Lâ€™Immortel de Borges ou le refus de lâ€™Ã©ternitÃ©
Authors: Sayegh Majida 
Published: March 2021

La nouvelle Â« Lâ€™Immortel Â» de Borges, particuliÃ¨rement Ã travers lâ€™aventure du tribun romain Marcus Flaminius Rufus, illustre le conflit de lâ€™esprit humain devant lâ€™idÃ©e de lâ€™immortalitÃ©. TourmentÃ© par le spectacle de la mort, il rÃªve de lâ€™annuler. Pourtant, aprÃ¨s avoir obtenu lâ€™objet de sa quÃªte en buvant du fleuve de lâ€™Ã©ternitÃ©, la vue de la CitÃ© surhumaine, inhabitÃ©e, labyrinthique et chaotique le choque et le fait changer dâ€™opinion. En frÃ©quentant les Troglodytes, crÃ©atures immortelles, ombres dÃ©formÃ©es et rabaissÃ©es des hommes, Marcus constate lâ€™inanitÃ© de son ambition. Borges prÃ©sente lâ€™immortalitÃ© comme un Ã©tat qui prive lâ€™Ãªtre humain de trois dimensions fondamentales : vitalitÃ©, identitÃ© et dignitÃ©. La premiÃ¨re dimension est engendrÃ©e par le principe de la sensation en interfÃ©rence avec la nature. La deuxiÃ¨me est lâ€™identitÃ© individuelle basÃ©e sur la rÃ©flexion, la sensibilitÃ© et la mÃ©moire. Enfin, la dignitÃ© humaine est fondÃ©e sur la conscience rattachÃ©e aux trois temps : passÃ©, prÃ©sent et futur. Effectivement, le hÃ©ros, atteignant son but, et contre toute attente, rebrousse chemin afin de reconquÃ©rir la mortalitÃ© comme principe de finitude bienfaisante qui est Ã lâ€™origine du goÃ»t inestimable de la vie. La prÃ©sente recherche tentera de retracer le cheminement intellectuel de Marcus entre deux gorgÃ©es dâ€™eau : lâ€™une brouillÃ©e et sale aboutissant Ã lâ€™immortalitÃ© destructrice et lâ€™autre claire et salvatrice qui ramÃ¨ne Ã la mortalitÃ©. Cette derniÃ¨re semble valoriser le destin de lâ€™homme en confÃ©rant au temps son aspect singulier, prÃ©cieux et non rÃ©pÃ©titif.

Borges' short story "The Immortal", particularly through the adventure of the Roman tribune Marcus Flaminius Rufus, illustrates the conflict of the human spirit when facing the idea of immortality. Tormented by the spectacle of death, he dreams of cancelling it. However, after having succeeded in his quest by drinking from the river of eternity, the sight of the superhuman, uninhabited, labyrinthine and chaotic City shocked him and made him change his mind. By frequenting the Troglodytes, immortal creatures, deformed and belittled shadows of men, Marcus realizes the inanity of his ambition. Borges presents immortality as a state that deprives the human being of three fundamental dimensions: vitality, identity and dignity. The first dimension is generated by the principle of sensations in interaction with nature. The second is individual identity based on reflection, sensitivity and memory. Finally, human dignity, based on the inherent consciousness of three periods: past, present and future. Indeed, the hero, reaching his goal, and against all odds, turns back in order to reconquer mortality as a principle of beneficent finitude which is at the origin of the priceless and unique taste of life. This research will attempt to retrace Marcus' intellectual journey between two sips of water: one blurred and foul leading to destructive immortality and the other clear and saving leading to constructive mortality.