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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Above all other definitions, who is the Chingada?
(a) The representation of virginity.
(b) The representation of violated womanhood.
(c) A mythical mother.
(d) A living mother.

2. Paz says that during critical moments in a nation's development, the people ask themselves a critical question. What is that question?
(a) Who should lead us?
(b) Who are we and how can we fulfill this obligation?
(c) How do we want the future to look?
(d) How can we move forward?

3. How does the philosophy of progress treat death?
(a) It pretends to make death disappear.
(b) It disregards death entirely.
(c) It minimizes death.
(d) It treats death as one more step in life.

4. What does the Mexican value in art, religion, and politics?
(a) Equality.
(b) Purity.
(c) Form.
(d) Originality.

5. In Paz's thought, what does a study of the great myths reveal?
(a) Man has broken the order of the universe.
(b) Man will continually become better than he is now.
(c) Man can only be saved by something other than himself.
(d) Man will never truly be saved.

Short Answer Questions

1. From what does a fiesta free the Mexican, in Paz's understanding?

2. In Paz's understanding of genders, how do Mexican women become like men?

3. How does Paz differentiate between views of the body in Mexico and North America?

4. On which group of people were Paz's thoughts focused?

5. What analogy does Paz use to explain Mexico's history?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is the modern murderer different from a murderer of the past? How has modernity contributed to that difference?

2. What is Paz's understanding of woman? How does it fit the Mexican mindset?

3. What is dissimulation? How does it compare to lying? How does it affect the Mexican's idea of himself?

4. How did the Aztecs view sin? How does that idea explain the Conquest? What enormous change did Catholicism introduce?

5. According to Alarcon, why does the liar lie to himself? Given what you know of the Mexican mindset, does that make sense?

6. What were Paz's impressions of the United States? How does that contrast with the literature being written? In your mind, what accounts for the discrepancy?

7. What is the greatest horror that a worker suffers? Do you think that is true?

8. What is the Mexican's ideal of manliness? How does it affect his interactions with other people?

9. What is the modern view of death? How is it dramatically different from the Aztec view?

10. Who is the Virgin of Guadalupe? How is she an important part of Mexican identity?

(see the answer keys)

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