Love in the Time of Cholera MCQs

Author's Photo
Have a specific topic you'd like me to cover? Feel free to contact me with your suggestions.
Author: Nasir Iqbal | Assistant Professor of English Literature

Love in the Time of Cholera MCQs
Updated on: November 3, 2025
Estimated Reading Time: 16 min

Love in the Time of Cholera MCQs

1. What scent reminded Dr. Urbino of unrequited love?

A. French perfume
B. Gardenia blossoms
C. Bitter almonds
D. Ocean salt

C. Bitter almonds.
The scent of bitter almonds, a sign of cyanide, always made him think about the fate of love without return.

2. What was Jeremiah de Saint-Amour’s profession?

A. Retired soldier
B. Children’s photographer
C. Chess master
D. All of the above

D. All of the above.
Saint-Amour was an Antillean refugee, war veteran, and worked primarily as a photographer of children.

3. What kind of dog was tied next to the suicide’s cot?

A. Small poodle
B. Terrier mix
C. Black Great Dane
D. Spotted hound

C. Black Great Dane.
The doctor discovered the body of a black Great Dane, featuring a snow-white chest, tied to the campaign cot.

4. What photographic substance was used to vaporise the poison?

A. Developing tray
B. Fixative solution
C. Photographic acid
D. Cyanide vapors

C. Photographic acid.
Dr. Urbino determined the cause of death was cyanide vapors activated by some type of photographic acid.
5. What was Urbino’s age, celebrated the year before?

A. Seventy-two
B. Eighty
C. Seventy-five
D. Eighty-one

B. Eighty.
His eightieth birthday had been celebrated the previous year with an official three-day jubilee in the city.

6. What did Urbino believe was in the hearts of love suicides?

A. Dried blood
B. Deep scars
C. Crystals
D. Salt water

C. Crystals.
Urbino instructed the young intern to observe carefully, as victims of love suicide almost always have crystals inside their hearts.

7. What was the dead man wearing when Dr. Urbino found him?

A. Linen suit
B. Military uniform
C. Completely naked
D. Pyjama bottoms

C. Completely naked.
Jeremiah de Saint-Amour was found completely naked, twisted and stiff, with his eyes wide open.

8. What was Urbino wearing when he arrived at the scene?

A. Smartly cut vest
B. White linen suit
C. Frock coat
D. Black pyjamas

B. White linen suit.
Urbino continued to wear a neat white linen suit, fitted with a gold watch chain across his vest.

9. What was Jeremiah de Saint-Amour trying to escape via suicide?

A. Old age
B. Torments of memory
C. War wounds
D. Cholera illness

B. Torments of memory.
The refugee photographer sought escape from the continuous torments of memory using aromatic gold cyanide fumes.
10. What time was the burial set for Jeremiah de Saint-Amour?

A. Noon
B. Five o’clock
C. Midday
D. Seven o’clock

B. Five o’clock.
The Doctor decided the burial would take place at five o’clock, which was the most suitable time in hot weather.

11. What clothing did Urbino demand his coachman wear?

A. White gloves
B. Faded velvet livery
C. Top hat
D. Patent leather

B. Faded velvet livery.
Urbino required his coachman to wear livery of faded velvet and a top hat, like a circus ringmaster.

12. What structure was depicted on the glass door in Urbino’s house?

A. Ocean waves
B. City skyline
C. Fauns and grapes
D. Arab calligraphy

C. Fauns and grapes.
The enormous glass door separating the dining room had vines, grapes, and maidens seduced by pipes of fauns.

13. How many volumes were in Dr. Urbino’s library?

A. Five hundred
B. One thousand
C. Three thousand
D. Ten thousand

C. Three thousand.
The Doctor’s sanctuary contained three thousand books, all carefully bound in calfskin with gold initials.

14. What activity did Urbino teach his parrot to do?

A. Arithmetic functions
B. Speak French
C. Sing opera
D. All of the above

D. All of the above.
Urbino taught the parrot French, Latin Mass, gospel passages, and tried teaching arithmetic functions unsuccessfully.
15. What famous visitor failed to get the parrot to talk?

A. The Archbishop
B. President Suárez
C. General Argote
D. The city Mayor

B. President Suárez.
The parrot refused to utter a single syllable for President Don Marco Fidel Suárez and his cabinet ministers.

16. What kind of animal did Fermina Daza own that was chained to a mango tree?

A. Cat
B. Curlew
C. Amazonian monkey
D. Dalmatian

C. Amazonian monkey.
Fermina Daza eventually got rid of the Amazonian monkey because it constantly pleasured itself in honor of the ladies.

17. What large snake did Fermina Daza keep in the house?

A. Python
B. Boa constrictor
C. Anaconda
D. Vipers

B. Boa constrictor.
She brought in a four-meter-long anaconda to frighten away all the harmful bats and insects.

18. What was Urbino’s decree about animals in the house?

A. Must be caged
B. Must be cleaned
C. Nothing that speaks
D. Must be beautiful

C. Nothing that speaks.
Dr. Urbino decreed, “Nothing that does not speak will come into this house” after a disaster with dead animals.

19. What physical object did Urbino compensate for his memory loss with?

A. Reminder thread
B. Calendar sheets
C. Scraps of paper
D. Account book

C. Scraps of paper.
Urbino compensated for his failing memory by quickly scribbling hurried notes on scraps of paper in his pockets.
20. What was Urbino’s final, desperate act on the ladder?

A. Sang loudly
B. Caught the parrot
C. Swallowed a pill
D. Said goodbye

B. Caught the parrot.
Urbino grasped the parrot around the neck with a triumphant sigh just before the ladder slipped out from under him.

21. What did Urbino say to Fermina Daza with his last breath?

A. God forgive me
B. Loved you much
C. Don’t worry
D. I am sorry

B. Loved you much.
Urbino managed to say to his wife with his last breath: “Only God knows how much I loved you.”

22. What item did Fermina Daza put on Urbino’s finger before the coffin closed?

A. Rosary beads
B. Emerald ring
C. Wedding ring
D. Gold chain

C. Wedding ring.
Before they sealed the coffin, Fermina Daza took her own wedding ring and placed it on her dead husband’s finger.

23. How long had Florentino Ariza waited to profess his eternal love?

A. Forty years
B. Half a century
C. Six decades
D. Until death

B. Half a century.
Florentino Ariza had waited for the opportunity for more than half a century to repeat his vow of love.

24. Who was Florentino Ariza’s father, the shipowner?

A. Lotario Thugut
B. Don Pius V Loayza
C. General Argote
D. Jeremiah Saint-Amour

B. Don Pius V Loayza.
Florentino Ariza was the only child from an occasional alliance with the well-known shipowner Don Pius V Loayza.
25. What chronic health issue plagued Florentino Ariza throughout his life?

A. Bad eyes
B. Heart trouble
C. Constipation
D. Severe allergies

C. Constipation.
Florentino Ariza suffered throughout his life from chronic constipation, which required him to take frequent enemas.

26. Where did Florentino Ariza hide while waiting for Fermina Daza?

A. Behind the church
B. Under the bridge
C. Little park bench
D. Telegraph office

C. Little park bench.
He sat on the most hidden bench in the little park, pretending to read a book of verse.

27. What attire did Fermina Daza wear to school?

A. White linen
B. Blue-striped uniform
C. Black dress
D. Greek tunic

B. Blue-striped uniform.
He watched her walk by in her blue-striped uniform, stockings reaching her knees, and laced oxfords.

28. What clothing did Fermina Daza wear that made her look like a crowned goddess?

A. Black mantilla
B. Gardenia garland
C. Blue striped uniform
D. Satin slippers

B. Gardenia garland.
Without her uniform, she wore a gardenia garland on her head, giving her the appearance of a crowned goddess.

29. What promise did Fermina Daza make in her acceptance letter?

A. Remain faithful
B. Love forever
C. Do not eat eggplant
D. Stay silent

C. Do not eat eggplant.
Her one-line answer, written in pencil, pledged marriage only if he promised not to make her eat eggplant.
30. What was Fermina Daza’s final, devastating decision about Florentino Ariza?

A. Marry Urbino
B. Break engagement
C. Love was an illusion
D. Leave town

C. Love was an illusion.
Seeing him in the Arcade of the Scribes, she realised what was between them was nothing more than an illusion.

31. What did Florentino Ariza give to his mother to cure his love sickness?

A. Aspirin
B. Wine
C. Castor oil
D. Liniment

C. Castor oil.
After reading her reply letter and eating too many gardenias, his mother forced him to swallow castor oil.

32. What caused Dr. Urbino’s father’s death?

A. Drowned
B. Murdered
C. Asian cholera
D. Old age

C. Asian cholera.
Urbino’s father, also a physician, died six years earlier during the severe epidemic of Asian cholera.

33. What kind of water creatures were thought to be invisible lovers?

A. Lizards
B. Waterworms
C. Fish larvae
D. Mosquitoes

B. Waterworms.
Waterworms, or mosquito larvae, were mistakenly believed to be animes, supernatural creatures who courted maidens.

34. What famous phrase was inscribed over the colonial cemetery bridge?

A. Carpe diem
B. Ars longa
C. Dante’s quote
D. Memento mori

C. Dante’s quote.
The mayor ordered the engraving of the famous phrase from Dante, Lasciate ogni speranza voi ch’entrate.
35. What book was Urbino reading when Fermina Daza confronted him?

A. San Michele
B. Don Quixote
C. L’Ile des pingouins
D. The Bible

C. L’Ile des pingouins.
Urbino was deeply immersed in reading L’Ile des pingouins (Penguin Island) when his wife confronted him.

36. What was the mistress, Miss Barbara Lynch, a Doctor of?

A. Medicine
B. Philosophy
C. Theology
D. History

C. Theology.
Dr. Juvenal Urbino was impressed to learn that Miss Barbara Lynch held the title of Doctor of Theology.

37. What was Urbino’s final gift to Miss Barbara Lynch?

A. Gold necklace
B. Emerald tiara
C. Pearl earrings
D. Silver bracelet

B. Emerald tiara.
Urbino sent his mistress an emerald tiara in a box wrapped in pharmacy paper, which ended their affair.

38. How many long-term liaisons did Florentino Ariza record?

A. A few dozen
B. Over five hundred
C. Six hundred twenty-two
D. Almost nine hundred

C. Six hundred twenty-two.
Florentino Ariza rigorously recorded six hundred twenty-two long-term liaisons in twenty-five notebooks over fifty years.

39. What did Urbino say was the greatest proof of medicine’s failure?

A. Bad doctors
B. The scalpel
C. Patent medicines
D. Dying patients

B. The scalpel.
Dr Urbino viewed the vulgarisation of surgery with alarm, stating that the scalpel proved medicine had failed.
40. What was Urbino’s occupation that required him to wear a black cape?

A. Funeral director
B. Archbishop’s aid
C. Knight of Sepulchre
D. Mayor’s deputy

C. Knight of Sepulchre.
Urbino’s body was laid out wearing the black cape and military sword of the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher.

41. What was the name of the waltz Florentino Ariza composed for Fermina Daza?

A. Eternal Love
B. Crowned Goddess
C. Silent Night
D. My Destiny

B. Crowned Goddess.
Florentino Ariza confirmed the serenade he played bore the name he called his beloved in his heart: “The Crowned Goddess.”

42. How many years did Fermina Daza endure her bitter marriage with Urbino’s family?

A. One year
B. Three years
C. Six years
D. Twenty years

C. Six years.
Fermina Daza stated it took her six years, the worst years of her life, to leave the terrible family palace.

43. What did Fermina Daza realise Urbino desired most from her?

A. Money
B. Fidelity
C. Security
D. Children

C. Security.
She realised Urbino desperately needed to find in her the security that seemed to be the mainstay of his public life.

44. What pseudonym did Tránsito Ariza adopt when her memory failed?

A. Little Sparrow
B. Little Roachie Martínez
C. Golden Butterfly
D. Queen of Hearts

B. Little Roachie Martínez.
When her memory failed, she expected everyone to reply that she was “Little Roachie Martínez,” a story character.
45. What did Urbino send back to the kitchen, claiming it tasted of window?

A. Coffee
B. Soup
C. Chamomile tea
D. Fried eggs

C. Chamomile tea.
Urbino tasted some chamomile tea, and without further explanation, sent it back because it tasted of window.

46. What was the name of the newspaper that attacked Fermina Daza’s family?

A. The Commercial Daily
B. The Sentinel
C. Justice
D. The Gazette

C. Justice.
The evening newspaper, Justice, was founded with the sole purpose of attacking the city’s prominent families.

47. How did Fermina Daza attempt to distract herself from loneliness during widowhood?

A. Writing poetry
B. Listening to soap operas
C. Reading novels
D. Gambling at cards

B. Listening to soap operas.
She began to fill her lonely hours by listening to the daily soap operas broadcast from Santiago de Cuba.

48. How did Florentino Ariza sign the letter he published defending Fermina Daza?

A. The Scribe
B. The Poet
C. Jupiter
D. The Watchman

C. Jupiter.
Florentino Ariza sent an exemplary letter to the newspaper, which was published under the pseudonym “Jupiter.”

49. What physical effect did the river voyage have on Fermina Daza?

A. Became seasick
B. Lost left ear hearing
C. Gained weight
D. Suffered fever

B. Lost left ear hearing.
Fermina Daza realised she had suddenly lost the hearing in her left ear, like a smashed cicada.
50. Where did Fermina Daza and Florentino Ariza decide to keep sailing at the novel’s end?

A. Back to shore
B. Back to La Dorada
C. To the ocean
D. To the capital

B. Back to La Dorada.
Florentino Ariza proposed, and they agreed, to keep sailing upriver, going back to La Dorada indefinitely.

Brief Overview

Love in the Time of Cholera is a novel by Gabriel García Márquez, published in 1985. The novel spans over a half-century, setting a complex love story against a backdrop of historical events, including wars and cholera epidemics.

The story opens with the death of Dr. Juvenal Urbino. The old, respected city doctor falls from a mango tree while attempting to retrieve his parrot. This event happens on a Sunday during Pentecost. Dr. Urbino had been married to Fermina Daza for fifty years.

The narrative then shifts to Florentino Ariza, a man who has maintained an intense, long-lasting love for Fermina Daza. They had shared a secret youthful romance many years prior.

Fermina Daza ultimately rejected him when she saw him again after their separation. Florentino Ariza immediately renews his vow of eternal fidelity and everlasting love to Fermina Daza soon after her husband dies. Fermina Daza is initially angry at his timing.

Later, Fermina Daza goes on a trip up the river on a boat. Florentino Ariza joins her on the ship, as he is the company president and the owner of the vessel. They spend a significant amount of time together on the river.

At the end of the journey, they decide to keep traveling together forever. They find that their old love has grown stronger with age. The title acts as a pun, suggesting that extreme passion can either help or hinder love, as “cholera” can also mean “passion.”

Related Posts

Leave a comment