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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. Why does Kien almost attack the taunting soldiers in the abandoned hospital?

2. What does Phuong finally tell Kien about their future in the form of a note?

3. What was the first occasion that Kien had been drunk?

4. Why does Kien almost kill himself?

5. What stops this from happening?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the significance of the tram driver who takes Kien home from the cafe?

2. Why does Kien discover about his father's paintings?

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

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

5. Why is the letter that Kien receives important?

6. Why does Kien not kill the commandos responsible for the farmhouse massacre?

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

8. Why was it lucky that Phuong and Kien missed the train just as war started?

9. What do the characters of Tu and Cam have in common?

10. Why is the image of the storm symbolic for Kien?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine the character of Kien in the story. What are his strengths and weaknesses?

Essay Topic 2

What is a muse? Who was the muse in Kien’s story? Explain your reasoning.

Essay Topic 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

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