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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 the diplomat's report, what is the cow eating?

2. How does the General disguise his inability to speak?

3. Who is "petrified" to see the changes to the dogfight district?

4. Which group comes to investigate the disappearance of the children?

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

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does the General relocate his mother to a mansion in the suburbs?

2. How does Manuela Sanchez respond to the appearance of the comet?

3. What happens to the Defense Minister?

4. How does the General prepare for the coming hurricane?

5. Discuss the significance of the cows in the opening scene.

6. Why does the General restore the March poetry contest?

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

8. Describe the General's relationship with his mother

9. What happens when a man's bird wins against the General's in a cockfight?

10. Who were the Federalists?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 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

Gabriel Garcia Marquez is renown for his masterful manipulation of magical realism in his fiction. Address the absurd and fantastical elements in the novel. What is the intended effect of these outrageous elements? How does this contribute to the political commentary in the novel? Provide evidence from the novel to support your assertions.

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This section contains 975 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample