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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 does Patricio Aragnoes drink in order to forget how to read and write?

2. At what time did the General always begin the day?

3. What happens to the crocodiles after the sack of the palace?

4. Which of the General's body parts seems out of proportion to the narrator?

5. Who was the last diplomat to produce credentials in the Nation?

Short Essay Questions

1. When the hurricane has passed, what does the General do to bolster rebuilding efforts?

2. How does the good fishwife unwittingly prove her loyalty to the General? Describe her actions.

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

4. How does Patricio Aragones feel toward the President?

5. After the U.S. occupiers leave, why is Bendicion Alvarado unhappy?

6. Why does the General stop appearing in the city alongside the group of senators?

7. What is the General's "second death"?

8. How does Patricio Aragones become the General's double?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the treatment of children in this novel. At various stages of the General's rule, we are confronted with potentially disturbing treatment of children. From the indiscriminate fathering of thousands of children to the imprisonment and slaughter of the two thousand children under seven whose job it is to control the lottery, the General commits many acts of violence against children. Why does Garcia Marquez include these acts in the novel? What does this treatment accomplish? How does it affect our perception of the General? Provide specific details from the novel as support for your claims.

Essay Topic 3

Analyze the way in which Gabriel Garcia Marquez treats politics and dictatorships in the novel. What is he saying about dictatorship? Does his General resemble any historical dictators? If so, what effect does this resemblance have on the purpose of the book? Be sure to provide specific evidence from the text as you write your essay.

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