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?

Essay Topic 2

Throughout the novel, and in particular in the chapter "Bombardment," it is shown that the men have an intimate knowledge of artillery weapons used by both sides. Although these weapons seem to intercede only occasionally, their effect is devastating and seemingly random. The men have a strange mixture of admiration, respect, and fear of these weapons, mixed in with a strange kind of superstition developed over the course of many months spent trying to avoid death at the hands of these random killers.

Part 1) Using information from the book, discuss some of the types of artillery employed by both sides. How effective and accurate are these weapons?

Part 2) Describe the level of knowledge that the soldiers seem to have of the various kinds of artillery employed against them. Explain some of their more rational beliefs and fears.

Part 3) Explain some of the soldiers more irrational beliefs and fears about the artillery. Speculate about why these almost superstitious fears and practices came into being.

Essay Topic 3

The equipment, appearance, and clothing of the poilus is discussed at length throughout the book. They are depicted as individuals, each with a unique look and personality. This individuality forms an important theme in the novel, demonstrating that the soldiers are normal people thrust into circumstances that they have difficulty adapting to and understanding. They maintain this individuality until the final chapter of the book, when the rain and mud make the men of both sides appear the same.

Part 1) Using examples from the book, explain how the author establishes the individuality of the soldiers on the basis of appearance.

Part 2) Discuss how this individuality reflects the soldier's unique backgrounds and temperaments.

Part 3) How does this individuality become an important theme in the novel? Why is it important that the author picks out and differentiates individuals among the masses of the French army? Explain how this theme is developed in the novel, starting with the introduction of the individual soldiers, and ending with the reflection near the end of the novel that war is made up of individuals, but that they fade into nothing in the grand scheme of the struggle.

(see the answer keys)

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