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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. In Chapter 2, what is significant about the Civil War muskets examined by Grossman?

2. According to Grossman in Chapter 3, why would racially and ethnically dominant rhetoric by American leaders have been unhelpful in the Iraq War?

3. According to Grossman at the end of Chapter 1, what is not widely known about CW Whittlesley, the commander of the Lost Battalion?

4. In the Crimean War anecdote in Chapter 1, what do the soldiers do when confronted with an enemy at ten paces?

5. In what war did Lord Moran fight?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does the Vietnam Vet quoted in Chapter 7 choose to leave the army after six tours?

2. What is punishment justification?

3. As described in Chapter 2, why are snipers given the cold shoulder in the military?

4. What are the primary components of Exhaustion as outlined in Chapter 3?

5. What surprising fact regarding soldier's fears in combat is revealed in Chapter 2?

6. What does hard-to-soft mean?

7. What societal and moral tenets cause guilt in an individual who has killed in a war?

8. At the beginning of the book, what personal prejudices does Grossman admit to?

9. According to Grossman in Chapter 4, how do soldiers deal with guilt and horror in combat?

10. What is the silent conspiracy does Grossman discuss in Chapter 4?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Near the end of the book, Grossman illustrates the hardship faced by Vietnam veterans with a hypothetical return home from the war. Write an essay analyzing this hypothetical. Which types of soldiers are represented in the scenario, and what other war veterans are they compared to? How are these two wars different from one another? Why is the Vietnam experience so much more conducive to PTSD?

Essay Topic 2

At one point in ON KILLING, Grossman discusses the three external concerns that affect a combatant's choice to kill. Write an essay analyzing these three concerns. W hat is the essence of each factor? What gives it its power over the potential killer? How effective is it in catalyzing the killing and in mitigating the guilt that follows? Cite an example of this type of factor that is used in the book.

Part 1) Voice of Authority

Part 2) Group Absolution

Part 3) Attractiveness of the Target

Essay Topic 3

The likelihood of a soldier to kill in combat is markedly improved if he feels he is not the only culpable party to the killing. Write an essay about this diluting of guilt. What is group absolution, and what components of a group dynamic make it possible? Why is a soldier comforted by the sense that others around him are also killing? What is a crew-served weapon, and how is it effective in dispersing guilt for killing?

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