View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. When Arn finds Sophea lying motionless, he considers killing her to save her from rape, from murder at another's hands, or from being eaten by wild animals. He doesn't, instead choosing to take what action?

2. What creatures does the author depict fleeing from the sounds of war in order to underscore the theme of the unnatural?

3. When Arn has fallen so ill that he's afraid he will die, an American man comes to the hospital. What does Arn do in order to get the man's attention?

4. When Sombo takes Arn away from the group, his parting from Kha and Siv is especially hard. What about the separation makes it particularly tough for Arn?

5. When Arn, Kha, and Siv are allowed to go in the pond to wash, they try to sink to the bottom, partly in order to escape the world above the water. Why can they not sink very far down for very long?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Arn distrust the radio reports he hears at the hospital?

2. When Arn hears the conflicting reports on Sombo's radio, with the Voice of Angka saying that a victory for the Khmer Rouge is imminent and the American station saying that the Vietnamese are in control of the East and are taking more land every day, Arn doesn't know which report to believe. He does, though, hold on to one fact that he hears. What is that fact and why does he choose to keep it in mind?

3. At the start of his stay in the hospital, how does the author demonstrate that Arn has contracted Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder from his time under the rule of the Khmer Rouge?

4. After Sombo leaves the group to take Koong to a Thai hospital, the kids all argue about which they should go. Arn goes in the opposite direction and they see, but do not care. What reason does Arn give for their apathy?

5. What is the author's purpose in including the two conflicting accounts of the war emanating from Sombo's radio?

6. Arn and Missus Gotobed, the headmistress of the Children's Center, become furious with Mr. Pond for his behavior on two separate occasions for two different reasons. How do those reasons differ?

7. Describe the parting of Arn and Mek. What is its significance within the course of the narrative?

8. How does the white rabbit enter the narrative of the story and what is its significance?

9. Why does Arn turn over all of the dead bodies of the villagers to look into their faces?

10. Once Arn wakes up from being nursed back to health by the three girls in Thailand, how does the motif of sound come into play?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The first mention of revolution in the novel occurs on page 24 when a Khmer Rouge soldier mentions it and Arn tells the reader he has not heard the word before. There are many different types of revolution, including social revolutions and personal revolutions. Compare and contrast the revolution undertaken by the Khmer Rouge with the personal revolution Arn experiences by the end of the novel.

Essay Topic 2

The theme of power is one that comes up over and over within the novel's narrative, particularly in relation to Arn's feelings of powerlessness and realizations about power he does indeed hold. Choose three instances when Arn realizes that he does, indeed, carry power, even within his dire situation. Discuss how these realizations help to shape the author's message regarding power.

Essay Topic 3

At many points within the narrative, Arn is close to giving up, but does not. Choose three of these moments, discuss his motivations to keep going, and analyze these instances within the context of the author's message about hope.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 2,186 words (approx. 8 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample