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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. Why does Placida Linero believe that the bishop won't get off the boat?

2. The excesses surrounding the wedding suggest:

3. Santiago's house is made out of a former:

4. Another event that adds to the mystery of Bayardo San Roman is that:

5. What might Santiago's dreams of trees symbolize?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do the motifs of selfishness and self-interest affect the events of the chapter.

2. What might Poncio Vicario's blindness suggest about him?

3. What do the conflicting descriptions of Bayardo San Roman suggest?

4. How are the twins persuaded to put off the murder until after the bishop's visit?

5. Aside from the code of honor exhibited by the Vicario twins, what other family values are exhibited in the book?

6. The stab in Santiago's right hand suggests the stigmata of Christ to the priest. In what ways does Santiago serve as a Christ figure?

7. What is suggested by the mention of starch in relation to Santiago and Poncio Vicario? Santiago cannot stand starch in his clothes, while Poncio Vicario's shirt is so heavily starched it stands up by itself.

8. After the murder, how do people feel about the twins' actions?

9. What is suggested by the recurring crowing of roosters, and the bishop's love of cocks' comb soup?

10. What does the narrator's recount of mundane details do for the story?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The narrator states that literature is not allowed the convenient, sometimes unbelievable coincidences of life. In an essay, defend, refute, or qualify this idea.

Essay Topic 2

Consider the title of the novel. What is important about the foretelling of Santiago Nasar's death? What is the theme of Garcia Marquez' novel, and how do the many acts of foretelling contribute to this theme?

Essay Topic 3

The narrator uses both showing and telling to reveal the details of the story. Write an essay in which evaluate the use of showing and telling in the novel, determining which of the two is most influential in communicating Garcia Marquez' ideas.

(see the answer keys)

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