Jorge Borges: Short Stories Lesson Plan

The story starts with the narrator becoming very intrigued by two texts that are unreliable. Instead of being daunted by the fact that the first encyclopedia seems to be forged, and the second seems to be a fictional invention, he is inspired to read further. Why is he so fascinated by the lands of Uqbar and Tlön, and how does this foreshadow the ending?

If students have trouble answering this question, direct their attention to the first pages of the story, where the narrator becomes fascinated by his friend’s use of an Uqbarian quote. Then, draw their attention to the end of the story, where the narrator explains how humankind is so enchanted by Tlön that it is slowly...