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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. What does Kearsey think he is doing?

2. How does Teresa distract the Polish lancers?

3. Why is one of Sharpe's man left alive?

4. What does Sharpe's men have orders to do to pursuers?

5. What do they discover when they look for the gold?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Sharpe observe during the fighting between the Spanish and French and for whom does he look?

2. Describe the encounter between Sharpe and Ayres.

3. Who does not agree with most of the others, but why is that not obvious?

4. What does Sharpe think of Major Kearsey and why does Sharpe have to deal with the man?

5. What does Sharpe learn as he takes stock of his company after the fighting and how does Kearsey react to his rescue?

6. What does Sharpe ask Joaquim Jovellanos and what is Joaquim's reply?

7. What happens to Kearsey as he is returning to Sharpe's company?

8. Where and who are the Provosts and what is their purpose?

9. Who is Cox and what does Sharpe learn from him?

10. Who is Michael Hogan and what does he tell Sharpe about Sharpe's mission?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Cornwell is masterful in his description of battles and life in general in for a soldier during the Napoleonic Wars in the early 1800s. Discuss one of the following:

1. Trace and analyze Cornwells's descriptive passages about life as a soldier. How does he use descriptions of the five senses to make the reader feel s/he is there? Do you find his descriptions compelling? Seemingly accurate? How would Sharpe's Gold be different if Cornwell did not include such descriptive passages?

2. Analyze Cornwells's descriptive passages about the social structure of the times and discuss what you think it would be like to be a person of wealth and/or privilege such as Wellington? Contrast that to the lives of those who are in a lower social strata such as Sharpe and Harper or Teresa.

3. Describe and analyze Cornwell's descriptive passages about the topographical setting and the physical descriptions of the people. Does Cornwell do an adequate job of actually making the reader "see" the land where the action is taking place? How about getting a visual image of the characters? How does the descriptions of the setting add to the novel? Do you like having an idea of how a character looks? How would the novel be different without such descriptions?

Essay Topic 2

The military way of life is in and of itself similar to a distinct culture. Understanding how the military is organized, how it operates, and its basic rules of conduct will make any novel that centers on the military more understandable and enjoyable. Discuss one of the following:

1. Describe and analyze the military structure during the time of Sharpe's Gold. What is rank? What is the difference between officers and enlisted men? How serious is it to disobey an order? What happens if one decides he does not like being in the military and walks away? How are men conscripted? Does the infantry have a similar means of augmenting their ranks as the maritime action called "impressments"?

2. Compare the infantry of Sharpe's Gold to that in modern times in for the United States, England or France. What are the similarities? The differences? Are the changes from those times improvements? Why or why not? (This question may require some research).

3. Discuss why you think the military has the following: Uniforms, a rank structure of Officers and Enlisted, Strict Discipline, Training for New Recruits, Court Martial, and Different types of companies (i.e., rifle, Cavalry, artillery, etc). Discuss why you think men (and nowadays women) choose to become professional soldiers.

Essay Topic 3

Sharpe, despite his background, is an officer and a gentleman and is therefore accorded more respect and trust even in enemy territory than the common soldier. It is assumed that he will return with the gold intact.

1. Does it seem likely that officers are usually more respectable than enlisted men back then? What about today? Why or why not.

2. Sharpe has begun an affair with Teresa, a woman he ostensibly is holding as a hostage. Do you think this is how an officer and gentleman comports himself? Why or why not.

3. In the present military in the United States, both officers and enlisted can be held for court martial for adultery or having sexual relations with someone of inferior rank. Why do you think this is so? Do you agree with the policy?

(see the answer keys)

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