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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. Who are the British in the story?

2. What facial feature does the tall Hessian have?

3. How long is Jonathan's gun in comparison to Jonathan?

4. How does Jonathan feel when he is alone after the battle?

5. How does the Corporal try to organize the men in Rocktown as the enemy approaches?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Jonathan begin to understand what the Hessians are saying to him?

2. How does Jonathan feel about Hessians, as opposed to Tories?

3. How does Jonathan feel about his performance in the battle?

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

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

6. In what way are Jonathan's feelings about the Corporal different than those of the other soldiers?

7. How does the feeling of Jonathan's gun in his hands change as he prepares to fire upon the Hessians?

8. How does the battle affect Jonathan's orientation in terms of time and space?

9. What triggers the start of the battle, and how does this set the tone for the battle?

10. What makes Jonathan feel that the world has grown very small when he is with the Hessians?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Much of the text consists of the silent inner workings of Jonathan's mind as he tries to figure out his own beliefs and wonders about his fate. As he spends time with his Hessian captors, what effect does his relationship with them have on his changing thought process, specifically on his thoughts about war?

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

Trace Jonathan's thoughts, feelings and reactions toward the Corporal throughout the book. At what points does Jonathan trust him, and at what points does he exhibit doubt and uncertainty? What part does the Corporal play in Jonathan's ultimate character shift at the end of the book?

(see the answer keys)

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