Homework Answers

Discussion Questions for The Invisible War (Directed by Kirby Dick) 

5. Do you think it is possible for our society to respect women who are in positions of strength and authority? Do you think women are sexualized in all professions? Are circumstances different for women in the military, as compared to women in other professions?

6. According to the Department of Defense, women make up only 14.4% of all active-duty service members. Do you think overhauls in recruitment practices would counter the epidemic of sexual assault in the military? If a higher proportion of women served, how might the situation change?

7. Should female soldiers be told to de-feminize themselves (i.e. not wear makeup, not wear shorts or skirts) in order to avoid unwanted sexual advances from fellow soldiers? 

8.?

Discussion Questions for The Invisible War (Directed by Kirby Dick) 

1. In what ways are sexual assault victims often failed by the justice system?

2. As you watched THE INVISIBLE WAR, did any single subject or personal story stand out to you more than the others? What about that person or his or her story was compelling to you? Why? 

3. How did you feel about women serving in the military before watching THE INVISIBLE WAR? Did the film influence your opinion?

4. What do you think the title of the film means? How would you define the “war” mentioned in the film’s title? Who are the combatants in this war? For whom is the war “invisible?” For whom is it “visible?” Do you think the release of the film will change the public visibility of the issue it investigates? How?

Other Study Questions 

1. What kinds of challenges do you think female soldiers face within a male dominated military system? 

2. As we've studied in texts by Chang-rae Lee, Timothy Findley, and others, sexual harrassment and sexual assault are often integrated into the military culture. Why do you think sexual harassment and sexual assault are so rampant in the military environment? How might this impact female soldiers? 

According to the National Resource on Domestic Violence, “Among the most pervasive stressors experienced by military women are incidents of sexual assault and harassment. By some accounts, nearly a third of female veterans report episodes of sexual assault during military service, while 71 to 90 percent report experiences of sexual harassment. These experiences are closely associated with PTSD in a variety of studies; in fact, military sexual assault is a stronger predictor of PTSD among women veterans than combat history” (Natelson’s, 2009; Murdoch et. al, 2003).

"Strange Hell" -Section 1

4. List one or two qualities of each of the characters: include occupation, appearance, relationship status (if given), personality and/or emotional state of each character:

Dahlia

Matt

Rachel

Mel

Wendy

Aaron

5. What romantic tensions or conflicts exist between this group of young people? (Ex. Are there any jealousies, rivalries, tensions, or fighting?)

3. What are Aaron's view of the war? How does his perception of Iraq conflict with how the others view the American's involvement in the Iraq war?

4. What are Aaron's motivations to join the army?

5. Summarize why Mel gets so upset with Aaron. Why does she call him a "Nazi"? How does Aaron defend himself during this conflict?

6. Make a list of dog or animal-related imagery in this section of the text. How does Aaron treat Xena? Why is Aaron referred to as "Mr. Fox"? 

7. How does Aaron exhibit characteristics of hypermasculinity? In other words, how is he sexist or macho?

Discussion Questions for War Porn

1. Make a list of 3-5 possible motivating factors that led to the U.S.'s escalation of conflict with Iraq in 2003.Why is the U.S's involvement in the Iraq War controversial? 

2. Offer your interpretation(s) of the symbolism for the book cover of this novel?

3. What are your initial reactions to the Abu Ghraib photographs (shared on the course page)? Shocked? Angry? Surprised? Not surprised? Sickened? Fascinated? What do these photographs tell us about how the Iraqi detainees were treated? What do these photographs tell us about the U.S. soldiers who committed these abuses? In what ways do you think these photographs meets the definition of "war porn”?

Study Questions for "Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong"

1. What is an "unreliable narrator"? Do you think Rat Kiley is a reliable narrator? Why/Why not? 

2. What are your first impressions of Mary Anne? How would you describe her relationship to Mark Fossie? 

3. How does Mary Anne defy or challenge the gender stereotypes of femininity in her actions or interests? 

4. How does Mark react to the changes that he sees in his girlfriend? Why is he so upset? 

5. Why do you think that women were not readily accepted into the military environment? What are the sexist ideas that society has about women that Rat Kiley describes? 

6. How is Mary Anne changed by her experience in Vietnam? How is her innocence lost? 

7. What kinds of obstacles do you think women face when they serve as soldiers in the military?

Study Questions for "The Things They Carried"

1. Why was America’s involvement in the Vietnam War so controversial? Is this reflected in the story? 

2. How do the personal articles that are carried by each soldier reflect that soldier’s personality and priorities?

3. How does Ted Lavender’s death affect Jimmy Cross?

4. Why does Jimmy burn his photos and letters from Martha?

5. How is military masculinity depicted in the story?

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