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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. Where do Arn and Munny hide when they hear the sounds of a nearby battle during their make-believe game of war?

2. When the Khmer Rouge evacuate all of the cities in order to force everyone into agricultural work, how many days do they tell the villagers they will be gone?

3. What is Arn's first reaction when a girl sitting next to him at dinner suddenly dies?

4. What is it about Arn that makes the soldier let him go without even a warning when he is caught sneaking to Mek's tent in the night?

5. In what country is Arn's hometown?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is the emaciated girl with the missing teeth and loose skin who arrives at Arn's camp and what does he learn from her?

2. What happens to the pregnant woman and her husband who are walking next to Arn within the mass exodus of all cities? What lesson does Arn learn from seeing what happens?

3. When Arn sneaks out to tell Mek about the soldier who forced him to cook the liver of a murdered captive, he is caught by a soldier but does not suffer the dire consequences he is expecting. What happens instead and what significance does it hold for Arn?

4. When a new mail carrier comes into camp, he shares some news with Arn. What part of the news does Arn doubt and what is the significance of this doubt?

5. How does the author use the juxtaposition between the kitchen girl's molestation of Arn and the comfort he then seeks within Mek's embrace? What is her purpose in using this juxtaposition?

6. What is ironic about the fact that the rice crop falls significantly short of the Khmer Rouge's expectations and they then reduce everyone's food allotment even further than before?

7. What does Arn tell the reader about his family background within the exposition part of the story?

8. Though at first, the villagers think that the jeeps and trucks pouring into the village is a good sign and means that the war is over, what is the first thing that happens to make Arn realize that the opposite is true?

9. When a soldier from Arn's home village comes to camp, what does he offer Arn in exchange for some rice and what does Arn learn as a result of accepting his offered deal?

10. How is the theme of generosity demonstrated in the scene when the children are finally fed rice in anticipation of their first performance for the Khmer Rouge soldiers?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Arn often refers to the subject of fame at different points within the novel. Trace these mentions, explain each instance's circumstances, and discuss the overall message the author sends about the subject of fame.

Essay Topic 2

Though at the start of the novel, Arn enjoys communing with nature, whether he is frogging with Hong or playing in the fields with other friends, as the narrative progresses, his feelings about nature and the earth begin to change. Trace the changes surrounding the author's presentation of the earth motif and analyze the effect of these changes on the reader.

Essay Topic 3

Deception is a theme that shows up often, beginning with the Khmer Rouge's tricking of the citizens in Arn's village and leading to their murders by the regime. Develop a claim stating the author's message regarding deception and prove your claim with at least three instances of deception within the novel.

(see the answer keys)

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