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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 "The Wait," what happens to Villari at the end?

2. In "The Wizard that was Made to Wait," what does the church dean do with the magic he learns?

3. In "Emma Zunz," what does Emma pretend to be in order to complete her revenge?

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

5. 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?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "A Theologian in Death," what is Melancthon's doctrine and what are the implications of this doctrine?

2. How can the story "Tlon, Uqbar, and Orbis Tertius" best be described?

3. In "The End," does the black man who plays his guitar and continually waits outside the bar get what he has been waiting for?

4. In "Pierre Menard, Author of Quixote," Menard wants to rewrite Cervantes' novel word for word. Why does he want to pursue such an exercise in seeming futility?

5. Describe the theme in "The Mirror of Ink."

6. In "A Survey of the Works of Herbert Quain," why is Herbert upset at the success of "April March"?

7. In "Ibn-Hakam-Al Bokhari, Murdered in his Labyrinth," according to Unwin, why did Sa'id truly steal the treasure, and what are the implications of this motivation?

8. In "The Immortal," what is the result of immortality?

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

10. In "The Dead Man," why does Bandeira allow Otalora to sleep with his woman and enjoy a sense of power?

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

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

Choose a story and analyze the narrative structure. How does the structure propel the action? How does it inform the meaning or themes of the story? "The Shape of the Sword," the story of the traitorous John Vincent Moon, is an excellent example for examining the structure. Feel free to use this story or choose your own. Remember to be as specific as you can.

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