Mexican Masks

by Octavio Paz

1. Why should a Mexican man never "crack" or back down?

2. Why do Mexicans have a "love for Form"?

3. What is a "bad woman"?

4. What is a "dissembler" and what happens to such a person?

Essay Question

• Paz spends a great deal of time detailing the various traditional expectations for a Mexican woman. What elements of a woman's role in society did you find most disturbing? How did it make you feel?