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This test consists of 5 short answer questions and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. While on leave, the men see a poster in a store's window display which depicts which of the following?

2. What are the "Zouaves' Cells"?

3. How does Lamuse find Eudoxie's corpse?

4. The German in the refuge served as which of the following?

5. What do the men note about the commandant?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Despair is a constant threat in the novel. Many characters find unique ways to fight against despair and some are consumed by it. It is the source of strange behavior and adaptive strategies, and the cause of some seemingly suicidal actions.

Part 1) Explain the theme of despair as it occurs in the novel. How does this threat compare to other threats of trench life and warfare?

Part 2) Discuss some of the strategies some of the men develop to stave off despair. How well do these strategies fare. Explain examples of the men falling into complete despair.

Part 3) Using examples from the last chapters of the book, give a last analysis of the theme of despair. How much does it affect the men overall? How successful can they be, in the end, in fighting it off?

Essay Topic 2

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.

Essay Topic 3

There are only a handful of times in the novel that the French and German soldiers come into peaceful contact, but these events are remarkable during war, and they stand out in the novel.

Part 1) Describe at least two scenes in the novel when French and German soldiers come into contact with one another without attempting to kill one another. Explain why the peaceful contact occurs.

Part 2) What do the French and German soldiers discuss when they are in contact? Are they still enemies? Why or or why not?

Part 3) Explain some of the themes of the novel elucidated by this type of contact.

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