Thomas spends many years as a soldier in various places and, in that time, sees much violence. Look at one of the battles or other scenes in which violence drives the plot forward and, using examples from the text, argue how that incident in particular affects Thomas’s thinking as his life progresses.

John Cole is, to Thomas, a trustworthy person with educated opinions. Sometimes, however, John expresses approval of someone Thomas and the novel present negatively. Locate one such instance and argue the way in which John’s perspective adds to or nuances the text’s stance on racism, empire, war, etc.

Thomas, thinking of the Great Plains, says, “Oftentimes in America you could go stark mad from the ugliness of things” (79), a statement that counteracts much of the patriotic rhetoric around American landscapes. Construct an argument about how Thomas’s understanding of America reinforces or counteracts ideals of patriotism often included in fictionalized Civil War narratives.