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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 Chapter 122, what does Etienne suggest is at the heart of his recent vivid dreams?

2. With whom is Horacio spending most of his time in Chapter 49?

3. What is the name of the international organization that Ceferino Piriz wants to create?

4. Who does Horacio call to talk about his dream in Chapter 100?

5. How do Horacio and Traveler pass long stretches of free time in the asylum in Chapter 52?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the argument that Ossip and Horacio have in this section.

2. In Chapter 56, how does Horacio protect himself after he kisses Talita?

3. How is Traveler affected by Horacio in this section?

4. Describe Horacio's dream in Chapter 100.

5. What do Ronald and Etienne discuss in Chapter 142?

6. How does the Serpent Club's final gathering end?

7. How do Traveler and Horacio put Talita in a ridiculous position in Chapter 41?

8. Why is the Morelli argument in Chapter 99 a relief to Horacio?

9. How does Horacio settle in Buenos Aires in this section?

10. What is revolutionary about Morelli's forthcoming book?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The characters of HOPSCOTCH can almost universally be described as intellects. They read constantly that they may spend the rest of their hours debating text and theory. Write an essay about Cortazar's attitude toward theory in an essay in three parts:

Part 1) This fixation on theory is perhaps best illustrated with the protagonist, Horacio. Write an essay examining his obsession with texts and proofs. How does this fixation affect his everyday life? What criticism does he receive from his friends as a result?

Part 2) Spend a paragraph discussing the gatherings and discussions of the Serpent Club. What dialectical arguments do they have to pass the time, and why is La Maga so often ostracized from them? What prerequisites exist for inclusion?

Part 3) Book 1 seems to climax at a moment when, as Horacio observes, dialectical argument proves insufficient. What is this moment? How does this moment shatter the wall of theory built by the Club? What happens to the club as a result?

Essay Topic 2

Julio Cortazar juxtaposed two couples in the novel: Horacio and La Maga, and Manolo and Talita Traveler. Write an essay comparing and contrasting these couples and exploring how the author juxtaposes them. How do both intensely doubt the validity of their love? What is their reason for feeling this way? Which seems to be the stronger couple? In summation, why do you think one relationship survives and the other falls apart?

Essay Topic 3

HOPSCOTCH as a symbol figures into the novel in several different ways. Write an essay about the use of hopscotch as a literary device, focusing on three different uses of it in the novel?

Part 1) How does the title of the novel indicate an unorthodox way of reading it? Write a paragraph describing the table of instructions provided the reader and how it affects the reading of the novel. To what extent is the reader hopscotching when reading the text?

Part 2) At the end of Book 1, as Horacio is losing his mind and getting arrested in Paris, he begins to ruminate on the game of hopscotch. What does the game become a metaphor for in this rumination? How is this metaphor related to the early purposes of the game of hopscotch?

Part 3) Late in the novel, any reference to hopscotch indicates a loss of sanity on the part of the narrator. Write a summation essay about such references. Who is actually playing hopscotch, and how does Horacio lose grasp of this person's identity when he sees them playing?

(see the answer keys)

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