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

Short Answer Questions

1. What does the Foreign Legionnaire try to give to his comrade?

2. According to Cocon, how many villages has the squad quartered in?

3. What does Volpatte say about the state of France?

4. While on leave, the men see a poster in a store's window display which depicts which of the following?

5. What does Volpatte repeat as he charges into the machine gun fire?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Eudoxie is a major character, although her time in the story is brief. She affects many characters and their interactions with her illuminate many details about these individuals.

Part 1) Who is Eudoxie? Where does she come from? What is unusual about her? Why is she frequently seen in seemingly dangerous areas near the front?

Part 2) Describe the effects that Eudoxie has on some of the men of the squad.

Part 3) Explain Eudoxie's purpose as a character. What does she represent, and what themes does her character relate to or affect?

Essay Topic 2

Near the end of the novel, religious themes are discussed frequently and in a serious fashion. The narrator himself reveals little about his faith or lack thereof, but the things he experiences clearly cause him to begin thinking about such matters in more detail. The men at the refuge discuss this subject in great detail. Appropriately, they ask more questions than they answer.

Part 1) How are religious themes developed throughout the novel. Explain how these themes are first introduced, where they are discussed most thoroughly and how, if at all, they are resolved.

Part 2) Explain the narrator's personal progression in this regard, citing examples to show his changing state of mind and increasing interest in the subject. Citing information from the book, explain why these changes take place.

Part 2) Explain some of the opinions of the poilus and other soldiers about religion and God. Explain how these opinions are consonant with their experiences and other opinions expressed at other points in the novel.

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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