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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. Barque is described as being which of the following?

2. Where do the events of the first chapter take place?

3. What is the squad's duty at night?

4. In their deployment after Gauchin-l'Abbé, what is unusual about all the buildings and equipment?

5. The narrator compares Lamuse to what mythological figure?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Eudore agree to take his five old friends with him when he goes to visit his wife?

2. What do the men believe about 77mm shells, despite evidence to the contrary?

3. How do the men first meet Eudoxie, and what is Lamuse doing when they do?

4. In what way is Fouillade similar to the dog, Labri?

5. What unusual orders are given to the unit in Chapter 11?

6. What do the soldiers believe about fraternity, liberty, and equality?

7. What are Lamuse and the narrator's opinions about aircraft?

8. What is the state of the area around the railway station where the squad waits in Chapter 7?

9. How does Paradis's mood change throughout Chapter 16?

10. According to the author, what is important about the men writing letters home?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There are only a handful of times in the novel that the French and German soldiers come into peaceful contact, but these events are remarkable during war, and they stand out in the novel.

Part 1) Describe at least two scenes in the novel when French and German soldiers come into contact with one another without attempting to kill one another. Explain why the peaceful contact occurs.

Part 2) What do the French and German soldiers discuss when they are in contact? Are they still enemies? Why or or why not?

Part 3) Explain some of the themes of the novel elucidated by this type of contact.

Essay Topic 2

The author makes it a point to center the narrative spotlight on a number of inexplicable or irrational actions on the part of the French army and its officers. The army does much that makes little sense, and this tends to reinforce the theme of hopeless and pointless waste.

Part 1) Describe some examples of actions on the part of the French army and its officers that seems to make little sense.

Part 2) Explain the reaction of the men of Bertrand's squad to this irrationality. Cite specific examples of these reactions and explain their significance.

Part 3) Speculate as to the reasoning behind some of these unexplained or mysterious actions. Could there be well-founded explanations for some of these behaviors? In the case of actions with no apparent explanation, speculate about how such an action became sanctioned and approved by the military.

Essay Topic 3

Trench warfare features heavily in the novel, and brutality of a frontal assault on a trench is shown in detail in the title chapter, "Under Fire."

Part 1) Based on information from the book, describe the basics of trench warfare. Why are trenches necessary? How is a trench defended and assaulted?

Part 2) Cite examples from the book to show how successful frontal assaults against trenches usually are. What dangers does an assaulting force face on their approach to the trench?

Part 3) Describe the overall effectiveness of this kind of warfare. Based on the events of the novel, does this kind of warfare appear decisive?

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