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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 did the Revolution force the Mexican people to do?

2. What was sacrificed when Porfirio Diaz took power and subdued anarchy?

3. What was an important element of all ancient cultures?

4. Why was unemployment high in Mexico at the time that Paz was writing?

5. Whom did Paz call the "guardian of freedom and traitor to his country"? (Chapter Six, page 125).

Short Essay Questions

1. Despite Mexico's advancements, where does she still stand on the world spectrum? How can she change her placement?

2. How does Paz explain the suicides of the Aztec people? Is it a reasonable explanation?

3. What does Paz say about the national differences among Central and South American nations? How does that tie into their relationship with Spain?

4. What did Article 3 of the new Constitution mandate? What troubles did that Article cause?

5. Who was Sor Juana? Why was she an unusual person both in South America and in old Spain?

6. What does Paz think of the Soviet Union? How does it compare to Mexico?

7. Why could Mexico not have progressed as far as she has today if she were working within capitalism?

8. How was the Revolution similar to a fiesta? Because of any existing similarity, why do the people cling to that time in history? Can that be considered healthy?

9. How did Catholicism reduce the Indian converts into passive believers? How was that a significant blow?

10. What is the role of the Mexican intelligentsia within society? How does it differ from the function of the intelligentsia within the United States and Europe; and which one is a better role?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Does Paz's writing style mirror the subject? When is he vociferous? When does it feel that he is holding something back?

Essay Topic 2

When does the author mention the Mexican ripping open his breast to reveal his emotions? What similarities and differences do those stories share? What emotions are encapsulated within them?

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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