"Born on the Fourth of July" by Ron Kovic

1. Give a brief summary of the experiences the recruits make in the training camp on their first day.
2. Analyse the language and the behaviour of the instructors and explain what impressions are supposed to make on the recruits.
3. Write a characterization profile of the protagonist and point out what his feelings are like in this scene.
4. Examine the narrative techniques used in the passage and show how they help the reader to understand the young man's feelings more easily.
5. The following quotation from President John F. Kennedy's inaugural address (January 20, 1961) precedes the novel: "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country." Discuss Kovic's choice of the motto and comment on how you would have reacted if you had been subject to the draft at the time.