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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 the name of the soldier that was once a star high school athlete?

2. When Lobel is on patrol, what does he imagine is following him?

3. Which of the following soldiers admits to joining the army so that his father wouldn't think that he was gay?

4. What is the name of the new Lieutenant of Richie's platoon.

5. Which soldier says that he is in Vietnam to stop the spread of communism?

Short Essay Questions

1. After returning from a Vietnamese village, what does Sergeant Simpson tell the troops Captain Stewart?

2. Where did the term "Angel Warriors" come from?

3. Why isn't Richie able to answer the question about his future goals when speaking to the Red Cross workers?

4. What happens when Richie is out on patrol with the Charlie Company?

5. Who is Rings, and what does he suggest that Richie and Peewee do?

6. What happens when Richie sees the body bags lined up at his base?

7. Why does Jenkins say that he has joined the army, and what is his fear of war?

8. During the slow days, what does Richie learn about his fellow soldiers Brew, Lobel, and Monaco?

9. What question does the film crew ask to the soldiers, and what are their responses?

10. What does Captain Stewart change about Monaco's kill report, and why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The title of the novel is a very powerful one. Briefly describe the scene in which the title of the novel was first mentioned, and then explain how the title acts as a symbol for the soldiers fighting in the Vietnam war.

Essay Topic 2

Richie's medical records float through the novel, appearing regularly to remind the reader how unorganized then military office is during the war. Briefly explain what the medical records meant to Richie, and how their inability to be locked down led the reader to see the chaos and uncertainty of war.

Essay Topic 3

In many of his missions throughout Vietnam, Richie wonders whether the American troops are there to help the Vietnamese villages or there to harm them. Choose two instances in the novel in which the moral ambiguity of the situation was highlighted. Then, explain how those instances led to Richie's uncertainty over the war in general.

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