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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. Where does Alberto tell his mother he stayed with his friend the night before when he returns home in Part Two, Chapter 5?

2. Who is the character that is known as “the Boa” in the Circle?

3. Who does the narrator of Part Two, Chapter 4 believe is double-crossing him in the beginning of the chapter?

4. The captain tells Lt. Gamboa in Part Two, Chapter 7, “A clean conscience might help you get into heaven, but it won’t help” what?

5. How many doctors does the colonel say determined that the bullet that killed the Slave was from his own rifle in Part Two, Chapter 6?

Short Essay Questions

1. What action does Lt. Gamboa take in following up on Alberto’s claims in Part Two, Chapter 5?

2. Where do Skinny and Alberto go in order to perform their first robbery together in Part Two, Chapter 3? What are Alberto’s instructions?

3. How does the theme of secrecy relate to the character of Skinny Higueras?

4. Who is the second narrator of Part Two, Chapter 1? What does this character relate in the chapter?

5. Who is the narrator in the beginning of Part Two, Chapter 2? What does this narrator describe?

6. What confession does Alberto make in Part Two, Chapter 3? To whom does he make this confession?

7. What causes the Poet to begin to doubt himself and his allegations in Part Two?

8. How has the death of the Slave affected the Poet and the Jaguar in Part Two, Chapter 5?

9. Where is Alberto sent after meeting with the Colonel in Part Two? Who does he encounter here?

10. What are revealed to be the Jaguar’s objectives in Part Two of the novel? Why are his objectives not met?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the theme of friendship in The Time of the Hero. Which characters in the story relate to this theme the greatest in Part One? How is friendship defined by the different cadets in the story? How do the friendships in the narrative evolve?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the theme of alienation in The Time of the Hero. How is this theme illustrated through symbolism and imagery in the narrative? What characters relate to the theme of alienation the most? Why?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the writing style of Mario Vargas Llosa. Where is Vargas Llosa from? When was The Time of the Hero written? What is the literal translation of the novel’s title from Spanish to English? What political and social viewpoints has the author expressed in the novel?

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