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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. To whom does Nils Runeberg compare Judas?

2. How does Nils Runeberg die?

3. What talent does Ireneo Funes possess?

4. Who is James Alexander Nolan?

5. Why are Nils Runeberg's theories controversial?

Short Essay Questions

1. What irony is evident in the membership of the Sect of the Phoenix?

2. Describe Ireneo Funes.

3. Describe Jaromir Hladik.

4. How does Jaromir Hladik complete his play?

5. What does Jaromir Hladik regret?

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

7. What unique abilities does Ireneo Funes possess?

8. Why does language frustrate Ireneo Funes?

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

10. In "The Form of the Sword," what symbolism is evident in the scar on the Englishman's face?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does Borges use savants to express the themes of his work? What social implications does he draw from savant abilities? What are the positive and negative consequences that Borges associates with the growth of the human mind?

Essay Topic 2

Describe the different narrative modes and their importance in expressing themes in literature. How does point of view affect a reader's vision of a story? When is a particular narrative mode ineffective? Why does Borges occasionally switch modes within a story?

Essay Topic 3

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?

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