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

2. How does Lewis earn his first Purple Heart medal?

3. Who is Commander Shaughnessey?

4. In 1951, what does Lewis's father give him for his birthday?

5. What prevents Lewis from asking Toddy for a divorce?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Lewis's family react to his deployment to Vietnam?

2. What does Lewis learn he must live up to at an early age?

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

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

5. How does a local village take advantage of Lewis and his officers in Chapter 3?

6. What does Lewis decide to give Toddy the first time she sees him in the hospital?

7. How does duty at the Tu Cau Bridge differ from other patrols in Vietnam?

8. What are Lewis's "stubbies"?

9. Why does the platoon bury their garbage?

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

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 Lewis's battle to learn to walk again with the use of prosthetic legs. What challenges does he face due to his injuries? How does the ability to stand affect Lewis's perception of himself as a man? Why does Lewis decide to eventually forego prosthetics and remain confined to a wheelchair?

Essay Topic 3

How do Lewis and his platoon cope with the stress of war while in Vietnam? Why are their patrols rotated so often? What coping mechanisms does Lewis develop that he wishes he could have avoided?

(see the answer keys)

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