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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 what month is Olga murdered?

2. In what year is Olga murdered?

3. How many men have attempted to kidnap a convoy of prostitutes at the end of Chapter 8?

4. How does Brother Francisco die?

5. A radio host tells his listeners about the famous landmark called what?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Maclovia behave during her radio interview with Sinchi?

2. What does a letter to Sinchi from disgruntled citizens say?

3. What is surprising about Olga's funeral?

4. What happens when Chuchupe and Wong try to convince Pantoja to leave the military and go into business with them?

5. How do members of the Army feel about Brother Francisco?

6. Describe "The Hymn of the Special Service."

7. Why does Pantoja visit Huallaga?

8. What is the "House of Iron"?

9. How do other officers feel about Pantoja, according to Mendoza?

10. What does a supposedly anonymous letter from Sinchi to Panjota say?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the significance of Olga's murder to the rest of the novel? Why do you think Olga is killed off in the story? Are you surprised by her fate? Why or why not? How does her murder move the plot of the story along? Do you think it is significant that her murder is the result of a botched plan to kidnap and rape her? Why do you think Vargas Llosa chooses to kill her this way and not actually be purposefully be murdered by Moray and his men?

Essay Topic 2

Explore the way Pantoja's sense of family seems to change throughout the novel. Where do his priorities lie? Describe Pantoja's relationship with his coworkers in the Special Service. What is their dynamic? How does his relationship with his relatives change throughout the novel?

Essay Topic 3

What is the significance of Mother Leonor's nightmare where a cockroach is eaten by a rat who is eaten by a lizard who is eaten by a jaguar who is crucified and whose remains are devoured by cockroaches? What does her dream seem to be a metaphor for? How might the dream relate to Pantoja and his situation with the army?

(see the answer keys)

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