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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. Private Perry’s mother says in her letter in Chapter 7 that she saw on television that a white Baptist church where was preparing food and stuff to send to the troops?

2. What phrase used in Chapter 6 refers to the uncertainty in situational awareness experienced by participants in military operations?

3. What kind of vehicle is the narrator and his squad traveling in as they enter Iraq in Chapter 4?

4. What is the name that the narrator says “we called the Special Ops guys who went on secret missions in enemy territory,” in Chapter 2?

5. What are the initials that are tattooed on Lopez’s hand, according to the narrator in Chapter 2?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Private Perry relate to his Uncle Richie via letter in Chapter 5?

2. How does Private Perry describe the films that the soldiers watch in Chapter 2?

3. How does Private Perry describe the setting and mission they embark on in Chapter 6?

4. What does Private Perry question after reading his mother’s letter in Chapter 7?

5. What does Private Perry reveal in his letter to Uncle Richie in Chapter 6?

6. Where is Private Perry’s team put up for the night in the end of Chapter 5? Why does Jonesy come to visit Perry in the night?

7. What mission does Private Perry’s team receive in Chapter 5? What does Private Perry learn during this mission?

8. Who acts as translator for the Civil Affairs unit in Chapter 4? What is discovered once the team arrives in An Nasiriyah?

9. How is the setting of An Nasiriyah described in Chapter 5? Where is the hospital set up?

10. Who is the narrator of the main narrative in the novel? Where has this character arrived in the beginning of Chapter 1?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the character of Private Robin Perry as the narrator and protagonist of the novel. How would you describe Private Perry’s narrative and language style? Do you find this character to be likable upon your initial impressions? How do you relate to the character?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and discuss the setting of An Najaf. How many people live in this city? How does the narrator compare this setting to the settings of Baghdad and other locales seen in the first five chapters of the novel?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the term “fog of war” as used in Chapter 6. What does this phrase mean? How does this apply to the situation at the village school where the CA unit is going? Who first uses this term?

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