STUDY GUIDE for Soldier s Heart by Gary Paulsen After reading each section/chapter, go through the list of questions and see if you have an answer for each of the questions. If not, go back and re- read/search out the answer. You do not have to write an answer down but a few notes now could help you later to answer the question on your exam. Foreword: 1. In your own words, describe or explain what Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is. 2. What was Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) called during World War II? World War I? 3. What was the treatment for PTSD in World War I and World War II? 4. Describe in your own words what the Thousand- Yard Stare is. 5. Why do you believe the men with the Thousand- Yard Stare are reacting that way? Explain. 6. What was different about men who were said to have a soldier s heart? Chapter 1: June 1861 7. Where was Charlie from? 8. What was the big news and how were people reacting? 9. What event had started the war, and who did Charley feel was in the right? Why? 10. How old was Charley? Why did he consider himself a man even if he wasn t old enough to technically be considered one? 11. Why did Charley decide if he wanted to join the Army, he d have to walk to Fort Snelling? Be specific. 12. What 3 reasons did Charley give his mother for going to the war? 13. Who was Orren, and what had happened to Charley s father? 14. Why didn t Charley s mother try and stop him? Chapter 2: Fort Snelling 15. What did Charley receive for a uniform? What does this indicated (say) to you about the military organization situation? Explain. 16. What 4 things did Charley have to agree to before signing his name to enlist? List the 4 things and then write what you believe each means. 17. Charley writes to his mom, We bile the beans and use them for a meal (page 8). Read
the paragraph and text around it. Then write what you think Charley means when he writes the word bile. Why do you interpret it this way? 18. Write a few (2-3) sentences describing Charley s training. 19. Why didn t Charley have a lot of confidence in his officers? Do you tend to agree with him? Why or why not? 20. What was Charley s mother writing, encouraging him to do? Why did Charley almost follow through with his mother s request? What stopped him? 21. What did Charley think about the send off and travel accommodations? Chapter 3: Toward Manassas 22. What did Charley think about slavery? 23. What was the first experience Charley had, seeing a southern woman? Describe it. 24. How did Charley s farm compare to the farms he was seeing on the train ride into the South? 25. What did Charley and Private Swenson think about how difficult the fight against the Rebels would be based upon the farmers and their families they d seen from the train? Would you have agreed with Charley? 26. From what you know of history, was it an easy fight like Charley and Private Swenson anticipated? 27. What did a surgeon tell Charley about why he should keep his uniform clean? 28. How did Charley relate immoral thinking to an unclean uniform? Chapter 4: Bull Run 29. What things did Charley see in his first battle? List at least 5 (with some detail) 30. Why do you think Charley did not turn and run, but instead marched back In Good Order? Would you have done that? Why or why not? 31. What did Charley do once he was safe in the woods? Why? Does this action cause you to gain, or lose respect for Charley? Why? Chapter 5: Night 32. What did Charley think to himself when the officers said, to rest because they would have to go back tomorrow, would regroup and move against the Rebels in the morning? 33. What were the fireflies that Charley saw in the fields? Why didn t he go out to join them? 34. What did the officers tell Charley to do in the morning? What did he discover about the stream?
35. Although Charley knew if he entered the meadow again in an attempt to cross it, he would join the dead and dying there, why didn t he run? 36. What did Charley realize about the training he had received? 37. Who had Charley noted watched the battle the day before? What does this indicate to you about their initial opinion about the war? 38. When the Sergeant ordered, Forward! (page 36 at the top), how do you think you would have responded if you were in Charley s situation? Why? 39. What was it like for Charley to march through the dead and across the field? 40. Why didn t Charley and his fellow soldiers have to fight their way across the field? 41. What did Charley discover he did while marching across the field? Why wasn t he embarrassed? Chapter 6: Farming 42. Why do you think many thought the Rebels would come and take Washington DC? 43. What did Charley receive in addition to his uniform? 44. Why do you think Charley did not write home and tell his mother what battle was really like? Why didn t he spend all of his money on himself or keep it with him? 45. What was Charley confident would happen when he stood to battle again? Why do you think he felt this way? 46. What was farming? Why didn t Union Soldiers feel it was a wrong thing to do? 47. What was as deadly to the soldiers as the bullets on the battlefield? 48. Why did Charley feel older than Nelson? Why didn t he try to explain things to Nelson? (your opinion) 49. Why wasn t Charley intimidated by the Rebel Yell? 50. Why did the Rebels retreat? Why did Charley chase after them so hard? 51. What had happened to Nelson? What did both men know would happen and why? 52. What did Charley do for Nelson? Why was Charley crying? 53. What was the shot that Charley heard? 54. Do you think Charley knew what Nelson was planning? If so why do you think Charley did what he did? If not, do you think he would do the same thing again for a soldier with a belly wound?
Chapter 7: Town Life 55. What did Charley think of General McClellan and what did he think of President Lincoln? 56. What ran through the camp during the cold months? 57. What happened to the men from New York who had deserted? Do you agree with this action? Why or why not? 58. There was a rumor about General Grant. What was the rumor. How did President Lincoln respond to the rumor? Why do you think he responded this way? 59. How did the men from the country differ in their habits than the men from the cities? Why? 60. Why didn t Charley like to talk to people and get to know them? 61. Who did Charley trade with and what did he trade? Why did he trade? 62. How did Charley know the trading was at an end? Chapter 8: Winter 63. What did Charley have to do that he hated to help feed the ill soldiers? 64. How could Charley and the other men tell that the meat was horse and not beef? 65. How far did Charley and the men march in one day? 66. How did Charley know he was nearing battle, a large engagement? 67. What did Charley see in the smoke raised by artillery fire? 68. What type of soldiers came out of the trees at Charley s battalion? How were they armed? 69. Why did it bother Charley to fire on the horses more than at the men upon them? 70. After stopping the cavalry, what did Charley s battalion (600 men) face? 71. What was one common mistake of soldiers when firing at advancing infantry? 72. How did Charley respond to close combat with bayonets? 73. Where did Charley go after the combat? Why? 74. When Charley removed his coat, what was discovered? 75. What was Charley forced to do before he fell asleep near the surgeon s tent? Why? Would you have responded differently or the same as Charley? Explain.
Chapter 9: Gettysburg 76. Where was Charley? What did he note was always the same about every battle he d been in? 77. Why did Charley tighten his shoe laces? Would you keep your shoe laces tightened, or walk around with them loose and untied? 78. What impressed Charley about the Rebels as they marched across the field toward his position? 79. What happened when Charley, with the rest of the Minnesota Volunteers, charged the Rebels who d made it to the Union line? Chapter 10: June 1867 80. Why wasn t Charley interested in looking for a wife and starting a family? 81. What hinted that Charley was in bad shape and knew he would not probably live long? Charley was sad in some ways, and glad in some ways. Why do you think he was sad and why do you think he was glad? Explain. 82. What had the army taught Charley about eating, and what he chose to eat? 83. What did Charley think about instead of eating when he went on picnics? Why do you think he considered this? 84. Where did Charley get his ball and cap revolver? 85. Did Charley follow through with discharging the revolver? Why? Author s Note 86. Although Solder s Heart is a work of fiction, is it historically accurate? 87. How does the author describe the destruction of Gettysburg? Why do you think he described it that way? 88. Of the original 1,000 men of the First Minnesota Volunteers, how many were left standing after Gettysburg? What percentage is that? 89. What kind of wounds did Charley receive from combat and did they ever heal? 90. What finally killed Charley? How old was he at the time of his death? 91. Did, in your opinion, Charley have a Soldier s Heart? Why or why not? Explain. Terry W. Ervin II All Rights Reserved.