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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. Mitchell Sanders sent what in his letter to the Ohio Draft Board?

2. Who began to tense up in the line waiting for an examination?

3. Which of the following is NOT a way the men resupplied the things they carried?

4. Norman Bowker's father only cares about what?

5. "Hump it" means what?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Give examples of how the men dealt with death.

3. Explain why you think Dave Jensen is so upset someone stole from him.

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

5. What caused Henry Dobbins to rule out a career as a minister?

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

7. Who was Elroy Berdahl and what is his significance to the narrator?

8. Why was Curt Lemon afraid of the dentist?

9. Why do you think Martha never married?

10. How are the terms of the death pact ultimately carried out?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

If you were Tim writing a letter to his daughter Kathleen, either at her age now or the age she is in the book, what would be the most important aspects of your experiences in the war that you would want to share with her and teach her about the world?

Essay Topic 2

Explain the moral you see in the story of Tim getting even with Bobby Jorgenson. How does the story handle the themes of revenge, forgiveness, and personal responsibility against the back drop of a war?

Essay Topic 3

"The Things They Carried: A Work of Fiction" is described as 22 short stories tied into a novel. Select a chapter from the novel and explain how the title relates to the story, and evaluate if the chapter could stand alone as a short story. Identify its weaknesses and strengths and how it fulfills or fails to satisfy the requirements of a story: beginning, middle and end.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 979 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample