1. For Wolff, and for many other men of his generation, the war in Vietnam was one of the defining moments of their lives. Among other writers who have dealt with the demands of combat, Tim O'Brien's collection The Things They Carried contains several stories which are considered classics of their type. How does Wolff's account in "Casualty" compare with O'Brien's work?

2. Most of Wolff's protagonists are young men. When his stories involve women, they are often subsidiary characters or foils for the protagonist. Is Wolff able to make the women characters realistic and affecting? Is his grasp of the psychological basis of these characters convincing?

3. In discussing writers to whom he feels a debt, Wolff has mentioned "Ernest Hemingway, first and last." What stories of Hemingway show parallels to Wolff's work? What are some common themes and concerns?

4. Wolff has...