View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Which European river do the men cross at the end of Chapter 40?

2. Who eventually gets Buff's helmet in Chapter 41?

3. Early in his arrival, Paul Berlin is warned by another soldier not to do what in regarding a paddy?

4. Who does Lieutenant Corson tell Paul Berlin to look out for when the latter says he will be staying in Paris?

5. Why does Cacciato like Sidney Martin?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Chapter 31, what haunting event happens to Paul Berlin on his first day in the mountains?

2. Describe Sarkin Aung Wan and Paul Berlin's debate in Chapter 44.

3. How does Third Squad escape execution in Chapter 36?

4. Why does Stink Harris jump off the ship at the end of Chapter 38?

5. Why does the Squad occasionally march down trails likely to be booby trapped?

6. How does Lieutenant Martin precipitate his own murder in Chapter 34?

7. Why does Cacciato require convincing regarding the Martin murder?

8. Describe Cacciato in Chapter 31.

9. How does Third Squad manage to depart the ocean liner at the beginning of Chapter 40?

10. What argument does Captain Rhallon make in Chapter 29 regarding the importance of a well-respected mission in War?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the longer narrative of Going After Cacciato, Paul Berlin invents a number of figures that do not exist.

Write an essay about three of these figures. What function do they serve in the story? Do they stem from any real experience that Paul Berlin has? What do they say about the political or spiritual realities of the Vietnam War?

Part 1) Jolly Chand

Part 2) Captain Rhallon

Part 3) Sarkin Aung Wan

Essay Topic 2

The narrative of the novel begins with the announcement that Cacciato, the simpleton, has set off into the jungle to walk to Paris. Although the men of Third Squad are annoyed, they do not question the impetus that drove Cacciato. Write an essay on Paris as a symbol in Going After Cacciato. Why does the idea of walking to Paris appeal to all of the men in the Squad? What does Paris represent to each of them, and what doe they find themselves doing once they arrive?

Essay Topic 3

Choose one member of the Cacciato search party and write an essay analyzing his attitude toward the mission. At any point in the mission, does he grow convinced that Third Squad is deserting? What was his attitude toward Cacciato before Cacciato disappeared into the jungle? How does the mission to Paris change this character's attitude toward the world, the war, and his fellow soldiers?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 945 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample