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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. Who does Rico meet in the landing terminal?

2. What happens to Rico when the Padre takes over?

3. Who does Rico's father say he is envious of?

4. Which old friend does Rico meet on the cadet course?

5. How many miles is Rico from his platoon?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Describe the OCS.

3. Why are the recruits more shocked at a flogging than seeing death?

4. What does the Psychological Warfare Corps want to do on Planet P?

5. Describe the Bugs.

6. Describe Frankel.

7. Summarize Chapter 13.

8. Summarize the story.

9. Why did Dubois want corporal punishment when raising children?

10. Summarize the final chapter.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Heinlein's life. In what way do you think his life and personality is reflected in the book?

Essay Topic 2

Is Heinlein promoting the use of women in warfare? Why does he not have women fighting on the ground? Do the students agree that women and men are better at different jobs such as piloting and fighting? What kind of reaction do you think Heinlein would have gotten in the fifties in such a book if he had portrayed women as being flogged?

Essay Topic 3

Starship Troopers is written in the first person and with Rico as narrator. Why do you think Heinlein chose to write the story in the first person? How do you think the meaning of the story would have changed if it was written in the third person? What difference does it make to the story that Heinlein is one of the characters?

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