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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 "Hakim, the Masked Dyer of Merv," Hakim is revealed to have what disease?

2. In "Death and the Compass," where is Dr. Yarmolinsky killed?

3. In "Story of the Two Dreamers," what does the man's dream tell him?

4. What does the sorcerer discover at the end of "The Circular Ruins"?

5. In "Funes, His Memory," at what age does Funes die?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

4. 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?

5. Describe the significance in "The Shape of the Sword," of the last lines: "I denounced the man who protected me: I am Vincent Moon. Now despise me."

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

7. In "The Other Death," how does Borges suggest that Pedro Damian could actually be both a hero and a coward?

8. In "The Widow Ching--Pirate," Ching becomes a pirate, but does she have any virtuous qualities, even in this criminal profession?

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

10. In "Monk Eastman Purveyor of Iniquities," what first stops Monk's criminal life of violence, and then what allows him to continue this violence in a new form?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In "Funes, His Memory," Funes can remember his entire past, learn new languages, and absorb every detail of the present. What are the benefits of this power? What are the drawbacks? Would you like Funes' memory? Be sure to use specifics from the story in your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Labyrinths are included in many of Borges' stories. Indeed, "Labyrinths" is the title of one of his collections of stories. How are these physical structures significant to his work? Consider the essence of a labyrinth: a series of mazes, designed to confuse and entrap men. How do labyrinths fit into the stories themselves? How are labyrinths symbolic for Borges' artistic intentions? Be sure to cite specific stories in your answer.

Essay Topic 3

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.

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