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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. Where do the events of the first chapter take place?

2. Where does Volpatte overhear the gossip of the gentlemen at the depot?

3. Why does Tulacque believe that those who drive the artillery pieces to Verdun are not truly in the war?

4. When Cpl. Marchal and the narrator meet, they discuss which of the following happening to their mutual friends?

5. Volpatte's compatriots oppose him when he criticizes what group?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do the survivors of Bertrand's squad do while on leave?

2. Why does Eudore agree to take his five old friends with him when he goes to visit his wife?

3. What are some of the reasons that the men at the depot use to explain why they are not fighting?

4. What are Lamuse and the narrator's opinions about aircraft?

5. What is the state of the area around the railway station where the squad waits in Chapter 7?

6. What is the general psychological state of the men of Cpl. Bertrand's squad?

7. What does Volpatte do at the depot after recovering from his injuries?

8. Where is Fouillade from, and what is his hometown like?

9. According to the author, what is important about the men writing letters home?

10. Describe the conditions in which the squad digs the trench in Chapter 23.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The shirkers are introduced in Volpatte's story about his time behind the lines recovering from his head injuries. His comrades are disgusted to hear his stories of the cowardice, deceit, and arrogance of these men who refuse to join in the war effort.

Part 1) Explain what "shirkers" are. What background do these men typically come from? What are some of the common excuses given for avoiding the war?

Part 2) Citing specific examples from the book, speculate about whether the shirkers are aware of their moral failings.

Part 3) What do the poilus think of the shirkers? How does Volpatte's story affect the squad on an immediate and a long-term basis?

Essay Topic 2

There is a wide gap in perceptions about the war between the soldiers who are fighting it and the civilians who learn about its progress from the media. A few times in the novel, the soldiers come into direct conflict with this misunderstanding, but do little to correct it.

Part 1) Describe how the civilians perceive the state and progress of the war. How accurate are these perceptions?

Part 2) How does the media shape the perceptions of the civilians of France? Does this manipulation seem intentional? Speculate about the motives of the media.

Part 3) Explain how the poilus perceive the war. How does this differ from public perception? Why do the soldiers fail to speak out to correct the civilians?

Essay Topic 3

The brutality and deprivation of life in the trenches is a near-constant throughout the squad's travels and experiences. Although many men of the squad grumble and complain about their conditions, others develop a philosophical outlook and accept their state for as long as they must. This struggle to deal with the seemingly unbearable conditions in the trenches is a constant psychological challenge for the men of the squad, alleviated occasionally by leave and quartering in villages.

Part 1) Describe some of the hardships faced by the men when living in the trenches. How healthy and sanitary are the conditions? How much protection do the men have from weather or from sudden enemy attack? How comfortably are they able to eat, live, and sleep?

Part 2) Explain some of the ways that the men deal with their situation in the trenches. What luxuries and activities are considered welcome diversions? Explain examples discussed in the book of the men acting to make their situation physically more pleasant. Discuss psychological adaptations that the men make to better deal with their surroundings.

Part 3) How do the men react to the occasional respite from trench life? What luxuries of normal life do they relish? How do the men make the most of their leaves and opportunities to escape from the trenches?

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