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

Short Answer Questions

1. Who comes to sit with Eugene?

2. What does Carney say about Eugene in reaction to Eugene's writings?

3. What did Eugene write about Selridge?

4. What evidence does Wykowski cite to accuse Epstein of being the escaped soldier?

5. What does Daisy do after Eugene refuses to dance?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the culture of the army in the play.

1) What does the army expect from its soldiers? What type of discipline, regulations, and values does the army promote?

2) Why is army food bad, and why are the soldiers required to eat all of their food?

3) The army brings together many different men from different cultures. How does the diversity of soldiers contribute to the culture of the army? Does it cause conflict? Does it have any benefits?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the play as a coming-of-age story.

1) How does Eugene mature during the course of the play? What knowledge, experience, and understanding about the world does he gain?

2) In what ways is boot camp a rite of passage that serves as a transition from childhood to adulthood?

3) How is Eugene's visit to the prostitute a rite of passage? What other rites of passage are there in the play?

Essay Topic 3

BILOXI BLUES is a story of soldiers in boot camp, and so it is a primarily male story. However, there are two significant female characters, and women play an important role in the soldiers' lives. Discuss the play's portrayal of women.

1) Compare Rowena to Daisy. What aspects of womanhood do they represent?

2) Why does Eugene fall for Daisy? What characteristics does he admire in her?

3) Are the portrayals of women in the play realistic? Are the women well-developed characters? How do the soldiers view women?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 371 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample