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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. Why does the earths start shaking in Chapter 41?

2. Which member of Third Squad always daydreams abut what he'd do with a million dollars?

3. As he marches with Third Squad in Chapter 31, what does Paul Berlin plan to do in the coming weeks?

4. Which European river do the men cross at the end of Chapter 40?

5. Why does Cacciato like Sidney Martin?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Paul Berlin characterize the true war stories he has in Chapter 42?

2. How does Paul Berlin feel about death in Chapter 32?

3. How does Doc Peret get Third Squad out of trouble with Iranian authorities in Chapter 29?

4. Describe Cacciato in Chapter 31.

5. In Chapter 31, what haunting event happens to Paul Berlin on his first day in the mountains?

6. How does Third Squad gain control of the VW van?

7. Describe the hypothetical conversation Paul Berlin imagines with the young girl in hoop earrings.

8. Describe Captain Rhallon.

9. How does Third Squad escape execution in Chapter 36?

10. What shift in power does Lieutenant Corson acknowledge as he speaks to Paul Berlin in Chapter 43?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Choose one member of the Cacciato search party and write an essay analyzing his attitude toward the mission. At any point in the mission, does he grow convinced that Third Squad is deserting? What was his attitude toward Cacciato before Cacciato disappeared into the jungle? How does the mission to Paris change this character's attitude toward the world, the war, and his fellow soldiers?

Essay Topic 2

In many ways, Going After Cacciato is a rumination on the idea of desertion. Paul Berlin longs to walk away from the war, and his fantasy of Cacciato's flight to Paris offers him a window into a desertion scenario. Write an essay about the agonized decision to desert, focusing on three moments in the novel:

Part 1) Why do the men of Third Squad choose to hold a vote on whether to continue the pursuit after they cross into Laos? What arguments are made, and who among the Squad cannot brook the idea of continuing on?

Part 2) When Third Squad is arrested for desertion in Tehran, how does Doc Peret defend them to Captain Rhallon? Why do they personally believe that they have not abandoned their greater mission?

Part 3) Sum up the Paris debate held between Sarkin Aung Wan and Paul Berlin. How does Paul Berlin defend his decision not to leave Third Squad? What temptation does he overcome?

Essay Topic 3

Throughout Going After Cacciato, both the author and the characters in the novel debate the reasons for American involvement in Vietnam. Write an essay about American interventionism, focusing on three instances in the narrative:

Part 1) In Tehran, Third Squad sits down for a drink with Captain Rhallon of the Iranian Savak. Why does he think America is having such a difficult time in Vietnam? How does Doc Peret respond to Rhallon's theory?

Part 2) Write a paragraph about Paul Berlin's promotion review for Spec Four. What reason does the unnamed major give for America's involvement in Vietnam? How does Paul Berlin respond to this?

Part 3) What hypothetical conversation does Paul Berlin hold with the young crying girl in a village Third Squad burned? What does he want to tell her about his reasons for coming to fight in her homeland?

(see the answer keys)

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