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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 the man in the black coat and white boots say to Sharpe?

2. Why does Sharpe talk to the French?

3. What does Williams tell Sharpe is the background of many of the riflemen?

4. For what does Vivar thank Harper?

5. What does the French negotiator tell Sharpe about the French army?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why do Sharpe's men begin to call out enthusiastically when the Parkers come in front of the assembly and what does Mrs. Parker explain to Sharpe?

2. What does Sharpe ask from the Parkers when they stop in a small town for the night and what does Sharpe end up doing for his men?

3. Who, of the French forces chasing Vivar, does Vivar watch the most and why?

4. What happens when the French assault the farmhouse the first time and what does Sharpe tell Harper? What is Harper's response?

5. Who does Sharpe meet when a monk wakes him and asks Sharpe to come with him and what does this person say to Sharpe?

6. What does Murray tell Sharpe before Murray dies?

7. What does Vivar tell Sharpe about leadership?

8. What does Sharpe ask about the strong box and what is Vivar's response? How does Sharpe respond to this?

9. What does Sharpe have his riflemen do when the French ambush them?

10. What does Sharpe order the Parkers to do and what does Sharpe do when Mrs. Parker refuses?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Richard Sharpe is in some ways a larger-than-life hero. Despite incredible odds, he usually comes out on top, in Sharpe's Rifles and in the others in the series. Discuss the following:

1. Does having a larger-than-life hero make that person less of a hero? In other words, which is more admirable--a hero who ultimately always "lands on his feet," or one who strives against impossible odds and doesn't always succeed?

2. Does a character have to be successful in order to be a hero? Explain your answer.

3. Choose one other character besides Sharpe who you might call a hero/heroine and explain why you choose that person. Illustrate your statements with examples from the text.

4. Does every work of fiction have to have a hero? Explain your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Mrs. Parker is treated poorly by Sharpe and Louisa seems to have to be with her uncle whether she wants to or not. Though the author Cornwell may or may not have such personal views on women, the way women are characterized in his series is often less than complimentary. Discuss one of the following:

1. Present and analyze the treatment of women in Sharpe's Rifles.

2. Cornwell is trying to be historically accurate, so is his treatment of women in his book(s) justified?

3. Is there any way Cornwell could have presented women in a more positive light and still stayed historically accurate? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

There are a number of literary elements that occur in many works of fiction. Irony is a means of increasing both the humor and the complexity of a story. Cornwell often includes irony in his Richard Sharpe series. Point of view is the way the story is narrated; all works of fiction have a point of view. Conflict is almost always present in a work of fiction. Discuss the following:

1. Define the literary terms irony, point of view and conflict.

2. Identify two instances of irony in Sharpe's Rifles, offering examples from the text.

3. Identify the point of view of the novel and discuss why you think Cornwell chooses to use that particular point of view. Does the point of view seem to be the best one for Sharpe's Rifles? Why or why not.

4. Identify two major conflicts in Sharpe's Rifles. Are the conflicts completely resolved by the end of Sharpe's Rifles? Why or why not?

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