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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 "There are More Things," who seems to inhabit the narrator's deceased uncle's house?

2. In "Unworthy," what does the rest of the gang call Fischbein?

3. In "Ulrikke," what happens between the narrator and Ulrikke?

4. In "Blue Tigers," what are the Blue Tigers?

5. In "Ragnarok," what happens to the Gods who reappear?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "The Gospel According to Mark," why do the Gutres want to crucify Baltasar?

2. Name some of the customs and beliefs of the strange group in "The Sect of Thirty."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay on issues of race in Borges' stories. "The Cruel Redeemer Lazarus Morell" seems to point out the evils of slavery. At the same time, Borges will often describe a character simply as a "black man," as if that were the defining characteristic. In "The Improbable Impostor Tom Castro," Ebenezer Bogle is described as "black" and a "genius." Does this juxtaposition suggest a belief that the two terms are usually mutually exclusive? Is Borges, in terms of race, merely the product of his times? Or, is he critiquing the racial views of his times? Use at least two stories in arguing your point.

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Existentialism is a philosophy that holds that one makes his own meaning from a life that is essentially absurd and meaningless. Is Borges an Existentialist? Does his method of writing, with its ambiguous meanings, and multiple possibilities imply existentialism? Choose at least one and up to three stories to support your argument. Be specific.

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