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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 happens when the Corporal invites the men to replace him?

2. What does Jonathan wonder as he and the Hessians follow the sound they hear?

3. What does the Corporal tell the men to do if it rains as they prepare to fight?

4. How is Jonathan feeling just before the battle with the Hessians begins?

5. How is Jonathan feeling when the group of soldiers reaches the crest south of Rocktown?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Why doesn't Jonathan try to escape from his captors?

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

4. What new questions does Jonathan ask himself just before the battle begins?

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

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

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

8. Once he has been taken prisoner, how does Jonathan try to guess the thoughts of his captors?

9. Why doesn't Jonathan call out when he thinks he sees the Corporal while he is with the Hessians?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In what ways is this book a coming-of-age story? What are the major events that cause Jonathan to change from a child to an adult, and how do these changes manifest in him? How is he different before and after his experiences as a soldier?

Essay Topic 2

What event represents the climax of the novel? What is the significance of the choices Jonathan makes in this scene, in terms of his character development?

Essay Topic 3

How has the young child's experiences mirrored Jonathan's own experiences of war? In particular, how have they both been changed by the horrors they have seen? What does this have to do with Jonathan's decision to protect the child at any cost?

(see the answer keys)

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