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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 Theologians," what best describes Borges's characterization of theological disputes?

2. In "The Dead Man," who does Otalora want to replace as leader of the gang?

3. In "The Theme of the Traitor and the Hero," what does the historian, Ryan, do when he discovers the truth behind the assassination?

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

5. In "The Immortal," the troglodyte who recites poetry to Marcus is what writer?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. In "The Cruel Redeemer Lazarus Morell," describe Lazarus' moral character.

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

5. In "The Circular Ruins," a man creates another man in a dream and ultimately discovers that he is a dream himself. Is Borges making a possible connection to the artistic process?

6. "The Approach to Al-Mu'tasim" is a review of a book that does not exist. How is this significant?

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

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

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

10. 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?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the style of Borges. Is it spare? Baroque? Academic? Opaque? Etc. Think, for instance, of "The Approach to Al Mu'tasim," which is written as a book review of the book "The Approach to Al Mu'tasim." Is his style mostly consistent throughout his stories, or are there any significant changes? Is his style appropriate for his subjects? Does his style itself often mirror the themes of the stories? Use at least three different stories to illustrate your point .

Essay Topic 2

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 3

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.

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