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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. What is the "secret miracle" that Jaromir Hladik experiences?

2. How does Ireneo Funes die?

3. In the story, "The End," why is the man in the back of the store lying down?

4. Where does Fergus Kilpatrick die?

5. Why does the narrator have to leave his cousin's house?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "Theme of the Traitor and Hero," why are the details of Ryan's great-grandfather's death obscured?

2. What does the house in "Death and the Compass" symbolize?

3. What is Jaromir Hladik's prayer?

4. In "The End," why do the black man and the stranger fight?

5. Why does Ireneo Funes suffer from insomnia?

6. In "Theme of the Traitor and Hero," what coincidences raise Ryan's suspicion?

7. Why does language frustrate Ireneo Funes?

8. Describe Ireneo Funes.

9. In "The Form of the Sword," how does the Irishman rescue John Vincent Moon?

10. How is Fergus Kilpatrick both a traitor and a hero?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare Borges' style of writing with the genre of hypertext fiction. How is "Ficciones" a precursor to hypertext fiction? What are the "forking paths" in "Garden of the Forking Paths"? What does Borges mean when he asks his readers to "become aware of all the possible choices we might make"?

Essay Topic 2

Describe Borges' use of time. How does he use verbal imagery to describe the concept of time? What relationship does Borges' create between time and space? How does he use the alteration of time to express his themes?

Essay Topic 3

How does Borges use fictional and legitimate literature to express his themes? What effect does the use of historically accurate references and literature have on the realism of Borges' work? What effect does the insertion of both fictional and legitimate literature have on the reader's perception of his work?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,263 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample