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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. Cpl. Marchal serves with what military units?

2. Who is sent with the narrator to find the missing Volpatte and Fouillade?

3. What does Mariette give to Eudore before he leaves?

4. What is Tirloir's nickname?

5. What is Biquet's response to his mother's concern for him as expressed in her letter?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do the men of the squad think about the shirkers?

2. What is the nature and duty of Cpl. Bertrand's squad?

3. What is meant by the phrase that each poilu "carries his crowd along"?

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

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

6. How do the civilian's perceptions of the war differ from the soldier's experiences?

7. What do the soldiers think about people touting the fine and admirable side of war?

8. What obstacles do the French face during their assault on the German trench?

9. What are the men's hopes and fears as their last day of leave approaches?

10. What is Volpatte's opinion of the phrase, "If we do return"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Despair is a constant threat in the novel. Many characters find unique ways to fight against despair and some are consumed by it. It is the source of strange behavior and adaptive strategies, and the cause of some seemingly suicidal actions.

Part 1) Explain the theme of despair as it occurs in the novel. How does this threat compare to other threats of trench life and warfare?

Part 2) Discuss some of the strategies some of the men develop to stave off despair. How well do these strategies fare. Explain examples of the men falling into complete despair.

Part 3) Using examples from the last chapters of the book, give a last analysis of the theme of despair. How much does it affect the men overall? How successful can they be, in the end, in fighting it off?

Essay Topic 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

The scale of the war is important to many themes in the novel, and the men of the squad have opportunities to glimpse a portion of its full size. The strategic development of deep fronts that are hundreds of miles long necessitates huge armies, and the drive for advanced and numerically superior firepower requires volumes of weapons and material. The scale of the war makes it difficult for the men to fully understand, and it makes them uninformed pawns in a game far too large to be seen from ground-level.

Part 1) Cite examples from the book to explain how the author establishes the size and scale of the war.

Part 2) Discuss the impact of the scale of the war on the men of Bertrand's squad.

Part 3) Based on information in the book, and in particular the analysis of logical men like Cocon and Bertrand, speculate about the factors that contribute to the necessity of the large force sizes seen in the novel.

(see the answer keys)

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