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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 prompts the General to have all of Leticia's food inspected?

2. What does the General do after his mother dies?

3. What happens when Leticia touches fresh market goods?

4. Bendicion's funeral crown is made from which of the following flowers?

5. How do Leticia and Emanuel die?

Short Essay Questions

1. At the end of his life, how does the General feel about power?

2. How is Bendicion Alvarado mourned?

3. How does the General defeat Jose Ignacio Saenz de la Barra's attempted coup?

4. Why does the General's plan to overthrow the U.S. forces fail?

5. Explain how the Caribbean Sea becomes U.S. property.

6. How does the General decide to restore the Church to the nation?

7. What are the contents of the sack which appears to be full of coconuts?

8. How are the creditors treated when they arrive at the palace?

9. How does the General learn how to read?

10. After he has finished with the school girl, how does the General deal with her?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout the novel, General Saturno Santos is referred to as "the Indian." How does Garcia Marquez treat the indigenous culture and people of "the nation"? Why is Santos consistently referred to as the Indian? How does this character reflect on the indigenous people of "the nation"? Be sure to consider the colonial history of the nation and its effect on the people.

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Discuss the role of repetition in the novel. This, unlike many other works of fiction, is a novel loaded with motifs and repeated descriptions of events. How does this affect the overall structure of the work? What does this technique contribute to Garcia's overall message in the work. Use specific evidence from the text to support your claims.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 861 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample