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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 Shape of the Sword," what is the defining physical characteristic of John Vincent Moon?

2. In "The Cult of the Phoenix," what is the Cult of the Phoenix?

3. In "A Survey of the Works of Herbert Quain," Quain's work can best be described as which of the following?

4. In "Emma Zunz," why did Emma's father commit suicide?

5. In "The Circular Ruins," what does the sorcerer do in his dreams?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. In "The Garden of Forking Paths," why does Dr. Yu work for the Germans?

4. In "The Writing of the God," why does Tzinacan decide to stay in his cell?

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

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

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

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

9. How does Borges portray theological disputes in "The Theologians"?

10. In "The Wait," what does Villari do when his assassins actually show up? Why does he do this?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

What seems to be Borges' stance toward religion in these stories? Think of the many stories that deal directly and indirectly with theological disputes. Think also of the many stories that have some form of a god as a character. Use at least three different stories to illustrate your point.

Essay Topic 3

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.

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