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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. When did Kien's father die?

2. Where did Kien meet Phuong?

3. Who does Kien dream about in hospital?

4. How does Kien's friend Tu die?

5. How does Phuong help Kien to rejoin his unit and avoid being accused of desertion?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Kien refuse to sleep with Phuong before the war?

2. What happens to the train that Kien and Phuong eventually catch so that he can return to his unit?

3. What does Kien hallucinate about his nurse in Hanoi?

4. Why does Kien kill the Sailor on the Train?

5. Who is Kien's first 'kill' of the war?

6. Where do Kien and Phuong go to escape when they hear about the war?

7. Why does Phuong want Kien to be more like his father?

8. Why is Kien taunted by the other soldiers in the abandoned school?

9. What musical instrument did Phuong play as a child, which indicates to Kien that she is a troubled soul?

10. What happens to Phuong on that train?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Kien, the North Vietnamese, and the South Vietnamese are all victims of this war. Do you agree or disagree? Support your reasoning with the text of the novel.

Essay Topic 2

What is the importance of the Narrator as a character at the end of 'The Sorrow of War'?

Essay Topic 3

What is a tragic figure in literature? Does Kien fit the definition? Why or why not? Explain in detail.

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