Amanda Osowski, '14

Entering Into a "Fantastic Conjecture" with Jorge Luis Borges

      It is clear through the use of symbolism, imagery, and diction in "The South" that the protagonist, Dahlmann, is never released from the hospital where he suffered his torment and self-loathing. The trip to the surreal plains is a dream created by Dahlmann in order to end his life romantically, like his Argentine ancestors. In order to symbolize this dream abstractly, Borges uses an allusion to 1001 Arabian Nights to represent the events leading up to the death of the protagonist. In this book, Scheherazade, a newly married queen, tells endless and wonderful stories to her new husband in order to avoid and postpone his impending wrath that would lead to her death. In a similar state of desperation, Dahlmann enters a new reality while still entrapped within the walls of the hospital. In his new reality, he can create a fate different than his real agony by utilizing the beauty of his imagination.

     As Dahlmann boards the train and begins his travels, he leaves present time and enters another dimension. As the train travels further into the plains, Dahlmann delves deeper into his imagination, blurring the dimensions of time and space. Just as Scheherazade in the novel dreams of wondrous stories to tell her husband, Dahlmann also dreams his journey from the hell of the sterile hospital to the paradise of the plains. Throughout "The South," Dahlmann takes the stories of Scheherazade with him through his injury, sickness, slumber, reawakening, and romantic death. Dahlmann envelops himself in her imagination in order to postpone his own real death until he was able to experience the kind of death that he yearned for. When Dahlmann states that he "allowed himself simply to live," he is finally able to access his own dream and realize his salvation (176). Moreover, when he closes 1001 Arabian Nights his life in the real world ends and he has to face his inevitable death.

     At the end of 1001 Arabian Nights, the king falls in love with Scheherazade through her enchanting tales and takes her as his queen. Just as Scheherazade transforms the king with her beautiful imagination and was spared, Dahlmann is also spared from a cruel and lonely death in the hospital because of his beautiful dream. The further that Dahlmann travels from present time, the more entrenched he becomes in his dream. Through the use of symmetries between the protagonist's reading of 1001 Arabian Nights and his journey through his imagination, Borges is able to express that the human mind has the power to lift us from the heavy constraints of present time. Although Dahlmann is dead in the real world, he is more alive than he has ever been before in his dream world. His death brings deliverance by freeing his mind from his body.

Reprinted by permission of Amanda Osowski © 2012 Amanda Osowski

      In an attempt to visually capture pertinent themes and ideas in "The South," our class was asked to create a silhouette image containing symbolism that embodied our personal interpretation of the story. I wanted to focus on the importance of the separation of the mind and the body, as exemplified in Dahlmann's dreams. I focused on a particular piece of text from the story in which Dahlmann refers to his dream as a "fantastic conjecture," and created a piece that would show the ability of the mind to enter into such a dream realm ("The South" 177).

     In my piece, I have incorporated symbols that represent the elements of time and the imagination by including a human brain made of many pathways, symbols, and shapes. The tunnels within the brain itself represent the realm of the imagination in which Dahlmann became lost. There are many shapes within the brain including arrows going in various directions to symbolize the labyrinth of the mind. I have also included a pair of scissors next to the brain stem in order to symbolize the severing of the mind from the body, just as Dahlmann's mind was freed by his death.

     To the right of the brain, I placed an infinity sign and a syringe. The infinity sign is central within the image in order to show that time has infinite realms, not just the forward moving time of the physical world. The syringe is aimed at the human arm on the right side of the image to display the idea that the human body is fragile, just as Dahlmann was subjected to physical pain in the hospital. The arm is also attached with a clock with many different hands pointing out in all directions. This shows that the body will always remain trapped within reality.

     On the bottom of the image, there is an arm with railroad tracks running through the center to the wrist. Within the palm of the hand, there is an arrow pointing forward. The arm represents the forward flow of time from which Dahlmann escaped by entering into his imagination. Above the arm, there is a modern train that is traveling in the opposite direction as the arrow within the palm. I created a modern train in order to make the plot more universal. The train is crucial in both the image and the story because it symbolizes the traveling of Dahlmann from reality into his dream world.

     Ultimately, for me, "The South" was an empowering story about the beauty and freedom found within the imagination. In an attempt to add a unique and personal symbol to my artwork, I also decided to include two dragonflies being released from the palm of the hand as a natural symbol of freedom. By using dreams as an escape from death, Dahlmann used his mind as a freeing mechanism. The dragonflies are released from the hand just as Dahlmann's mind was freed from his body in "The South."

      I really enjoyed reading "The South" because it allowed me the opportunity to use my own imagination and emotion to create a piece of artwork. When I was creating the piece, I found the process exciting and relaxing. I have never had the opportunity to take an art class and was originally apprehensive about the course. However, this project has shown me that art is a personal process in which the artist is able to take inspiration from authors like Borges, while also creating a unique piece that acts as a canvas for emotion.