The Lottery of Babylon by Argentinean writer Luis Borges tells the story of a lottery run by the secret “Company”. Centuries ago the lottery started out as chances to win prizes such as we are familiar with in today’s society, which slowly evolved into “a major element of reality”. First, the idea of only winning money was done away with because it had no moral force and the idea of unlucky draws was added. As the lottery transgressed, eventually the Company had to assume all public power and made the lottery free, universal, and secret. “The mercenary sale of lots abolished; once initiated into the mysteries of Baal, every free citizen automatically took part in the sacred drawings, which were held in the labyrinths of the god every sixty nights and determined each citizen’s destiny until the next drawing”. As the lottery saturated all elements of life it is described as, “an intensification of chance, a periodic infusion of chaos into the cosmos”. There is much debate as to whether the Company still exists or if it ever existed. In my opinion, Borges explored once again, the thin line between what is real and what appears to be real. In addition, he explored the role which random chance plays in the universe. This story poses the question, is the universe run by a higher authority such as the Company who controls what occurs or is it merely a random act?
Throughout the story Borges keeps the audience guessing, pondering the issue of reality vs. fallacy. In my opinion in his story the “Company” can be referenced as an allegory about God who hold all control. The lottery in this case never really had a full winner or a loser, the stakes were never clear, and the line between reality and fiction fades. That is, the lottery permeates every aspect of society that there is just as much chance that anything might be won or lost and that it might be true or false.
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The Lottery of Babylon by Argentinean writer Luis Borges tells the story of a lottery run by the secret “Company”. Centuries ago the lottery started out as chances to win prizes such as we are familiar with in today’s society, which slowly evolved into “a major element of reality”. First, the idea of only winning money was done away with because it had no moral force and the idea of unlucky draws was added. As the lottery transformed, eventually the Company had to assume all public power and made the lottery free, universal, and secret. “The mercenary sale of lots abolished; once initiated into the mysteries of Baal, every free citizen automatically took part in the sacred drawings, which were held in the labyrinths of the god every sixty nights and determined each citizen’s destiny until the next drawing”. As the lottery saturated all elements of life it is described as, “an intensification of chance, a periodic infusion of chaos into the cosmos”.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, Borges explored the thin line between choice and the act of randomness. The lottery at first was played by only a few commoners in hopes to better their life. Once the game became popular among the community and more commoners took part in playing, rules were added by an unknown force called “the company”. The company showed a totalitarian state. They had total control of the rewards and punishments. When the lottery became more popular among the commoners, the company attached punishments to the losers. The act itself was by chance and randomness but how random can something be when the committee pre-determined the outcome. Borges explored the binary between freedom of choice and total control in this short story.
This story was written in the early 1940’s during War World II when Hitler was in power. Hitler was trying to take everyone’s rights away and create a dictatorship. In the Lottery, the company controlled the outcome of the game and the fate of people just as Hitler controlled the fate of the Jewish and all the other unfortunate bystanders. In addition, the word Babylon in Greek means “the gateway to the Gods”. The Company was said to have godlike modesties. The Company was never seen by the commoners however, it controlled the lottery. The Lottery became the gateway to the Company for the Babylonians.
This story poses the question, is the universe run by a higher authority such as the Company who controls what occurs or is it merely a random act? The lottery in this case never really had a full winner or a loser, the stakes were never clear, and the line between reality and fiction fades. That is, the lottery permeates every aspect of society that there is just as much chance that anything might be won or lost.