Jeff Wright : The Lottery in Babylon

In The Lotter in Bablyon, Borges discusses the binaries of the finite and infinite, certainty and uncertainty, fantasy and reality, and peace and order.

Initially, the lottery in Babylon began as a regular lottery where people bought tickets and a board of members (the Company) would draw the winning numbers every day. There were few winners and the prizes appealed to only few and interest and participation in those lotteries disappeared. The game was altered to incorporate punishments into the drawings. As the lottery evolved, it became stronger and more evident in the people of Bablyons lives. It eventually became so interntwined with the society, that it pervaded even the darkest places of the city. To appeal to all members of Bablyon, the Company became a secret society and opened the lottery free of charge. The lottery becomes an incredibly important part of the society, determining everyones fate. Borges mentions that the people of Babylon “are great admirers of logic, and even of symmetry,” which is quite opposite to that of the lottery they were playing, with an incalculable amount of outcomes. Everything in the society was determined by the lottery. If a man was chosen by the lottery for death, there could be a lottery to see who the executioner would be, another for the weapon, ad infinitum. This displays the obsession that Borges had with the infinite. This is possibly why the community accepted and participated in the lottery. Borges also makes many references to a labyrinth throughout the story. He also even compares the Company to that of a god, saying that,”the sacred drawings… were held in the labyrinths of the god.” In medieval times, a god was often placed in the center of labyrinths, and the path to the god served as a path to enlightenment. The lottery held a position in the society very similar to that of a god. The people of Babylon live night and day by this lottery, hoping to one day find their way to center. Naturally, some, most often the losers, speculated that the drawings were calculated and influenced and were not left up to chance. Others, most often the winners, believed that the game was uninfluenced and completely fair.

An important binary that Borges makes is peace and order. At one point in story, a poor man steals a ticket from the lottery, obviously hoping to win. The lottery decides that he “wins” a punishment and his tongue must be burnt, which is the same punishment for being caught for stealing. This blurs the line between peace and order in Bablyon. Why shouldn’t one steal if they may likely receive the same punishment through the lottery? This can also be connected to World War II, which had already been going on for a few years when the story was written. The world was in chaos and by waking up every day, one was entered into a lottery much like the one in Babylon. During these times, many of the people in Babylon had nothing else to live for. Many people lived in poverty or were ill and needed hope and guidance from a supernatural entity.

The story ends wih the people of Babylon discussing their beliefs in the Company. Some say “that the Company has never existed, and never will.” Others say it does not matter, because “Babylon is nothing but an infinite game of chance.” Prior to the lottery, the people of Bablyon where living in accordance to the letters that were tattooed to their chests. On nights with a full moon, men with the letter Beth have power over then men with Gimel, but are subjected to men with the letter Aleph. The people of Babylon were longing to live a live a life of uncertainty and hope for chance of higher power.