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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. What is not a phrase used by the men to describe the dead?

2. What is the name of Tim's daughter?

3. Who does Tim blame for his near-death experience?

4. How old was Tim when he first dealt with death?

5. What medal did Norman Bowker almost win?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who does Tim go on a trip with and where do they go?

2. Do you agree with Kiowa or Tim's point of view about the kill? Why?

3. What is Norman's assessment of his valor and bravery?

4. Explain who feels blame for Kiowa's death.

5. How do Henry Dobbins and Azar disagree about the girl's motive to dance?

6. What power do stories have for people dealing with death?

7. How does Rat Kiley cope with the difficult mission of up all night, and sleeping during the day?

8. What two types of truth are there for the author and reader?

9. What is the main struggle for the narrator/author in the chapter "Good Form?"

10. Contrast the two times Tim was shot.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

"The Things They Carried" tackles the theme of death in numerous ways. There are accountings of anticipated deaths, surprise deaths, and even brushes with near-death. Explore how the novel handles each type of death, and the overall message the book communicates about this universal theme. Be sure to cite specific textual evidence.

Essay Topic 2

"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.

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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This section contains 1,101 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample