We have included the questions that appear below the artworks that open each chapter, the journal prompts from the text's color insert, the “In Your Own Words,” and the “Art of Writing” exercises so that you can submit your answers to your instructor via e-mail, should he or she direct you to do so.

From the textbook: Responding to Art, View and Reflect, In Your Own Words, The Art of Writing

Response to Art (page 303)

"It is the name of the deceased, rather than the image or likeness, that conveys immortality."

1			What do you think this quote means?
2			What is your point of view about the war? About the war in Vietnam?

In Your Own Words (page 310)

3			In paragraph one of the Raymond Carver story "Popular Mechanics" (page 309-310), what feeling are the descriptive details meant to convey?
4			When did the min decide he wanted the baby?
5			What is the man's likely reason for wanting the baby?
6			Is the baby in any actual physical danger?
7			What is meant by the last line of the story? What has been decided? What has happened to the baby?

In Your Own Words

8			From what you know of the princess in The Lady or the Tiger? by Frank R. Stockton, which door do you think she pointed to: the one hiding the lady or the one hiding the tiger? State your reasons. You are told that the solution lies in understanding the nature of the princess: "Think of it, fair reader, not as if the decision of the question depended upon yourself, but upon that hot-blooded, semibarbaric princess, her soul at white heat beneath the combined fires of despair and jealousy." Describe the nature of the princess in your own words. How might these qualities influence her decision?
9			The princess's lover went to the door on the right "without the slightest hesitation." If you were the young man, would you follow the princess's direction? Explain your answer.

Written Assignment

10			Write your own version of the ending of The Lady or the Tiger? Tell what happens when the young man opens the door. Describe the princess's reaction as the door opens. Describe the young man's reaction to what he finds.

In Your Own Words

11			In your own words, describe the nature of the princess (from "The Lady or the Tiger?" by Frank R. Stockton on pages 310-314). How might these qualities influence her decision?
12			From what you know of the princess, which door do you think she pointed to: the one hiding the lady or the one hiding the tiger? State your reasons.
13			The princess's lover went to the door on the right "without the slightest hesitation." If you were the young man, would you follow the princess's direction? Explain your answer.

The Art of Writing (page 317)

In a brief essay, respond to the item below:

14			Write your own ending, telling what happens wen the young man opens the door. Describe the princess's reaction as the door opens. Describe the young man's reaction to what he finds.

In Your Own Words (322)

15			What is the main idea of "Surviving Vietnam" from America Past and Present, by Robert A Divine (on pages 318-319)?
16			What do you think the author's point of view is toward the Vietnam War? Does he give us any clues to his point of view? In general, are the quotations he provides throughout the selection positive or negative about the war?
17			If you had been a young person growing up in the 1960s, what do you think your response would have been to the Vietnamese conflict? Would you have supported it or opposed it?
18			Do you think that people who protested against the war at home showed a lack of respect for the soldiers doing the fighting? Do you think that the protestors were patriotic or unpatriotic?

The Art of Writing (page 322)

In a brief essay, respond to the item below:

19			In 1967, naval aviator John McCain was shot down over Hanoi. Severely injured, he was held as a prisoner-of-war (POW) for five-and-a-half years. At times, he was tortured and held in solitary confinement. Despite such harsh treatment, he not only survived but returned to serve in first the House of Representatives and then the Senate. What qualities do you think an individual must possess to be able to survive and overcome such an ordeal?

In Your Own Words (page 334)

20			Over the last twenty years, the National Park Service has collected more than 65,000 objects left at the Vietnam Memorial by visitors, including service medals, combat boots, flowers, poems, and photographs. Some visitors to the memorial place a piece of paper over a name and then draw back and forth with a pencil to make a "rubbing" of it. Why do you think many visitors are so expressive when they visit the memorial?
21			Paul Spreiregen, a Washington-based architect who organized the competition and helped select the judging panel, views Lin's design as an effective symbol: "It's a rift in the earth, as the war was a tear in the fabric of the American experience." Stanley Karrow, author of Vietnam: A History says that the monument "stands as a vivid symbol of both unity and redemption." What do you think the memorial symbolizes?

The Art of Writing (page 336)

In a brief essay, respond to one of the items below:

22			The Vietnam Memorial is often referred to as "the Wall." There are many idiomatic expressions that have wall in them such as the following: the walls have ears, back to the wall, beat one's head against the wall, climb the walls, drive someone up the wall, fly on the wall, go to the wall, handwriting on the wall, hole in the wall, off the wall, run into a stone wall. Choose one of these expressions and explain its meaning.
23			Read the poem "Mending Wall" by Robert Frost. What does Frost think should be done with walls? Do you think that, "good fences make good neighbors"?
24			Compare and contrast Tom Wolfe's view of the Vietnam Memorial with The New Republic's view. Which view do you find closest to your own?

OLC Extra! Reflections on Reading and Study Skills

These Reflections on Reading and Study Skills exercises provide an opportunity for you to think about the skills you learned in the textbook. To complete these exercises and e-mail them to your instructor, type your response in the blank provided here or type your response in a word-processing program and copy and paste it here. Next, edit and proofread your answer carefully. Then insert your instructor's e-mail address in the "to" line and hit "send."

25			Point of view is defined as a mental attitude from which a person views or judges something. How can you use your skills in identifying point of view in your own writing, oral communication, and critical thinking?
26			Identify the test taking tip(s) in this chapter that you are most likely to use to improve your performance on essay tests. Can you use any of these tips to improve your writing beyond in-class essay exams?

OLC Extra: Writing Something More

This extra writing exercise in this Online Learning Center provide you with another opportunity to express yourself in writing. To complete these exercises and e-mail them to your instructor, type your response in the space provided, insert your instructor's e-mail address in the "to" line, and hit "send." You can also complete these exercises in a word-processing program (like Microsoft Word or WordPerfect), save them in an appropriately named file, print them out, and hand them in to your instructor. Whichever you do, make sure to edit and proofread your answers carefully before handing them in.

To better understand point of view, select one of the following fairy tales and retell it from the point of view of the character mentioned.

27			Cinderella from the point of view of one of her stepsisters.
28			Little Red Riding Hood from the point of view of the wolf.
29			Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs from the point of view of the Queen.