Michael Lampasona

This story was one of my favorites so far by Borges. The story is about a book which first appeared in 1932. The book is about a nameless protagonist who is searching for Al-Mu'tasim. Al-Mu'tasim is not clearly defined in the text, and it is left up to the reader to decide who this is, and who the main character is.

In the book, the main character is in the middle of a Muslim and Hindu conflict. He kills someone and does not know who, or which side they were on. He then proceeds to search for Al-Mu'tasim, and finally is successful. This is where the story abruptly ends.

I liked this story, and found Borges analysis interesting. Personally, I think that the protaganist was just an average man who was without faith. Throughout the story, regardless of what religion it was, he found Al-Mu'tasim, and this was the correct ending to his path in life. I believe the story was sending the message that faith has importance, and it is not necessary to say which religion the unnamed protagonist found.