(Forewarning... This is not exactly a light and cheerful read. I debated on changing and doing something else for a while, but decided to go ahead with it.)
A young woman walks down the street. She is wearing a short, tight red dress. The dress, though simple, does not conceal much. The wind blows and one can see her shiver so slightly. It is entirely too chilly out for such apparel. On her feet are shoes that are flashy with high stiletto heels and straps that crisscross halfway up her calves. On her face is a moderate amount of make-up. She appears to be in her early 20’s. Her hair is beautifully curled. She is thin, but not too thin. One glance and you would think that she could be a model, but the circumstances lead one to assume the worst about her.
A car drives past; the passengers look out at her. They stare, giving disapproving looks. Immediately a word comes to the mind of each person, without saying they all know what the other is thinking. The car continues on by. “Shameful! It’s just shameful, that woman standing there on the street selling her body.” “How could someone do that to themselves?” “She must have no respect for herself.” Just a few of the many comments made. The passengers make jokes and continue to talk about how sad it is, but within a short time the prostitute is forgotten and the passengers go about their lives.
However, stop and take a closer look and you will see something entirely different, the truth that the passengers of the car couldn’t see because of their ignorance. This ignorance is not because they knew the truth and intentionally ignored it, but because they did not know there was a truth to be found. Carefully and cautiously look around and you will find another person, a man or woman. Watch them for a time and you will see that they are watching, watching every move the girl makes. They remain a safe distance away, so as to not be associated with the girl; however, they never leave or stay too far away.
Now stop and look into the face, the eyes, of the young girl and you will see exhaustion, fear, and nothingness. She has been robbed of life. Wash the girl’s hair and let it be natural, take off the make-up, give her a t-shirt and sweats, and you will find under all that there is a terrified little girl of just 14. This young child is not a prostitute. Nor is she on the street of her own choosing; she has been sold as a slave. The careful overseer is her owner, never letting her out of his/her site. She knows the overseer is nearby and the sheer terror of their presence keeps her moving, keeps her from running away; she is held within his grasp, his control. The ignorance of the passengers in the car, prevents them from seeing and understanding the harsh reality of the fate of the young girl standing on the corner.
In the stories we have read by Borges, there is a great deal of ignorance displayed, which always seems to win. The main character, in “The Garden of Forking Paths,” Yu was sent on a mission by the Germans. However, his reasons for going on this mission and his determination in completing it had nothing to do with a loyalty to the Germans. Yu was trying to prove that he was just as good as any German. In trying to prove his worth, he destroyed the life of an innocent man, Stephen Albert. Not just any innocent man, but the man who had brilliantly worked to uncover the mysterious writings of Yu’s ancestor and spent time telling Yu about his discoveries.
In the story “The Gospel According to Mark,” Borges writes about this never ending battle between right and wrong. Baltasar Espinosa is portrayed as goodness. He is a nice guy and was kind to the Gutre family, who represented wrong. The Gutre family mocked him and eventually sacrificed Espinosa in an attempt to make the water recede. In their ignorance, the Gutre family misinterpreted the story of the crucifixion. According to the old practices of their family’s heritage, they needed to make a sacrifice to make the waters go down. I found this to be very interesting on my second time through the story, because it says that the Gutre family was not religious at all. So, why would they be so concerned with the old religious practices of their family? In the Bible, the story of the crucifixion was to show the depth of love that God had for people; it was the ultimate sacrifice, dying for another. The Gutre family, in their ignorance trivialized this event and assumed that they would be forgiven if they crucified Espinosa. They missed the point of the sacrifice.
“Emma Zunz” was a slightly different story. Emma was an innocent, quiet, and sweet girl. Her life seems to have been overcome with shame. First her father had been falsely accused and imprisoned. Then he committed suicide. She seeks justice against the man who was at fault. In doing so she endures a horrific experience, so as to justify her killing of Lowenthal. After this point, Emma is forced to live in two realities. One where she and she alone knows the truth of everything and the other is the one that she told the world. Everyone around her remains ignorant of her deep sorrow, agony, and sense of shame. Not only are they ignorant of her shame, but they also remain ignorant of what Lowenthal had done. Lowenthal, even though his name was destroyed by her accusation, did not endure any shame himself. Emma, however, must continue to live with the shame of her father’s “guilt,” his suicide, and her own shame.
Ignorance is very powerful. It can affect every aspect of our lives, our choices and the words we speak. The truth can change everything. Borges seems to be making the point that people often prefer to remain ignorant. Being ignorant can often be easier. In our day and age, education seems to be such an important thing. We talk about it and make policies regarding it all the time, but too often fail to actually do it. Borges shows a rather exaggerated, view of what can happen when we choose to remain ignorant. People and their lives were/are destroyed because of ignorance.
“What you don’t know won’t kill you.” But will it kill you to know? “Ignorance is bliss.” Or does it just make you look like a fool? So, go out, read Borges’ and be changed. Educate yourself and learn as much as you can.
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