Sharpe's Eagle: Richard Sharpe and the Talavera Campaign July 1809 Papers & Assignment Topics

Essay Topics/Writing Assignments

These 20 essay questions can be used as essay questions on a test, or as stand-alone essay topics for a take-home or in-class writing assignment. Students should have a full understanding of the text in order to answer these questions. They ask for a thorough analysis of the text.

1. How does the author represent the Spanish troops? Is this representation historically accurate? How do the official Spanish troops compare to the Spanish guerrillas of that time?

2. Examine the hierachy of the British army during the time of the novel.

1. Why is it so difficult for working class soldiers to rise through the ranks?
2. What resentment does the novel suggest that this hierachy causes?
3. How different do the men react to a working class officer like Sharpe than to an upperclass officer like Simmerson?

3. What makes...
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