How does Leper's response to the war reflect themes of reality and illusion?

• A. Leper's idealized view collapses when he experiences brutal reality.
• B. He remains convinced war is an adventure.
• C. He becomes cynical about home life.
• D. He discovers war is only dangerous.

Answer: (A)

Leaping from images of glory to the harsh weight of experience, Leper’s response shows how quickly a romantic idea of war can unravel when faced with reality. He signs up because war is presented as an exciting, noble adventure, a break from the predictable rhythms of school and everyday life. But once he encounters the real environment—the unpredictability, fear, and brutality of combat—the illusion shatters. The gap between what he believed war would be and what it is becomes painfully clear, leaving him disoriented, shaken, and unable to function normally. This moment underscores the theme that illusion can offer comfort, but reality can impose a brutal truth that everything dramatic or heroic isn’t. The other options don’t fit because they imply he stays convinced war is an adventure, or that his reaction is mainly about home life, or that war is simply dangerous, whereas the core idea here is the collapse of a cherished illusion in the face of real experience.