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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 does the youngest Hessian look like?

2. What stories has Jonathan heard about what Hessians do to prisoners?

3. What does Jonathan think he saw for an instant through the fog as he walks on the road with the Hessians?

4. What road do the soldiers take toward the battle?

5. From what country is the foreign man who is among the soldiers with Jonathan?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How do the soldiers react to the woman in Rocktown when she runs away upon learning that enemy soldiers are on their way?

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

4. What has Jonathan heard about the Hessians' reputation for how they treat their prisoners?

5. Why is Jonathan so eager to join the war effort in the beginning of the story?

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

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

8. What mixed message does the tavern keeper send Jonathan?

9. How do the American soldiers feel as they see the enemy soldiers approach?

10. What happens when the Corporal orders the men to organize themselves into lines?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Who is more treasonous--the Tory spies killed by the Corporal or the young American (Jonathan) who tries to protect the Hessian enemy? What does this tell us about the author's definition of treason?

Essay Topic 2

When the Frenchman explains to Jonathan that soldiers either kill or get killed, what is it about Jonathan's experience that leads him to believe that it may not be this black-and-white? How has Jonathan's notion of what it means to be a soldier changed?

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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