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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 was the motto of the national baseball team?

2. Which item in the palace gives proof to the legend that bullets would pass through the General's body without harming him?

3. What happens to Poncio Daza?

4. Where do the wild parrots learn the song mocking the General?

5. Which animal part are the General's hands compared to?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is accomplished at the meeting between the Minister of Health, the Minister of Defense, Manuela Sanchez, and the General?

2. Why are the wild parrots exterminated by the Secret police?

3. How does Patricio Aragones feel toward the President?

4. Why does the General relocate his mother to a mansion in the suburbs?

5. Describe the General's relationship with his mother

6. How does the General respond to Patricio Aragones's dying diatribe?

7. Describe the state of the presidential palace when the book opens.

8. Which group is the exception to the General's rebuilding policy?

9. Who is the only man to survive the meeting of the Federalist Generals and how does he survive?

10. Describe the Caribbean Sea at the opening of Chapter 3.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Jose Ignacio Saenz de la Barra, Garcia Marquez provides a significant foil for the General. Discuss the similarities and the contrast between these rivals for the Presidency. Some points of comparison might include each individual's use of violence or terror to control the public, the use of treachery or deceit to gain power, or the relative competence of each individual to perform the task of political leadership. Which is better suited to lead the nation? Provide evidence from the text to support your assertions.

Essay Topic 2

Because the novel spans such a vast period of time, much changes in the course of its plot. As the nation moves forward in history, technology encroaches on the traditional ways of life. Discuss the integration and appearance of technology in the novel. Consider the General's fascination with the gadgets he gives to Manuela Sanchez or the television campaign Jose Ignacio Saenz de la Barra launches against the General. How does technology creep into the novel? What is the overall effect on the work as a whole? Be sure to provide specific evidence to support your argument.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss gender and sexual relations in this novel. How does Garcia Marquez deal with sex, sexuality, and gender dynamics? Consider the multiple rapes, the dynamic between the General and his mother, the dynamic between the General and Manuela, and the dynamic between the General and Leticia. Integrate material from the text to support your assertions.

(see the answer keys)

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