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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. At what time did the General always begin the day?

2. Which group comes to investigate the disappearance of the children?

3. The remains of the General are found:

4. What type of suit does the General use as a disguise?

5. Which part of the General's corpse didn't the vultures peck?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does the General relocate his mother to a mansion in the suburbs?

2. How does Patricio Aragones become the General's double?

3. How does Manuela Sanchez respond to the appearance of the comet?

4. How does the good fishwife unwittingly prove her loyalty to the General? Describe her actions.

5. Why does the General restore the March poetry contest?

6. What happens when a man's bird wins against the General's in a cockfight?

7. What happens at the meeting of the Federalist Generals?

8. Who were the Federalists?

9. Describe the General's relationship with his mother

10. Who is the only man to survive the meeting of the Federalist Generals and how does he survive?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Jose Ignacio Saenz de la Barra, Garcia Marquez provides a significant foil for the General. Discuss the similarities and the contrast between these rivals for the Presidency. Some points of comparison might include each individual's use of violence or terror to control the public, the use of treachery or deceit to gain power, or the relative competence of each individual to perform the task of political leadership. Which is better suited to lead the nation? Provide evidence from the text to support your assertions.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the role of education in the novel. Is it significant that the General, despite his absolute power, is illiterate for much of his term? Is it at all significant that the General's wife is the person who teaches him to read? Why or why not? How does literacy and education surface in other ways in the novel? What might Garcia Marquez be saying about the nature or necessity of education? Be sure to support your argument with specific evidence from the text.

Essay Topic 3

Throughout the novel, Garcia Marquez sets up a marked contrast between history and memory. In various instances in the novel, the official versions deviate greatly from the remembered histories. Why, do you think, Garcia Marquez creates so many discrepancies? Discuss Garcia Marquez's commentary on the nature of truth, history and memory. Provide evidence from the text.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 910 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample