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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 Azar give a chocolate bar to?

2. Who did the monks take a special liking to and call "Soldier Jesus?"

3. What does Rat Kiley do first to the baby water buffalo?

4. Who is the narrator talking about in Chapter 8, The Dentist?

5. "A true war story, if truly told, makes the ____________ believe."

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Henry's reaction to his girlfriend dumping him?

2. When Lee Strunk returns from sick bay, how does Dave Jensen react?

3. What would you guess happened during the war that Jimmy asked Tim to leave out of his book?

4. How does the incident of the broken noses affect the relationship between Dave Jensen and Lee Strunk?

5. What does Dave Jensen do to make himself square with Lee Strunk?

6. What puts the death pact to the test? Be specific.

7. What is so unbelievable about Rat Kiley's story?

8. Explain your thoughts on this quote: "I was a coward. I went to war."

9. How does Curt Lemon recover from his personal failure at the dentist?

10. What are Henry Dobbins' tentative plans for after the war?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Most novels have critic blurbs on the cover or in media advertising for the book. Choose one critic's blurb about "The Things They Carried" and respond to the quote. Do you agree or disagree with the critic's assessment of the novel, and where is there evidence in the novel to support your point of view?

Essay Topic 2

We know very little about the character named Azar, but he appears always present to antagonize the other men in the platoon. Explain how Azar is a flat or round character, his role in the novel, and if there are any other characters like him in "The Things They Carried."

Essay Topic 3

The "Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong" addresses the theme of acceptance and persons becoming a product of their environment. Explain the transformation Mary Anne Bell goes through from her arrival in Vietnam until her ultimate disappearance, and compare it to some other experience of characters or real-life people becoming the product of their environment.

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