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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 Captain Thanh's opinion of Lewis's presence in Vietnam?

2. To what base is Lewis's father transferred in 1954?

3. What position does Lewis desire in the military?

4. In Chapter 4, what alerts snipers to the platoon's position during their third patrol rotation?

5. Who is Paul Barents?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Lewis's college life contrast with his experiences in Officer Candidate School?

2. How does Toddy's pregnancy affect Lewis's life?

3. What are Lewis's "stubbies"?

4. What does Lewis allow his men to do to an enemy corpse in Chapter 4?

5. How does Lewis prepare for entry into military life?

6. Why does Lewis wait a day before assuming command of his troops?

7. What does Lewis prevent his men from doing to an enemy corpse in Chapter 3?

8. How does Lewis suffer as a young boy due to his father's fame and position?

9. What is Captain Thanh's view of Lewis's presence in Vietnam?

10. Describe Dr. Cabot's treatment of Lewis.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the progression of Lewis's political views. What factors influence the change in his political views throughout the years? How and why do his views differ from his father's by the end of the book?

Essay Topic 2

Describe Toddy's influence on Lewis's life. How does her first pregnancy affect his character? What support does she offer during each phase of his life? How might Lewis's life have been different if he had decided to divorce Toddy shortly after his injury?

Essay Topic 3

How does the end of the Vietnam War affect Lewis and other characters in the book? What are the physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual effects of the war on Lewis? What effect does the war have on his relationships with other people?

(see the answer keys)

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