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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. What is Tim trying to save with a story?

2. The man Tim killed had a hole the shape of what where an eye was supposed to be?

3. Where is the first draft of the story inspired by Norman Bowker published?

4. Who warns Lt. Cross about the location the men choose to camp in?

5. How does the narrator find relief from his feelings about the war?

Short Essay Questions

1. Explain who feels blame for Kiowa's death.

2. How do Henry Dobbins and Azar disagree about the girl's motive to dance?

3. Explain Tim's dilemma about how he killed a man on the trail outside My Khe.

4. What is the purpose of the visit to the battlefield where Kiowa was killed?

5. How does Tim react to Bobby Jorgenson's failings as a medic?

6. How does Norman Bowker ultimately cope with returning home?

7. What two types of truth are there for the author and reader?

8. What is Norman's assessment of his valor and bravery?

9. Do you agree with Kiowa or Tim's point of view about the kill? Why?

10. What does Tim invent about the man he killed?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Can you identify with Kathleen's struggle to understand the war? She asks in the chapter titled "Field Trip" why her father had to fight in the Vietnam War, and what made everyone mad at each other? Do you think wars are generally started over clear issues of disagreement? In either case, do you think that affects the ability of the war to have a resolution?

Essay Topic 2

"The Things They Carried: A Work of Fiction" is described as 22 short stories tied into a novel. Select a chapter from the novel and explain how the title relates to the story, and evaluate if the chapter could stand alone as a short story. Identify its weaknesses and strengths and how it fulfills or fails to satisfy the requirements of a story: beginning, middle and end.

Essay Topic 3

As a new book critic for a top national newspaper, you have just been assigned the novel "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien. Give a full critique of the story and evaluation of the text for other potential readers. What is significant about the novel that makes it a good recommendation for readers? What detracts from the novel's appeal and makes it not a book you would recommend? Finally, is there any way the book ties into modern life and current events to make it timely?

(see the answer keys)

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