this response by Marino is the idea of being able to leave your footprints and mark behind by writing in the margins of a novel. That in itself is a reader response, and if somebody finds that book one day, they will see the mark you have left. It is a small gesture that can leave a lasting impact. That’s why it is important to write in your books, because you never know who might read them after you do.