Topic > The Power and Existence of God in "El Milagro Secreto"

The existence and power of God have been controversial and ambiguous topics for a long time. Does God exist? Can God intervene in the real world? In a modern world full of technology, material things, and tragic events, it is sometimes easy to doubt the existence of God. But in his short story, El Milagro Secreto, author Jorge Luis Borges examines the omnipotence of God and the things that God can do for his faithful followers. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay To develop his theme on the importance of God's power, Borges uses literary references. In this story he refers to religious texts, such as the Koran, and to religious authors and philosophers. Borges begins his story with the quote:And God made him die for a hundred years and then encouraged him and said to him:-How long have you been here? "A day or part of a day," he replied. "(Quran, II, 261) First, it is important to recognize that this quote comes from a religious and sacred text. It allows the reader to begin reading the story by thinking about the idea of ​​God and having the concept of God in his mind. It is also very interesting to consider the meaning of the quote, not just where it comes from. This story talks about the relativity and flexibility of time in the hands of God. In this quote from the Quran, it shows the power of God when God makes a person die one hundred percent. years and revives it whenever God wills. Borges intentionally chose this quote and it plays an important role in planting ideas about God's omnipotence in the Borges uses other literary and philosophical references to continue developing his argument, for example, does reference to Jakob Boehme (18), a religious mystic, to the Sepher Yezirah (19), which is the book of creation in Judaism, and the Jewish poet and philosopher Abraham Ibn Ezra (21), to name a few examples. The meaning of these references is not obvious, but when you find out what and who these references are, the importance appears. The story's protagonist, Jaromir Hladik, reads a lot of these religious authors and texts, so the reader cannot help but think about the existence and importance of God at least in the context of Hladik's life. Overall, the references to religious philosophical texts are subtle but still important, making the reader think about God and his importance. Another typical style of Borges is the use of suspense to show and not simply write about the power of God. Many times, real life is very ordinary and predictable. It is not often that a person witnesses divine intervention or God's help. For this reason, Borges uses suspense to create contrast between the real world and the supernatural world and to emphasize the power of God. For example, when Hladik is in the library searching for God, Borges writes: “A black-eyed librarian... said to him: ... My parents and my fathers' fathers have searched for that letter [with God]; I looked for it blindly. He took off his glasses and Hladik saw the eyes, which were dead" (23). Borges could only write about his discovery of God, and not about Hladik's trial and journey in search of God. But create the character of the librarian with characteristics strangeness and fear creates suspense and makes the moment in which Hladik finds God much more satisfying. The use of suspense in such a rare and strange situation shows that God is unpredictable and powerful. Furthermore, there is a lot of suspense in the moment immediately preceding death of Hladik: “A heavy drop of rain struck one of Hladik's temples and rolled slowly down his cheek; the sergeant shouted the final order. The physical universe stopped" (24). The tension that builds before the shot causes the reader to think about whether or not God will intervene, and when God.