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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 signals the soldier that the enemy is on their way?

2. What happens to Jonathan immediately following the battle with the Hessians?

3. Who falls to the ground as Jonathan finishes reloading his gun?

4. Where did the Hessians previously kill many soldiers?

5. What do Jonathan and the Hessians hear from the road?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do the men debate about once they have reached their destination for the battle?

2. Why has Jonathan's father prepared him to fight even though he is against it?

3. What is Jonathan concerned about when he has trouble loading his gun as the enemy approaches?

4. What happens when the Corporal suggests to the men that if they're not happy with his leadership, they should replace him as leader?

5. Why is Jonathan's father against Jonathan joining the war effort?

6. Does Jonathan have a realistic idea of what war entails at the beginning of the story?

7. What new feelings does Jonathan experience immediately following the battle?

8. How do the local men react to the Corporal at the beginning of the story?

9. What does Jonathan's identification with the word "soldier" (spoken in German by the Hessian) lead him to feel?

10. Why does Jonathan lie to the tavern keeper about having permission from his father to fight?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe Jonathan's initial bonding with the young Hessian. How does this experience represent an initial turning point in Jonathan's view of the Hessians, and of war in general? What does Jonathan begin to understand about the enemy?

Essay Topic 2

Why does the author present the youngest Hessian as being so much more decent than the other two? What does this reveal about the author's vision of youth, and how does it relate to Jonathan's youth?

Essay Topic 3

What is the significance of the language barrier between Jonathan and the orphaned child? What other communication difficulties does this mirror? How would the plot have advanced differently if the boy had been able to tell Jonathan his story?

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