View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Cocon calculate about the squad?

2. How long does Joseph wait before receiving aid at the refuge?

3. Why can Blaire, Poupardin, and Pépin not cook their meat?

4. What do Blaire, Poupardin, and Pépin do in order to find a way to cook the meat?

5. In Chapter 15, when the men run low on supplies, what does the narrator give to Paradis?

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

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

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.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 468 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample