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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 Widow Ching--Pirate," what occupation does Ching decide on, after she gives up pirating?

2. In "The Writing of God," how can Tzinacan escape?

3. In "A Survey of the Works of Herbert Quain," how does Quain react when he does have some artistic success?

4. In "The Chamber of Statues," where is the king warned not to go?

5. In "The Widow Ching--Pirate," what does the second Imperial fleet do when they encounter Ching?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "Three Versions of Judas," what are the three ways Runeberg portrays Judas?

2. In "The Lottery in Babylon," what could the lottery symbolize?

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

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. In "A Biography of Tadeo Isidoro Cruz (1829-1874)," what makes Tadeo decide to fight for Martin Fierro, the man he pursues?

6. In "Averroes' Search," how is Borges' attempt to write of Averroes similar to Averroes own difficulties?

7. In "The Library of Babel," the imaginary library of the title is an allusion to the Tower of Babel. How is this appropriate?

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

9. How can the story "Tlon, Uqbar, and Orbis Tertius" best be described?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

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.

Essay Topic 3

Why does Borges, a cerebral author, often focus on lowlife characters? He often frames stories of knife fights, gangsters, murder, prostitution, etc., with academic musings. What is the effect of this seeming disconnect? Does this rough subject matter undercut the intellectualism? Or does the intellectual frame suggest that there might be more to these earthy stories? Perhaps they strike a perfect balance. Use specific stories in developing your answer.

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