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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 are the villagers told they have to keep walking even after Hodges says that he will transport them to the resettlement village in a Medevac?

2. What does Dan give a mamasan to give to her children?

3. Chapter 23 What does Hodges remember about the North Vietnamese when he sees Cat Man near a banana tree?

4. Chapter 19 What is the diagnosis given by Doc Rabbit about the young child who is carried on a stretcher by some villagers?

5. How does Cat Man get his nickname?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Speed suggest to Senator when Senator asks where he should go to resign from the Marines?

2. How does Angus Austin become wounded?

3. Who is wounded during enemy fire in An Hoa?

4. What becomes of Baby Cakes, Ogre, and the engineer as they dig out an abandoned bomb?

5. What does Major Otto tell Hodges about the bush?

6. How does Gilliland reach Pismo Beach to meet his wife after being discharged from the Marines?

7. What does Bobby Hodges awaken to his first night in Vietnam?

8. Why does Cannonball decide to join the Marines instead of the Army?

9. What is Goodrich's reaction as the platoon walks through Go Noi Island?

10. What kind of childhood did Phony experience?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

1) What images does Webb use to describe the Killer Fields as the men cross through them?

2) How do these images have different meaning for different people?

Essay Topic 2

1) Analyze Bobby Hodges' personality and emotional changes throughout the novel.

2) What fears and emotions does he experience as he grows during his time in Vietnam?

3) How do his attitudes change as he develops from a civilian to an experienced soldier?

4) Cite examples of the character changes Hodges goes through from different scenes in the novel.

Essay Topic 3

1) What is the message Webb is trying to convey about life both in the states and in Vietnam during the war?

2) Does he depict a realistic and relevant view of human nature through the actions of the character during the Vietnam War?

3) Are the human qualities of each character true to life? Explain.

4) How do the characters convey the everyday struggles of life?

(see the answer keys)

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