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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 is the squad dispatched at the end of Chapter 2?

2. Where does the narrator meet with Cpl. Marchal?

3. Which of the following was considered an aggravating circumstance in the veteran's case?

4. What does the arrival of the Moroccan Division mean to the men of Cpl. Bertrand's squad?

5. Chapter 7 begins with the squad waiting where as they prepare for redeployment?

Short Essay Questions

1. What problem do Blaire and the other face in Chapter 18, "A box of matches", and how do they solve it?

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

3. How do Volpatte and Fouillade get lost?

4. Describe Lamuse's relationship with Eudoxie.

5. What do the soldiers think about people touting the fine and admirable side of war?

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

7. What happened to Joseph's brother, and how is his body found?

8. What do most of the wounded in the refuge think about God?

9. What religious references does the narrator make while escorting Joseph to safety?

10. Where do the men go when the bombardment gets worse? What happens when they get there?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The machine gun is a feared weapon on the battlefield, and rightly so. Its effectiveness is seen in detail in the chapter "Under Fire," and the men discuss it on many occasions. It is the primary reason for the existence of trench warfare, and the cause of most of the misery on which the book centers. The machine gunners themselves represent an almost élite class in the army, being specially favored targets for retribution and looting, and receiving a variety of favors from their own side.

Part 1) Use information from the book to explain what a machine gun is and its impact on warfare in the time of the novel.

Part 2) Explain the men's perceptions and fears about machine guns. Cite specific examples to justify or disprove these perceptions.

Part 3) Discuss some of the ways that machine gunners are treated differently from other soldiers, both by their own forces and by the enemy. Why do these men receive this treatment?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Throughout the novel, many opinions of the poilus are articulated indirectly. The perspective always stays with the men of Bertrand's squad and almost always with the narrator, but through the experiences of these men, the perceptions of many other people towards the poilus becomes clear.

Part 1) Explain how the poilus, and particularly groups like Bertrand's squad, who have spent a great deal of time in the trenches, are perceived by the more active forces, such as other formations that are on the march, or the Moroccan Division.

Part 2) Describe the shirker's attitudes towards the poilus. How are these attitudes shaped by the shirker's own failures and vices?

Part 3) Explain how the civilians and journalists see the poilus. How are these perceptions shaped by this group's desire to support the war?

(see the answer keys)

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