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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. By the late 1990's, approximately how many Vietnam vets were suffering from PTSD?

2. In Chapter 5, how does Grossman describe natural warriors' attitudes toward less aggressive colleagues?

3. 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?

4. In Vietnam, about how many sniper rounds did it take to kill one enemy soldier?

5. Between which two stages of the killing process is a murder-suicide fluctuating, as described in Chapter 2?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the strange dichotomy between nudity and killing in Western culture?

2. What factors traditionally assist in rationalization and acceptance after combat?

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

4. What evidence does Grossman provide that violence among youth has increased dramatically since the 1950s?

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

6. How does Grossman explain murder-suicide in terms of the killing process in Chapter 2?

7. What factors contribute to a soldier's decision to commit an atrocity?

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

9. What is the Weinberger Doctrine?

10. Describe the strange story of the CIA guard at the end of Chapter 1?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

At the beginning of ON KILLING, Dave Grossman pointedly lists his conservative opinions and prejudices, saying he wants to be clear with the reader as to his natural inclinations from the start. How does this affect ones reading of the policy discussion that follows? Do these prejudices seem to affect his domestic recommendations more than his military recommendations? How so? What ideology is he espousing in the latter sections of the book?

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

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

(see the answer keys)

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