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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. Which character wakes up in the middle of the night with terrible, screaming nightmares?

2. What type of soldier does the new lieutenant like to put in the most dangerous military positions?

3. Who is the highest ranking soldier among Richie's squad?

4. What is the name of the Vietnamese New Year?

5. Who writes a letter to Tuner's parents?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is with Brew when he dies?

2. What offer does Gearhart make for the troops, when it is realized that the squads are unequally staffed?

3. How does it come to be that Richie is shot?

4. What happens when the Vietnamese allies want the American troops to help them capture a crucial hill?

5. What conversation does Richie get into with Johnson about the war protesters?

6. What happens when the allies bring in a Vietnamese mother and her two small children found wandering around the rice paddies?

7. What happens during the Lieutenant Gearhart's first reconnaissance mission in Vietnam?

8. How does Richie explain the shooting of the Vietcong soldier to his brother, Kenny?

9. How are Richie and Peewee separated from the rest of their troop?

10. How do the American soldiers prepare the bodies of their fallen soldiers so that the enemy cannot mutilate them?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The idea of heroism is present alongside the romanticism of soldiers. Choose two soldiers in the novel and describe the vocalizations these soldiers raise about heroism. Then, compare/contrast those vocalizations to the actual reactions the soldier see when they are faced with moments of heroism.

Essay Topic 2

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.

Essay Topic 3

When Richie enters the army, he has firm beliefs of what his tour on duty will be like. Throughout his time in Vietnam, Richie's views about war changes many more times. Describe the way that Richie thought the war would be like when he entered the service, and then briefly describe the ways that his views of fighting changed over his time in Vietnam.

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This section contains 843 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample