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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 3, Grossman says the western-style shooting games are similar to what?

2. Which of the following is not a popular late Fifties novel or film that Grossman cites in Chapter 3 as a representation of a World War II vet?

3. Which of the following is not an example provided in Chapter 2 of Vietnam's "dirty" combat?

4. In the Vet of the Year anecdote in Chapter 3, who did Dave use as an example of someone who did not kill but was still blamed?

5. In Chapter 2, what advice do German World War I vets give World War II recruits?

Short Essay Questions

1. Which essential qualities makes a role model desirable as listed in Chapter 4?

2. According to Grossman, why do young people idolize entertainment figures more than police and politicians?

3. According to Grossman in Chapter 3, what is the difference between military killing training and that provided by video games?

4. What separates a natural warrior from a psychopath?

5. As described in Chapter 2, how do children progress through increasingly violent entertainment?

6. What are the three categories of atrocity as delineated in Chapter 1?

7. What changes have occurred in recent years to mitigate the psychiatric casualties of Vietnam?

8. In Chapter 6, what factors contribute to a soldier's decision to kill in the chart presented and discussed?

9. Why was combat in Vietnam particularly dirty, as described in Chapter 2?

10. What surprising insight into Vietnam does RB Anderson make in Chapter 1?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Much of the book is dedicated to the vast majority of soldiers that are naturally resistant to killing, but Grossman indicates that a small number of soldiers feel no remorse after killing. Write an essay about these natural warriors. What do they all have in common? How are their lives generally similar, and how do they interact with less aggressive combatants around them? What separates a natural warrior from a psychopath?

Essay Topic 2

Near the end of ON KILLING, Dave Grossman turns his concern from military policy to policy related to the private sector, particularly the entertainment industry. Write an essay in three parts about the recommendations Dave Grossman makes regarding the world of entertainment:

Part 1) What does Dave Grossman have to say about the world of print media? Does he think that it has any effect on the youth of America, one way or another? Based upon this opinion, does Grossman suggest any major alteration to the way it goes about delivering its product?

Part 2) What recommendation does Grossman make regarding the film industry and television? Discuss the dueling concerns that the author acknowledges these industries have and the responsibilities they share. What defense does he offer against shouts that he is censoring art with these recommendations?

Part 3) In summing up his arguments regarding the entertainment industry, why is Grossman confident that these changes will go into effect? Does he think the public will demand them, and why? How does reformation constitute a public emergency in his opinion?

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay about the root causes and addressing of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the American military? What step of the killing process is interrupted, leading to PTSD, and what factors are involved in this stunting of emotional processing? How does PTSD manifest itself? In what conflict did numbers of soldiers suffering from PTSD skyrocket? How long did it take the American military to address this concern, and what has been done?

(see the answer keys)

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