The Things They Carried Short Essay Assignments

Short Essay Questions

The 60 short essay questions listed in this section require a one to two sentence answer. They ask students to demonstrate a deeper understanding of the text. Students must describe what they've read, rather than just recall it.

Short Essay Question - Chapter 1

1. How would you describe Martha's "separate-but-together quality" her and Lieutenant Cross share? What does she send to represent this quality?

2. How were Lieutenant Cross's tears misinterpreted after the death of Ted Lavender?

3. Give examples of how the men dealt with death.

4. How does Lieutenant Cross resolve his responsibility in Ted Lavender's death?

Short Essay Question - Chapter 2

5. Why do Jimmy Cross and Tim O'Brien stop drinking coffee, and what do they switch to?

6. What was Martha's response to...
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