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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. What are the bug workers unable to do?

2. What caused the American republic to break up?

3. What is the first battle against the bugs called?

4. How many brains do they capture?

5. What did Dubois think that modern day morality was based upon?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Rico think about during the night?

2. Describe Rico's meeting with Carmencita.

3. Why does the army want to punish Dillinger?

4. What does Frankel order Zim to do?

5. Describe the Rodger Young.

6. What is the aim of the mission in the final chapter?

7. Why has no one committed a 9080 in Zim's training before?

8. What do the soldiers capture on Planet P?

9. Summarize the final chapter.

10. Describe Rico, Leivy, and Smith's fight with the Marines.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Starship Troopers is part of the science fiction genre.

1) What are the conventions of the science fiction genre in terms of character, language, and plot?

2) In what way did Starship Troopers help to set the template for similar novels? Do modern novels still use the ideas used in Starship Troopers?

Essay Topic 2

It is claimed that Starship Troopers comes from an overtly anti-communist view point. In what ways do the students think that Starship Troopers is anti-communist? In what way does this reflect American society at the time? Are there any characters in the novel that represent communism? If so, how does Heinlein portray these characters?

Essay Topic 3

Look at the structure of the novel.

1) How does Heinlein use character and dialogue to drive the narrative?

2) Discuss elements of the narrative structure; exposition, conflict, complication, climax, resolution, and conclusion. Do all the elements make for a logical and linear story? How does the story's structure express the novel's themes?

3) Away from the main character Henderson, examine the way Heinlein uses the other characters in the story. When does he introduce and take them away from the story? What effect does it have on the story?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 685 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample