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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 a sack of what seems like coconuts, what does Jose Ignacio Saenz de la Barra deliver to the General?

2. What does the Easter edict proclaim?

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

4. When Bendicion Alvarado's body is returned to the General, what has changed?

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

Short Essay Questions

1. How are the creditors treated when they arrive at the palace?

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

3. How does the General learn how to read?

4. Describe the General's final death.

5. Why does Leticia always receive inferior merchandise from the market?

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

7. Describe the encounter between the General and the school girl narrator in Chapter 6.

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

9. How is Bendicion Alvarado mourned?

10. Explain how the Caribbean Sea becomes U.S. property.

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 repetition in the novel. This, unlike many other works of fiction, is a novel loaded with motifs and repeated descriptions of events. How does this affect the overall structure of the work? What does this technique contribute to Garcia's overall message in the work. Use specific evidence from the text to support your claims.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the novelist's play with time and space. How would you characterize the concept of time in this novel? How does the General transcend the worldly limitations of time and space? What is the significance of Garcia Marquez's play with these concepts in the novel? What is the overall message or effect? Provide specific support for your argument.

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