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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. Sombo brings his new group to join with another camp composed mainly of true Khmer Rouge kids, not soldiers like Arn who have been held captive and then forced into battle by the Khmer Rouge. What is the main child leader's name within this other group?

2. What happens the first time Arn plays volleyball?

3. What is Arn's reaction to seeing his sister again?

4. For the first few days in the hospital, Arn is given a certain food to keep him alive. What is that food?

5. When he is mistaken for a member of the Khmer Rouge by one of their leaders, what is Arn's reaction?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

4. How does the scene of the Vietnamese soldiers walking through the village calling out to the people echo a scene from the first chapter of the novel? What is the effect of that allusion?

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

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

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

8. 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?

9. How does the author present the theme of the unnatural when Kha tells Arn and Siv that if they stay hidden, they can watch the girls bathe in the nude?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Due to the horrific nature of the war in which Arn is forced to participate, he starts to show signs of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) fairly early on in the novel. Research the symptoms of PTSD, find instances of Arn displaying these symptoms, and discuss how the inclusion of such symptoms contributes to the author's message about war.

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.

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