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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. In "Man on the Pink Corner," what does Rosendo do after the fight with the Yardmaster?

2. In "The Uncivil Teacher of Court Etiquette Kotsuke no Suke," what is the lord of Ako supposed to do as punishment for slashing Kotsuke no Suke with a sword?

3. In "Averroes' Search," what concept or concepts can Averroes not comprehend?

4. In "Monk Eastman, Purveyor of Iniquities," what does Eastman do to become a bouncer?

5. In "The Approach to Al-Mu'tasim," who or what is Al-Mu'tasim supposed to be?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "The South," how does Dahlmann feel about his imminent death in a knife fight?

2. In "Averroes' Search," how is Borges' attempt to write of Averroes similar to Averroes own difficulties?

3. In "Monk Eastman Purveyor of Iniquities," what first stops Monk's criminal life of violence, and then what allows him to continue this violence in a new form?

4. What does "Story of the Warrior and the Captive Maiden" say about the nature of human identity?

5. In "The Improbable Impostor Tom Castro," what is Tom's relationship to Ebenezer Bogle?

6. In "The Zahir," what is a possible reason for the narrator becoming obsessed with the coin?

7. In "The Aleph," what is the narrator's attitude toward Carlos Argentino?

8. In "Death and the Compass," how does Scharlach defeat Lonnrot?

9. In "The Theme of the Traitor and the Hero," why does Kilpatrick participate in his own assassination?

10. In "Hakim The Masked Dyer of Merv," Hakim's sect abhor mirrors and copulation. What is the significance of this abhorrence?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Existentialism is a philosophy that holds that one makes his own meaning from a life that is essentially absurd and meaningless. Is Borges an Existentialist? Does his method of writing, with its ambiguous meanings, and multiple possibilities imply existentialism? Choose at least one and up to three stories to support your argument. Be specific.

Essay Topic 2

Is Pierre Menard's project worthwhile? Is he a fool? A visionary? Does his project say something about the nature of interpretation and meaning? Your answer should display a thorough familiarity with "Pierre Menard, Author of Quixote." Be specific in why his project is worthy or not.

Essay Topic 3

Labyrinths are included in many of Borges' stories. Indeed, "Labyrinths" is the title of one of his collections of stories. How are these physical structures significant to his work? Consider the essence of a labyrinth: a series of mazes, designed to confuse and entrap men. How do labyrinths fit into the stories themselves? How are labyrinths symbolic for Borges' artistic intentions? Be sure to cite specific stories in your answer.

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