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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. According to Paz's argument, what is the source of the North American's irritation with the pachuco?

2. What is the most valued trait in both the military and political realms?

3. What makes the foreigner skeptical about Mexicans (Chapter Four)?

4. What is the difference between the Mexican killer and the modern one?

5. How does the pachuco present himself to the people around him?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

5. How does North American culture view the pachuco? Does the pachuco accept or reject that culture's perception of him?

6. How does Paz explain the Mexican woman's role in society? How does that strip her of her personality?

7. When does Paz say that a nation questions itself? Is it necessary?

8. In Chapter Three, the following idea is presented: "There is nothing so joyous as a Mexican fiesta, but there is also nothing so sorrowful. Fiesta night is also a night of mourning" (Chapter 3, page 53). What does that mean?

9. What is left of the colonial world? Are those remnants the best or the worst parts that could be left behind?

10. What is the character of the Mexican's solitude? How does it differ from the solitude of the North American?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine the organization of the book. How is the material organized? What are the chapter titles? Do the titles prepare you for the material presented?

Essay Topic 2

When does a Mexican come into conflict with his fellow man, especially another Mexican? What are the facets of the clash? How is it resolved?

Essay Topic 3

What personal experiences did Paz pull from to write the book? How did he incorporate them into the broader scope of Mexican history? How did that affect the tone?

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