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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 "A Survey of the Works of Herbert Quain," how does Quain react when he does have some artistic success?

2. In "The House of Asterion," Asterion kills how many people?

3. In "The Aleph," why does the narrator lie about the Aleph?

4. In "Pierre Menard, Author of Quixote," which author is Menard most obsessed with?

5. In "The Shape of the Sword," what do we learn of Vincent Moon'?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "The Man on the Threshold," why do the people pretend that they do not know what happened to Glencairn when the investigator asks them?

2. In "Funes, His Memory," is Funes's prodigious memory a good thing or a bad thing?

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

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

5. In "The Secret Miracle," does Hladik really gain anything in the year of frozen time that God grants him?

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

7. 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?

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In "The Circular Ruins," a man dreams a son into existence. At the end of the story, the man discovers that he was likewise the creation of someone's dream. How does this story reflect Idealist philosophy, where reality is based on thought and the mind? What does the story say about Borges' view toward his own literary creations? Does it suggest a possibility about all of our lives? Note and explain at least one other story, in addition to "The Circular Ruins," that also reflects Idealist philosophy.

Essay Topic 2

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.

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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