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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. After the first battle when the Little Fish are used by the adult soldiers as bait for the Vietnamese, how many of the original number of boys are left?

2. One time when Sombo's group passes another platoon in the woods, he recognizes that platoon's rice girl. Who is it?

3. Once Sombo's group dwindles to a number of only seven kids, plus Sombo and Koong, they become so tired that they drop most of what they have been carrying. What are the two things they continue to carry?

4. Arn says there are many things to be afraid of at night, and now he has one more thing to be afraid of after they have shot everyone in the village below. What is that thing?

5. When Arn has a touching moment with the baby monkey but then snaps its neck and wonders why he has done this terrible thing, what conclusion does he come to?

Short Essay Questions

1. When Arn determines that he has been away from his home village for two and a half years, how does he reach this conclusion?

2. When the leader allows Arn to ride his white horse to a neighboring camp to deliver a letter, why does Arn not run away?

3. 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?

4. What is the author's purpose for including Arn's comment that "now even the earth is our enemy"? (126)

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

6. Conditioning is the automatic response of one's body that happens over a period of time when one is subjected to repeated negative and/or positive reinforcement in order to facilitate a particular response. The soldiers tell Arn and Siv that he has a new job for them, lead them to a temple, make them watch as they murder the elderly prisoners there, and order Arn and Siv to urinate on the bodies of the dead and dying old men. Arn thinks that there is no way he'll be able to comply, but when he looks down, he sees that urine is pouring out of his body onto the dead men's heads. What is the author's purpose in including this incident?

7. Why does Arn begin to shake after he boards the bus with the other refugees?

8. The theme of fame arises once again when the leader with the white shorts notices Arn due to the attention he has gotten for his music and dancing, so he tells Arn to come to his house to entertain at his party. What message is being sent about fame in this scene?

9. What words does the dying lady in the village spit at Arn and why do her words hurt him so much?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The novel does not shy away from including graphic and disturbing details when describing the horrors inflicted on the Cambodian people by the Khmer Rouge regime. Similarly, the Cambodian government has made it their mission to make sure young people continue to be educated about the genocide that occurred in their country only a few decades ago. Write a persuasive essay in which you argue for or against the ongoing education of Cambodian schoolchildren regarding this dark time in their history and be sure to include several reasons to support your claim.

Essay Topic 2

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.

Essay Topic 3

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.

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