How we cite our quotes: (Paragraph)
Quote #1
Apart from a few friends and many routines, the problematic pursuit of literature constituted the whole of his life; like every writer, he measured other men's virtues by what they had accomplished, yet asked that other men measure him by what he planned someday to do. (4)
Mo' lit, mo' problems? Shmoop doesn't think so. But in this story, Jaromir's pursuit of literature certainly does seem to cause him a lot of trouble: not only does it get him arrested, it causes him a ton of mental anxiety.
Quote #2
All the books he had sent to the press left him with complex regret. (4)
Whoa, there. Why so hard on yourself, Jaromir? Since it sounds like Jaromir's actually had a pretty successful career as a published author, we think he's probably being overly critical of himself. Why do you think this is?
Quote #3
Into his articles on the work of Boehme, Ibn Ezra, and Fludd, he had poured mere diligence, application; into his translation of the Sefer Yetsirah, oversight, weariness, and conjecture. (4)
We may not have any clue what on earth any of these things are (a quick Google search helps us out though), but we all know what it's like to try to write. Sometimes we're diligent, other times… not so much. Jaromir isn't looking to repeat either of these writing experiences. He wants to write something inspired.
Quote #4
He had also drafted a cycle of expressionist poems; these, to the poet's confusion, appeared in a 1924 anthology and there was never a subsequent anthology that didn't inherit them. (4)
Once an author publishes something, it almost takes on a life of its own – it's like watching your children grow up.
Quote #5
(He admired verse in drama because it does not allow the spectators to forget unreality, which is a condition of art.) (4)
Translation: art is art, it's not real life. And Jaromir sure doesn't want to let the audience forget it. He likes art that has a certain amount of self-awareness of its artfulness. And this, Shmoopers, is a very postmodern idea.
Quote #6
In the design I have outlined here, he had intuitively hit upon the best way of hiding his shortcomings and giving full play to his strengths, the possibility of rescuing (albeit symbolically) that which was fundamental to his life. (6)
Writing this play is Jaromir's one chance to make his entire life worthwhile. No pressure.
Quote #7
If, he prayed, I do somehow exist, if I am not one of Thy repetitions or errata, then I exist as the author of The Enemies. In order to complete that play, which can justify me and justify Thee as well, I need one more year. (6)
Jaromir seems to see God as the author of his own life, just as he's the author of the lives of the characters in The Enemies. So then who does Borges play God to?
Quote #8
He had no document but his memory; the fact that he had to learn each hexameter as he added it imposed upon him a providential strictness, unsuspected by those who essay and then forget vague provisional paragraphs. (12)
Whew, we need a dictionary for this one. But here's the basic gist: Jaromir's approach to writing changes because he's working entirely by memory. Oh, by the way, he's working entirely by memory. What?!
Quote #9
Painstakingly, motionlessly, secretly, he forged in time his grand invisible labyrinth. (12)
This is one of Borges' favorite metaphors. How is writing like a labyrinth? Well, they're both kind of twisty and forking, and take a lot of time and work to build.
Quote #10
He redid the third act twice. He struck out one and another overly obvious symbol – the repeated chimings of the clock, the music. No detail was irksome to him. He cut, condensed, expanded; in some cases he decided the original version should stand. (12)
Writing isn't always a straightforward process. Jaromir has to go over and over his work, rewriting pieces and eliminating others. This editing process makes writing seem even more twisty and labyrinthine. (And it definitely makes us super thankful that we have computers.)