What idea is discussed in both Tim O'Brien's "Ambush" and John Steinbeck's "Symptoms"?  A. the soldiers' inability to carry out their duties during the war B. the debilitating effect of soldiers' physical maladies C. the aftereffects of combat on soldiers during war D. the soldiers' hatred toward their enemies during a war

Which wars did John Steinbeck's "Symptoms" and Tim O'Brien's "Ambush" discuss? A. World War II and the Vietnam War B. World War II and the Korean War C. World War I and World War II D. the Civil War and World War I

Read this excerpt from John Steinbeck's "Symptoms," which describes soldiers' horrific experiences in the war. How does the author increase the emotional power of his essay?This is how you feel after a few days of constant firing. Your skin feels thick and insensitive. There is a salty taste in your mouth. A hard, painful knot is in your stomach where the food is undigested. Your eyes do not pick up much detail and the sharp outlines of objects are slightly blurred. Everything looks a little unreal. When you walk, your feet hardly seem to touch the ground and there is a floaty feeling all over your body. Even the time sense seems to be changed. Men who are really moving at a normal pace seem to take forever to pass a given point. And when you move it seems to you that you are very much slowed down, although actually you are probably moving more quickly than you normally do.Steinbeck describes the physical effects of war, such as “thick and insensitive” skin and “salty taste” in the mouth. These graphic descriptions in the present tense attempt to show the gruesome reality of war to readers.Steinbeck describes the otherworldly feelings and strange hallucinations felt by the soldiers to highlight how most people have a difficult time comprehending war events.Steinbeck argues about the negative effect of war on soldiers, such as fatigue, mood swings, and post-traumatic stress disorders, to persuade his readers to be antiwar and support peace.Steinbeck uses the pronoun you while describing the horrific experiences of the soldiers. In this way, he makes the soldiers’ suffering more relatable to his audience.Steinbeck uses scientific evaluation to analyze the negative physical and psychological effects of combat warfare and bombing raids, such as blurred eyesight, hallucinations, and disrupted digestion.  A. 1 and 5 B. 2 and 3 C. 3 and 4 D. 1 and 4 E. 2 and 5

Which two sentences in this excerpt from John Steinbeck's "Symptoms" address the theme of soldiers being reluctant to talk about their experiences in war?If they had been reticent men it would have been different, but some of them were talkers and some were even boasters. They would discuss their experiences right up to the time of battle and then suddenly they wouldn't talk anymore. This was considered heroic in them. It was thought that they had seen or done was so horrible that they didn't want to bring it back to haunt them or their listeners. But many of these men had no such consideration in any other field. Only recently have I found what seems to be a reasonable explanation, and the answer is simple. They did not and do not remember--and the worse the battle was, the less they remember.

How does the structure of Tim O'Brien's story "Ambush" relate to its title?  A. The narrator's present life cannot escape the bombardment of his wartime memories and actions. B. The narrator's war experiences are in the distant past and no longer influence the present. C. The narrator's platoon was surrounded by the enemy, similar to the way the narrator feels when he is surrounded by his family. D. The narrator continues to write war stories, but he is unable to talk about his wartime experiences. E. The narrator feels his daughter and the young enemy continually cause him to face his past.

In Tim O'Brien's "Ambush," which element directly enhances the theme of the past's imprint on the present? A. the frame-story structure B. the character Kiowa C. the reference to fatigue toxins D. the inability to discuss war