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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 Horacio decide to move in with Gekrepten in Chapter 78?

2. In Chapter 87, a number by what musician is discussed?

3. The commentator in Chapter 147 says that what curtails human freedom?

4. Who does Babs physically attack in Chapter 35?

5. Which two characters arrive at Morelli's flat in Chapter 91?

Short Essay Questions

1. What dream does Horacio have in Chapter 123, and what does Etienne take from it?

2. In Chapter 56, how does Horacio protect himself after he kisses Talita?

3. What does Horacio do before coming to Buenos Aires?

4. What eerie, somewhat mystical, harbinger comes to Pola in Chapter 64?

5. How is Traveler affected by Horacio in this section?

6. Professionally, what changes for Traveler, Horacio and Talita in this section?

7. How is the prose style of Chapter 34 unusual?

8. What cold comfort does Horacio offer La Maga in Chapter 108?

9. How does the novel end?

10. Why are Etienne and Horacio shocked when they get to the old writers room in Chapter in 154?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The motif of madness permeates the second book of HOPSCOTCH to the point that by the end even the reader is unsure what is real and what is not. Write an essay on the topic of madness, focusing on the character of Horacio. What begins his spiral away from sanity? How does encroaching madness manifest itself at first, and how does it accelerate when he begins to work at the mental hospital? In the end, how is Horacio unable to process reality?

Essay Topic 2

Horacio Oliveira is a callous, self-involved, deeply-jealous individual. He is, however, the novel's protagonist, and Cortazar reveals both his flaws and virtues through a series of foils. Write an essay about three of these foils. How does Horacio know each of them? What is the nature of the conflict that exists between him and each foil? What does this conflict reveal about both Horacio and the foil?

Part 1) La Maga

Part 2) Ossip Gregorovius

Part 3) Manolo Traveler

Essay Topic 3

The novel of HOPSCOTCH consists of three books: two main narrative books and one compilation of chapters sometimes called "expendable." Write an essay about these expendable chapters, what they contain, and how reading them is essential to understanding the full narrative of the novel. Focus on three components of the story that only appear in the third book. What does having this information do to inform what is told in the first two books? Which characters does it illuminate? Why do you think this only exists in expendable chapters?

Part 1) The affair with Pola.

Part 2) Morelliana

Part 3) The hospital meeting with Morelli

(see the answer keys)

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