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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 "Borges and I," who are the two characters?

2. In "Undr," what does Ulf do to avoid execution?

3. In "Argumentum Ornitholicum," if the number of birds is indefinite, what is implied?

4. In "Museum--On Exactitude in Science," how big are the maps of the Empire?

5. In "The Gospel According to Mark," what does Baltasar do with the Gutres' English Bible?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "The Rose of Paracelsus," why doesn't Paracelsus turn the ashes of the rose into a rose for the young man?

2. In "Unworthy," why does Fischbein, a mild-mannered and bookish man, hang around a gang?

3. In "The Yellow Rose," what is Marino's epiphany?

4. Is there a contradiction to the argument in "Argumentum Ornithologicum"?

5. In "Covered Mirrors," what is the narrator's attitude toward mirrors?

6. What does "Shakespeare's Memory" say about creating art?

7. In "The Interloper," do the Nelson brothers have any redeeming qualities?

8. In "The Duel," what is the nature of the duel between Clara and Marta?

9. In "The Ethnographer," why won't Fred Murdock reveal the secret of the Indian tribe to the professor?

10. What does "The Disk" say about greed?

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

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

Borges is an amazingly erudite writer who saturates his stories with his learning, scholarly investigation, and complex philosophical questions. Does he have, at the same time, a sense of humor? How seriously does Borges take himself? Does he poke fun at his own intellectualism? Consider, for instance, "A Survey of the Works of Herbert Quain," where a writer is essentially mad that his play is understood and enjoyed by a wide audience. You can use this story for your essay or choose your own, and you are encouraged to use more than one. Be specific in developing your argument.

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