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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 does Captain Rhallon repeatedly say he would rather be doing than legal work?

2. In Chapter 36, what does Cacciato slip through the prison window to Paul Berlin?

3. What are the men entering at the very end of Chapter 41?

4. In Chapter 45, what does Paul Berlin recall is the last word he ever said to Cacciato?

5. What is the origin of Buff's nickname?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Stink Harris jump off the ship at the end of Chapter 38?

2. How does Third Squad determine happens to Buff's big gun?

3. What does Buff's body look like when Cacciato finds it in Chapter 41?

4. What lesson does Oscar Johnson declare should be learned from Buff's death?

5. How does Doc Peret get Third Squad out of trouble with Iranian authorities in Chapter 29?

6. How does Paul Berlin characterize the true war stories he has in Chapter 42?

7. How does Paul Berlin plan plan to cope with his fears in Chapter 31?

8. What does Paul Berlin rationalize is the essential purpose of the Vietnam War at the end of Chapter 40?

9. What public event does Third Squad witness in Chapter 29?

10. What implied ultimatum does Sarkin Aung Wan make to Paul Berlin in Chapter 43?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In many ways, Going After Cacciato is a rumination on the idea of desertion. Paul Berlin longs to walk away from the war, and his fantasy of Cacciato's flight to Paris offers him a window into a desertion scenario. Write an essay about the agonized decision to desert, focusing on three moments in the novel:

Part 1) Why do the men of Third Squad choose to hold a vote on whether to continue the pursuit after they cross into Laos? What arguments are made, and who among the Squad cannot brook the idea of continuing on?

Part 2) When Third Squad is arrested for desertion in Tehran, how does Doc Peret defend them to Captain Rhallon? Why do they personally believe that they have not abandoned their greater mission?

Part 3) Sum up the Paris debate held between Sarkin Aung Wan and Paul Berlin. How does Paul Berlin defend his decision not to leave Third Squad? What temptation does he overcome?

Essay Topic 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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