View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Henry see that is his first encounter with the reality of war?

2. What does one young man of the battalion do at the first volley?

3. What unexpected action does Henry take?

4. What are the running and retreating soldiers seeking?

5. What puts Henry to sleep the first night in the new camp?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the camp react to the rumor of going to war tomorrow?

2. How does Henry realize things are not going as they should?

3. What makes Henry think the time has come for him to find out about himself?

4. Define the quandary Henry finds himself in after he has run from the battlefield.

5. What does Henry decide nature has done with him?

6. What is the symbolism of Henry's wounds being described as inner wounds?

7. What is the reality of the situation during this first battle?

8. Describe how the men began to shed their knapsacks.

9. What is happening all around Henry?

10. Explain Henry's concern about walking with the wounded.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write a critique of THE RED BADGE OF COURAGE. In your critique mention Crane's use of literary devices, his ability as a story teller, whether the novel held your interest to keep on reading, and whether you would recommend it to other readers.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay about comfort in numbers. Beginning with Henry's seeing a large number of men and wagons leaving the battlefield and how he was comforted by the thought that he was not the only one to desert the battle, write your essay about how people seek comfort in numbers. Explain that, as in Henry's case, the numbers may not be what one thinks they are.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay on the difficulty of keeping guilty secrets. Using Henry's second encounter with the tattered man, write about how hard it is to keep secrets when there are countless unanswered questions. Include why people often try to hide the truth and why it usually comes to the surface eventually anyway.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 773 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample