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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Does Stanhope's death come as a surprise to others on the H.M.S. Surprise?

2. What threat does Aubrey make in respect to Maturin?

3. As H.M.S. Surprise turns toward home, what group of ships does it first encounter?

4. What two men occasionally play music on the ship during the voyage to India?

5. What is Maturin's solution to his problems with Canning?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do Aubrey and Stourton differ in their approaches to leadership on the ship?

2. What ruse is used to fool the French armada about the strength of the China fleet?

3. Is there any point in the long voyage when the people on board are in grave danger?

4. Why are Mr. Ahmed Smyth and Atkins at odds with one another?

5. Why is Maturin's meeting with Canning awkward?

6. What details about Diana's life in chapter seven suggest her morality might be questionable?

7. What is the Marine Captain Etherege's approach to Maturin's desire to get satisfaction from Canning?

8. How does Stanhope's ill health finally affect Aubrey and his crew?

9. How effective is Maturin's solution for Stanhope's health after the convulsing?

10. What is Maturin's reaction to Dil's death?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Early in the novel, the Chinese and Japanese of the crew on the H.M.S. Lively massacre every one of the French men during the engagement near Cape Gooseberry. Aubrey leaves out the details of the violence when he writes to Sophia about the victory. Why do you think the pressed sailors are so brutal? By leaving out the details of the bloodshed, from what is Aubrey trying to protect Sophia? Is the excessive violence due to a cultural difference? What do you think Aubrey has to say about that?

Essay Topic 2

A long voyage could be compared to a person's life. The voyage of the H.M.S. Surprise is months long and filled with adventure as well as some tedium. How does the voyage with its unsuccessful mission represent Aubrey's life?

Essay Topic 3

Foreshadowing is a plot device that prepares the readers for turns the story may take. Discuss foreshadowing in the novel. What happens or appears early in the novel and comes to be important in later chapters?

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