The characters debate whether civilians can understand what they have gone through. Does the narrator communicate a sense or is direct experience required? Support your answer by analyzing at least two passages.

How are nationalism and patriotism treated in the novel? Have attitudes changed since 1917?

What role does Eudoxie play in the novel? Is she an integral character?

What is Cocon's function in the novel? Is he an integral character?

Which battle death most affects the narrator—and why is this so? Which one most affects you?

How do the poilus view "shirkers"? Is their criticism just? Could an army do without support services?

The novel is published in 1917. Do the philosophical passages foresee as inevitable a World War II two decades later or do they allow for unmet conditions that could prevent it?

How do the mud-caked survivors at the end of...