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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. Who approaches Dr. Stephen Albert's house while he and Dr. Yu Tsun are conversing?

2. What is April March?

3. What is the name of the god of the temple in "The Circular Ruins"?

4. What fascinates the narrator the most about the planet of Tlon?

5. How does Pierre Menard describe "Don Quixote"?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Pierre Menard.

2. Describe Dr. Yu Tsun.

3. Why can't the inappropriate information in the library of Babel be destroyed?

4. What revelation does the narrator have about Uqbar and Tlon at the end of the story, "Tlon, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius"?

5. What causes some people in the library of Babel to go insane?

6. Who are the Purifiers?

7. What opinion does Pierre Menard have of Cervantes' "Don Quixote"?

8. Why do some players of the Babylon lottery end up in jail?

9. Why does Dr. Yu Tsun murder Dr. Albert?

10. In "Tlon, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius," what dispute arises from the discussion about mirrors?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Borges' use of labyrinths in "Ficciones." How does a labyrinth differ from a maze? How do characters create labyrinths, and what purpose do they serve? What warnings does Borges give his readers through the use of labyrinths?

Essay Topic 2

Describe the philosophy of idealism. How does Borges express the tenets of idealism in "The Circular Ruins"? What power does Borges attribute to the human mind?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Borges' view of redemption. Who is Al-Mu'tasim? What is the significance of the student's journey? How does the student find redemption?

(see the answer keys)

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