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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 Sharpe think he needs to do?

2. What does Sharpe order the redcoats to do?

3. What is the most dangerous time for soldiers on alert?

4. About what does Coignet ask Pailleterie?

5. Why do the dragoons cease firing upon the British?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Sharpe do after sabotaging the fort?

2. How is Sharpe feeling as dawn approaches, and how do the men respond?

3. Why does Pailleterie allow Tubbs to keep his sword?

4. How does Pailleterie threaten his men and what is there response?

5. Why is Sharpe now grateful for Harper's earlier disobedience about the wine?

6. What does Herault observe when he arrives at San Miguel?

7. What does Sharpe admit to Teresa about his jumpiness?

8. What does Pailleterie order when it becomes clear that the fire is out of control?

9. How will makeshift caltrops help Sharpe?

10. Why is Sharpe upset as he sees the French approaching?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Most protagonists are a mixture of admirable traits and character flaws, and Richard Sharpe is no exception.

1. Trace and analyze situations when Sharpe demonstrates his admirable traits. Give specific examples to illustrate your analysis.

2. Trace and analyze Sharpe's character flaws, and explain how the flaws create more complex and believable characters. How do you think either man's character flaws make some situations more difficult for him?

3. After analyzing Sharpe's strengths and weaknesses, decide if Sharpe is an appropriate "hero" of the story. Is there anyone else who might be a more admirable "hero"?

4. Answer the above questions for one other person you think could be considered a hero in "Sharpe's Skirmish".

Essay Topic 2

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 Cornwell'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 the novel be different if Cornwell did not include such descriptive passages?

2. Analyze Cornwell'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 Major Tubbs or Ducos. Contrast that to the lives of those who are in a lower social strata such as Sharpe and Harper or one in service to someone of wealth and/or privilege.

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/sea 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 3

"Sharpe's Skirmish" is one book in a series of novels involving the character Richard Sharpe. Discuss the following.

1. What are two advantages of writing a series of novels about the same characters? Illustrate your statements with details from the text.

2. What is a disadvantage of writing a series of novels about the same characters? Illustrate your statements with details from the text.

3. Do you prefer to read a standalone book, or a series of books with the same main characters? Explain your response.

(see the answer keys)

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