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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 Senator thinking as he searches the tree line?

2. Why does Snake think the enemy won't kill them?

3. What is Snake's reply to Kersey's order to move the men?

4. What happens to Hodges as he hears a puff to his left?

5. What is one of the first things the men ask Hodges to do when they see him?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Snake's mother doing two years after he is killed in Vietnam?

2. What type of songs does Senator sing and play on his guitar after Hodges returns?

3. What is the reaction of Hodges' son when Mitsuko takes him to see his father's memorial?

4. Why does Goodrich go to the Regimental Legal Officer's tent?

5. What does Goodrich say to the crowd of anti-war protesters when they ask him to speak?

6. What are the results of the investigation into Snake's participation in the killing of the civilian's that Senator reported?

7. What is Hodges' reply when his classmate asks him if they can still win the war?

8. What does Snake do when he sees Senator in the hole?

9. What becomes of Hodges while he tries to rescue the men in the cemetery?

10. What does Hodges' mother do with the flag and gold medal she receives that Hodges earned while in the war?

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) 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?

Essay Topic 3

Each of the characters presented in Hodges' unit had different reasons for enlisting in the Marines.

1) Summarize the reasons of at least four of the characters in the novel.

2) Compare the character's views when they enlisted to their attitudes toward the Marines once they are actually serving in Vietnam.

3) How does each of the characters lose their innocent view of their role in the war? Cite examples from the novel.

(see the answer keys)

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