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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. How were most economies organized after the war began?

2. What were depictions of combat conditions like in media of the era?

3. When were most enduring war novels written?

4. The media presented a view wherein the suffering of the nation's citizenry was linked to what?

5. What type of novels became more popular during the war?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did wartime reporting often fail to capture the realities of warfare?

2. What was the importance of the literary journal Horizon?

3. How did the media imply God's involvement in the war?

4. What was the overall reading experience of citizens and soldiers like during the war?

5. What is one way that a person could become considered to be subversive?

6. What were American soldiers told they were fighting for?

7. How did media organizations gain access to war zones for their reporters?

8. How and why did the media fail to report the entire story of the war?

9. What difficulties did the publishing industry face during the war?

10. How did the media interpret the suffering of the nation's citizenry?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The reading experience of citizens and soldiers alike during the war was bland and uniform. In the media and even in other mediums such as fiction, poetry, and films, there was a tendency towards homogenization that became mind-numbing to many.

1) Discuss the general reading experience of soldiers and citizens during World War II. Explain some of the problems in the publishing industry from an entertainment perspective.

2) Describe the common American soldiers interest in reading and how, why, and when this distraction became common in the ranks.

3) Explain some of the changes in the publishing market that were brought about by the war.

Essay Topic 2

Throughout the second World War, soldiers faced constant hazing from their officers. Although largely successful in helping to establish and maintain discipline, these measures were always demeaning, and sometimes dangerous.

1) Explain the unofficial policy of hazing in the US military during World War II.

2) Discuss why this policy was used, and what the army expected to gain through it.

3) Describe some of the unintended side-effects of hazing on the enlisted men.

Essay Topic 3

Drunkenness was rampant in the ranks of the enlisted men. The author states that heavy drinking usually began early in stateside training, and stopped (temporarily) only when alcohol was not available.

1) Explain why so many soldiers turned to drinking throughout the war.

2) Discuss the prevalence of drunkenness and alcoholism in the ranks of the enlisted men.

3) Describe some of the problems brought on by this tendency. What did the American public think about their soldiers and what health problems and other dangers did these soldiers face?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 750 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample