The first-person narrator, referred to as “I,” represents Borges’s inner consciousness. This character embodies the personal, emotional, and nuanced aspects of the author’s identity. “I” is intimately connected to the author’s likes, dislikes, preferences, and experiences, shaped by a lifetime of encounters with literature, art, and personal reflections. This character seeks to express the private, introspective side of the author that remains hidden from the public. “I” is the voice of Borges’s inner self, allowing him to be heard and understood. In the text, the narrator grapples with a sense of disconnection between the author’s inner and outer selves. This disconnection reflects the age-old philosophical question of identity and how it is shaped by the relationship between the individual’s public persona and their personal, inner self.

“Borges” represents the public, external persona of the author, the identity that readers and the world at large come to know. This persona is associated with the literary figure of Borges, the renowned writer. He is depicted as somewhat detached and impersonal, existing in the realm of books and writing. Although “Borges” shares likes and dislikes with the first-person narrator (the “I”), this external persona is portrayed as less complex and alive.