AnswersGA-Literature and Composition IIIBeat Movement Spontaneous Prose

Experiencing and Reliving Vietnam Answers

10 verified answers
1
Free Preview

In “Ambush,” why does the author begin the passage in the present rather than during the war?

A
to emphasize that he survived the event
B
to create a feeling of tremendous loss
C
to build tension within the story itself
D
to illustrate the importance of the past
2
Free Preview

Which lines from the poem “Facing It” best reflect the narrator’s struggle between his desire to maintain control and the strong emotions that he feels?

A
I’m stone. I’m flesh. My clouded reflection eyes me
B
I turn that way—I’m insidethe Vietnam Veterans Memorial
C
I touch the name Andrew Johnson;I see the booby trap’s white flash.
D
Brushstrokes flash, a red bird’swings cutting across my stare.
3

Read the excerpt from “Ambush.” He was a short, slender young man of about twenty. I was afraid of him—afraid of something—and as he passed me on the trail I threw a grenade that exploded at his feet and killed him.The excerpt is an example of

A
flashback, because the narrator is remembering a conversation with his daughter.
B
flashback, because the narrator is recalling an event that occurred during the Vietnam war.
C
frame story, because the narrator is describing an action that he deeply regrets.
D
frame story, because the narrator is explaining why he feels he must tell his daughter what he did.
4

Which best describes why “Ambush” contains a frame story?

A
The narrator situates a flashback of his experience in Vietnam between related events that take place after the war.
B
The narrator describes events that take place in two different countries: the United States and Vietnam.
C
The narrator situates a flashback to his boyhood between related events that take place in the present, when he is an old man.
D
The narrator describes events that take place in two different locations: a living room and a jungle.
5

Which excerpt from “Ambush” best reflects the story’s central conflict?

A
He was a short, slender young man of about twenty.
B
I had already pulled the pin on a grenade.
C
Almost certainly the young man would have passed me by.
D
Sometime I forgive myself, other times I don’t.
6

The first paragraph of “Ambush” contains a conversation that takes place

A
before the narrator killed a man in Vietnam.
B
before the birth of the narrator’s daughter.
C
after the narrator’s experiences in the Vietnam War.
D
after the narrator told his daughter the truth about war.
7

How do the authors differ in the way they present the war in “Facing It” and “Ambush”?

A
O’Brien describes it in narrative form, while Komunyakaa describes it with free-flowing thoughts.
B
O’Brien describes it with flashback, while Komunyakaa describes it through the eyes of others.
C
O’Brien describes exactly what happened, while Komunyakaa describes only his emotional state.
D
O’Brien describes it with sensory language, while Komunyakaa describes it with personification.
8

Which best describes a theme of both “Ambush” and “Facing It”?

A
Even people who have experienced brutal events have hope for the future.
B
Only by telling the truth can people be absolved of the guilt they feel.
C
Soldiers were not given enough respect during the Vietnam War.
D
War and violence leave a lasting impact on people, especially soldiers.
9

Which lines from the poem “Facing It” best communicate the author’s internal conflict to the reader?

A
I said I wouldn’t,dammit: No tears. I’m stone. I’m flesh.(lines 3-5)
B
My clouded reflection eyes melike a bird of prey, the profile of nightslanted against morning. (lines 6-8)
C
I go down the 58,022 names, half-expecting to findmy own in letters like smoke.(lines 14-16)
D
A white vet’s image floatscloser to me, then his pale eyeslook through mine. I’m a window.(lines 25-27)
10

Which element is used in both “Ambush” and “Facing It” to create tension and conflict?

A
the minimal use of descriptive words
B
the addition of several fictional elements
C
the conflicted thoughts of the narrators
D
the insertion of frequent flashbacks

Did you find these answers helpful?

More from this Course

Quiz
10 verified answers

Writing Workshop: Visual Media Analysis

Quiz
10 verified answers

Vietnam Literary Journalism

Quiz
10 verified answers

Using Resources and Reference Materials for Editing