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

Short Answer Questions

1. Near the last stretch of his journey to bring the wounded Joseph to safety, the narrator encounters a wounded man that he compares to which of the following?

2. How is Joseph Mesnil injured?

3. What does the author call the useless things that the men carry with them?

4. In Chapter 15, one squad in the regiment is rumored to have made a meal out of what?

5. What does the German demand of God?

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

The scale of the war is important to many themes in the novel, and the men of the squad have opportunities to glimpse a portion of its full size. The strategic development of deep fronts that are hundreds of miles long necessitates huge armies, and the drive for advanced and numerically superior firepower requires volumes of weapons and material. The scale of the war makes it difficult for the men to fully understand, and it makes them uninformed pawns in a game far too large to be seen from ground-level.

Part 1) Cite examples from the book to explain how the author establishes the size and scale of the war.

Part 2) Discuss the impact of the scale of the war on the men of Bertrand's squad.

Part 3) Based on information in the book, and in particular the analysis of logical men like Cocon and Bertrand, speculate about the factors that contribute to the necessity of the large force sizes seen in the novel.

Essay Topic 3

Functional equipment is discussed throughout the novel indirectly by the narrator and openly by members of the squad. The men live and sometimes die by the equipment that they carry, and so its nature, maintenance and quality is of utmost importance. The men use a variety of standard issue, irregular, and even improvised equipment.

Part 1) What do the men think of their standard-issue equipment and supplies from the government? Do they generally find that these things are adequate for their day-to-day needs and the demands of battle?

Part 2) How do the men supplement their government-issued equipment? How do they personalize and augment their clothing, weapons, and supplies?

Part 3) What are the men's priorities when selecting and dealing with their equipment? What factors seem most important, and which seem of little relevance to them?

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