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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 prompts the General's marriage to Leticia?

2. How did the General seize power the first time?

3. According to popular rumor, what does Lord Kochel eat?

4. How long has the General been in power?

5. What does the papal nuncio say about the linen shroud?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the circumstances under which the General meets Leticia Nazareno.

2. What happens to Monsignor Demetrius Aldous as he concludes his investigation of the General's mother?

3. Describe the occurrence the General believes to be a miracle.

4. Explain the conditions under which Jose Ignacio Saenz de la Barra is allowed to operate the torture chamber.

5. How does Jose Ignacio Saenz de la Barra attempt to undermine the General?

6. After the Papal Nuncio decides that the event was not a miracle, what happens to him?

7. How does Monsignor Demetrius Aldous investigate Bendicion Alvarado for sainthood?

8. Describe Jose Ignacio Saenz de la Barra.

9. How does Leticia Nazareno's relationship with the General begin?

10. Describe the General's final death.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the ending of the novel. Who concludes the novel? Why is it significant that the narrative ends with this voice? Why does the final page end with dates? What effect does this ending have on the novel as a whole? Consider the structure, motifs, and narrative structure in your answer. Support your argument using evidence from the text.

Essay Topic 2

Because the novel spans such a vast period of time, much changes in the course of its plot. As the nation moves forward in history, technology encroaches on the traditional ways of life. Discuss the integration and appearance of technology in the novel. Consider the General's fascination with the gadgets he gives to Manuela Sanchez or the television campaign Jose Ignacio Saenz de la Barra launches against the General. How does technology creep into the novel? What is the overall effect on the work as a whole? Be sure to provide specific evidence to support your argument.

Essay Topic 3

Gabriel Garcia Marquez is renown for his masterful manipulation of magical realism in his fiction. Address the absurd and fantastical elements in the novel. What is the intended effect of these outrageous elements? How does this contribute to the political commentary in the novel? Provide evidence from the novel to support your assertions.

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