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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 "Borges and I," who are the two characters?

2. In "Avelino Arredondo," whom does Avelino murder?

3. In "The Duel," though friends, Clara and Marta compete at what activity?

4. In "Undr," though the people are barbarous, they claim to be what?

5. In "A Dialog Between Dead Men," though dead, Quiroga is still angry at whom?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "The Duel," what is the nature of the duel between Clara and Marta?

2. In "The Plot," a gaucho dies in a similar fashion to Julius Caesar. What does this suggest about history?

3. In "The Book of Sand," what are the stages of the narrator's view toward the book?

4. Is there a contradiction to the argument in "Argumentum Ornithologicum"?

5. In "Everything and Nothing," who ultimately tells Shakespeare he is like him, and why does he say this?

6. In "The Other," how does the elder Borges most successfully prove to the younger Borges that he is not dreaming their encounter?

7. In "A Weary Man's Utopia," is the society described by the old man really a "utopia"?

8. In "Unworthy," why does Fischbein, a mild-mannered and bookish man, hang around a gang?

9. In "Borges and I," who are the two Borgeses, and what is the relationship between them?

10. What does "Shakespeare's Memory" say about creating art?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Pick one of the following objects: knives, mirrors, coins, mystic books. Discuss how this item is used as a leitmotif in Borges' stories. What is the significance of the item, both literally and metaphorically? Why does Borges choose this precise object? All of the above choices abound in "Collected Fictions." Choose at least two stories to investigate for your chosen item.

Essay Topic 2

Why does Borges, a cerebral author, often focus on lowlife characters? He often frames stories of knife fights, gangsters, murder, prostitution, etc., with academic musings. What is the effect of this seeming disconnect? Does this rough subject matter undercut the intellectualism? Or does the intellectual frame suggest that there might be more to these earthy stories? Perhaps they strike a perfect balance. Use specific stories in developing your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Describe the concept of forbidden knowledge in Borges' stories. Are there certain things man should not know? Is it dangerous to try to play the Divine? Think of stories such as "The Writing of the God," "A Theologian in Death," "The Chamber of Statues," and "The Mirror of Ink." Choose at least one of these stories, and up to three in supporting your essay.

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