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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. How were the German trenches in contrast to the British trenches?

2. Fussell makes reference that some people thought the direction the farmers were plowing was an indication of _____.

3. Writers during the war chose to write about what as a popular topic?

4. What are along the Somme today where the fierce battles were fought?

5. Altogether, the Sassoon trilogy makes what type of point to the reader?

Short Essay Questions

1. What was the difference between British commanders General Sir George Plumer and Sir Douglas Haig?

2. What was the British Line?

3. What was the British's army biggest problem?

4. Fussell uses and quotes Thomas Hardy. Fussell begins by quoting a Thomas Hardy poem. Why does Fussell quote Hardy about the war?

5. Explain some of the rumors about farmers during wartime.

6. What was wrong with the British commander Sir Douglas Haig's war planning?

7. How is the literature presented to illustrate the dichotomy between the officers and the soldiers?

8. Describe Haig's command at the Battle of Somme in March 1918?

9. What is the title of the second volume of Sassoon's trilogy, and what is the second volume about?

10. What types of rumors and myths surrounded the number three?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Part 1) Trenches played a big part of the war. Where were they located? Why were they located here? How many miles of trenches were there?

Part 2) Describe life in the trenches. Were they comfortable to live in? How many soldiers actually stayed in the trenches? What did soldiers do in the trenches when they were not in battle? Were the trenches beneficial in battle or did they hurt armies in battle? Give reasons to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Fussell chooses many writers to help give examples. Pick one poet and one other writer Fussell mentions in wartime literature. Once the poet and writer have been chosen, write a biography on each of these writers, focusing on why they chose to write in the manner they did and why they chose their subject(s).

Essay Topic 3

Throughout Fussel's writings, he shows the harshness of war. What are some of the factors that makes war harsh? Do the harsh factors affect just the military, or does it affect civilians as well? Be specific and give examples from the writing.

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