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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 kind of Captain is Corbett known to be?

2. What have the French been doing on the ocean that is a problem?

3. What does Lady Clonfert request of Aubrey?

4. With what is Clonfert well acquainted?

5. On what island does Maturin first land?

Short Essay Questions

1. In what ship is Pullings, what does he do and what does he tell Aubrey?

2. What does Pullings arrive in to help Aubrey and how does that turn out?

3. What ultimately happens to Clonfert's and Pym's joint venture?

4. Who will be meeting the French force at Mauritius?

5. Why are England and France at war?

6. What do the three men say about the captains of the other ships?

7. What does Maturin do in Cape Town?

8. Who comes to visit Aubrey at the beginning of the novel? What does the person do and how long has it been since they've seen each other?

9. What news arrives in Cape Town, and what is Maturin given and why?

10. What does Aubrey do with his pennant and what does Bertie tell him?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Patrick O'Brian has tried as much as possible to use historical events and facts around which to weave his work of fiction. Discuss the following:

1. Do you think this book qualifies as historical fiction? Why or why not?

2. If much of the events in the book are historical, what surprises you about the way the events play out?

3. Do you think the culture of that era is more or less advanced than you imagined? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

When one of the sailors on board Aubrey's ship has a skull fracture and subsequent operation, Aubrey links his chances of a successful naval battle with the successful recovery of the injured seaman. Aubrey, though very bright in many ways, is somewhat superstitious, a trait common to many sailors. Discuss the following:

1. What is superstition? Can you name a few common superstitions? Do any of them seem to have any validity in logic?

2. Why do you think sailors have the reputation for being superstitious? Do you think it is true? What superstitions are mentioned in Mauritius Command?

3. What are some of the superstitions you are familiar with that sailors seem to believe? Do you believe any of them? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Readers learn that Aubrey's ship surgeon is heavily addicted to opium. Discuss the following:

1. Why do you think the use of opium is not regulated as it is today?

2. Do you think it is a more or less enlightened society that regulates personal drug use? Explain.

3. Do you think the execution of Maturin's duties are compromised by his frequent use of opium? Why or why not? Give examples from the text.

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