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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. Through what nearby country does Cacciato tell Berlin he intends to pass on his way to Paris?

2. From what ailment is Lieutenant Corson suffering at the beginning of the novel?

3. What are the "lakes" of the The World's Greatest Lake Country?

4. Which of the following characters does not go the MARS system to call home in Chapter 24?

5. What does Paul Berlin end up saying to his parents over the MARS system?

Short Essay Questions

1. What difficulty arises when Lieutenant Corson tries to leave Li Van Hgoc's tunnel in Chapter 15?

2. What are Sidney Martin's values regarding war as described in Chapter 25?

3. How does the quiet of the village in Chapter 16 become insidious?

4. Describe Paul Berlin's call home in Chapter 24.

5. Why does Paul Berlin feel guilty for Frenchie Tucker and Bernie Lynn's deaths?

6. What surprise announcement does the Lieutenant make to Third Squad in Chapter 26?

7. What does Paul Berlin hope regarding Cacciato?

8. What decision does Paul Berlin make at the observation tower in Chapter 8?

9. How does Sarkin Aung Wan react to Paul Berlin's description of their mission?

10. What finally prods Third Squad to consider killing Sidney Martin?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Paul Berlin is clearly a surrogate for Tim O'Brien in Going After Cacciato, developing the narrative as it is happening. Write an essay analyzing the storyteller role of Paul Berlin in the novel. How is Berlin's greatest weakness his tendency to self-mythologize? Is the central narrative of the novel, in fact, a massive self-delusion? In the end, is the creation of this delusion something beautiful, alarming, or both?

Essay Topic 2

In the longer narrative of Going After Cacciato, Paul Berlin invents a number of figures that do not exist.

Write an essay about three of these figures. What function do they serve in the story? Do they stem from any real experience that Paul Berlin has? What do they say about the political or spiritual realities of the Vietnam War?

Part 1) Jolly Chand

Part 2) Captain Rhallon

Part 3) Sarkin Aung Wan

Essay Topic 3

One recurring theme throughout the full Tim O'Brien cannon is the war story. Write an essay about the idea of the war story and its function in the world of the combat serviceman. How is the war story a form of first-aid to the traumatized soldier? When do the characters in the novel bust out their well-developed war stories? How are war stories that are, perhaps, the least factual also the most truthful? Do they add meaning to the meaningless violence of war?

(see the answer keys)

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