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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. Why does Walter Cronkite report Lewis's injury on the evening news?

2. How does Sergeant Sorg assist Lewis during his military training?

3. In Chapter 1, what responsibility does Lewis's father have at Camp Pendleton?

4. Why does the platoon carefully bury their garbage?

5. To what base is Lewis's father transferred in 1952?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the Tet offensive affect the Vietnam War?

2. How does Lewis's move to an apartment affect his recovery?

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

4. How does Chesty's fame and position affect Lewis's experiences at Officer Candidate School?

5. What causes Lewis to see his father as a fallible human being?

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

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

8. Why is Lewis's predecessor in Vietnam relieved of duty?

9. How does Lewis lose his legs?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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?

Essay Topic 2

How does Lewis cope with the loss of the election? What sequence of events does his loss trigger? How does Lewis eventually recover from the negative effects of these events?

Essay Topic 3

Describe Paul Barent's influence on Lewis's life. How does his presence affect Lewis's recovery? What support does he offer during and after his stay in the hospital? How might Lewis's life have been different if Paul had not been Lewis's roommate?

(see the answer keys)

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