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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. When Sophea shows up at the camp, what reason does she give for their aunt sending her to look for Arn?

2. Where do Arn and Munny go after the American movie to play a pretend game of war?

3. What do the Khmer Rouge soldiers lack that makes the soldiers associated with the Prince doubt their power?

4. How do the Khmer Rouge soldiers react when Arn asks them if they want to play soccer with him?

5. What is the event that first causes Arn to think maybe the Khmer Rouge have evil intentions?

Short Essay Questions

1. When the evacuees are finally allowed to stop to set up camp in groups of around a thousand people each, what do Arn and his little sister Sophea discover about the Khmer Rouge's philosophies when they sneak around listening to the soldiers' conversations?

2. What are the signs that lead Arn to think that perhaps the Mango Grove is a mass burial site used by the Khmer Rouge to inter their victims?

3. When Arn finally realizes the true purpose of the band's music, he is shocked and saddened. What is that purpose and how does it transform Arn's idea of the music he plays with the other members of the band under Mek's guidance?

4. How does Arn fix the problem of the new music teacher's apathy and what effect does this solution have on the band's members?

5. Before the arrival of the Khmer Rouge in his village, how does Arn feel about the war he knows is being fought outside his town and what does he spend most of his time doing?

6. After Arn is chosen by Khmer Rouge leaders to play music in their band, Arn sees there are positive results and negative results of his being chosen. What are they and what does this show about one's fate under the rule of the Khmer Rouge?

7. When the current leader of the camp tells Mek that he and band will soon be going somewhere new, they are all terrified that they will be killed instead and that this is just another instance of the Khmer Rouge's euphemisms. However, they are not killed and what happens instead introduces the theme of fame into the novel. What happens in lieu of their deaths?

8. When Arn's curiosity gets the better of him and he finally asks Sombo the reason for his permissiveness concerning Arn's behavior, what reasoning does Sombo provide and what is the author's purpose in portraying Sombo's character in this particular way?

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. Why do the Khmer Rouge burn everyone's clothes and all of their material belongings?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

In modern, first-world society, there is often a counter-cultural drive to move away from materialism and to focus on what really matters. However, Arn's interactions with the Khmer Rouge often instead highlight the importance of owning certain objects and relying on them to help define our identities. Discuss the conflict between these two points of view concerning materialism, drawing on examples from the novel to prove your claim.

Essay Topic 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

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