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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. Who wants to fire on Cacciato in this chapter?

2. At what is Pederson shooting as he dies in the paddy?

3. What bit of information does Oscar Johnson not give to Cacciato during their parlay?

4. What item do the men find in their search of the train in Chapter 21?

5. In Chapter 25, why is the mountain road particularly bad for a march?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the Squad figure out that they are on the same train that Cacciato took?

2. How do two men from Third Squad die in Chapter 9?

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

4. How does Third Squad end up on a cart with three Vietnamese women in Chapter 6?

5. How does Paul Berlin succeed in keeping Sarkin Aung Wan with Third Squad?

6. Why does the Squad take a vote on whether to continue pursuing Cacciato in Chapter 3?

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

8. Describe some ways that the men of the Paul Berlin's platoon organize themselves.

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

10. Why do Stink Harris and Bernie Lynn have a falling out?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The character of Cacciato in the novel exists on two different planes: the Cacciato that exists, and the the Cacciato that exists in Paul Berlin's mind.

Write an essay about Cacciato as he appears in three different points in the novel. It this appearance real or invented? What is Cacciato doing, and how does this further the story? Does Cacciato seem to have any major objective?

Part 1) Cacciato in Delhi

Part 2) Cacciato outside the prison cell in Tehran

Part 3) Cacciato in the World's Greatest Lake Country

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay detailing how Third Squad is a microcosm for the functional military as a whole, focusing on three allegorical characters and how the rest of the Squad relates to them:

Part 1) Lieutenant Sidney Martin represents the unquestioned mission-focused structure of the military. How is his conception of Vietnam dangerous to his men and incompatible with reality? How does Third Squad respond to him?

Part 2) How Oscar Johnson a response to Sidney Martin? Does he represent unofficial standard operating procedure? In what ways is he the most powerful figure in Third Squad as a result?

Part 3) If Martin and Johnson represent the most unyielding of war, how does Doc Peret represent the flexible compassion that combat engenders? What actions does he take that illustrate this?

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay charting the progression of Oscar Johnson. How does he begin as a sympathetic figure - a man who cares for the safety of Third Squad - and slowly become a major antagonist to Paul Berlin? What does Oscar care for primarily? How are his grievances against the cavalier Sidney Martin similar to his grievances against the incompetent and deluded Paul Berlin?

(see the answer keys)

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