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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 "Shakespeare's Memory," what do Shakespeare's memories do for Hermann?

2. In "Blue Tigers," what do the Blue Tigers do to the narrator?

3. In "Undr," what does the sacred word of the Urns mean?

4. In "A Prayer," what is the narrator's attitude toward his prayer?

5. In "A Weary Man's Utopia," how old is the man from the future?

Short Essay Questions

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

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. In "Everything and Nothing," who ultimately tells Shakespeare he is like him, and why does he say this?

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

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

7. What is the message about scientific precision in "Museum- On Exactitude in Science"?

8. In "The Plot," a gaucho dies in a similar fashion to Julius Caesar. What does this suggest about history?

9. In "The Book of Sand," what are the stages of the narrator's view toward the book?

10. In "The Other," how does the elder Borges most successfully prove to the younger Borges that he is not dreaming their encounter?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

What is your favorite story in "Collected Fictions"? Why? Though you are free to describe why you like the story on a gut level, make sure you also include your reasoning as to why that story is an artistic success. Evaluate some of its formal elements, such as its plot, imagery, themes, tone, style, etc.

Essay Topic 3

In "The Library of Babel," a librarian frantically and hopelessly tries to organize the books in a seemingly infinite library and looks for a book that will summarize all the others. Is this story merely a work of imaginative fiction, or a possible metaphor for the actual world? What is Borges implying about the nature of human knowledge? Make sure to discuss "The Library of Babel," but also include at least one more story that touches on this common theme of Borges. Be specific.

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