View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Austin rip off Phony's back?

2. Chapter 15 Why does Dan leave his family to fight in the war?

3. What happens to Austin as he dives to the ground to check on the bunkers?

4. Chapter 2 What is the reason that Bobby Hodges enlists in the armed forces?

5. What does Speedy offer to give Senator when he says that he wants to resign from the Marines?

Short Essay Questions

1. What unreasonable expectations does Angus Austin expect from the men?

2. Why does Goodrich want to join Bagger's team?

3. Describe the circumstances when Cat Man arrives in America from Mexico?

4. Why do the men always dig new fighting holes, rather than use old holes that they find?

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

6. Why does Snake give Goodrich the nickname, Senator?

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

8. What does Hodges consider unfair when he confronts the enemy in the village?

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

10. What is the result of the investigation of the banana trees just off the trail that Hodges' men are following?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

1) Write an introduction to the novel discussing James Webb's writing style, use of dialogue, irony, imagery, and point of view of the characters.

2) How do these literary elements affect the story?

Essay Topic 2

1) Analyze Goodrich's final acts in the story.

2) Was his character still misunderstood in the end? Justify the answer with examples from the story.

3) What alternatives did he have at the climax of the story?

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)

This section contains 627 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample