View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What surprises Dutourd about Aubrey's review of his documents?

2. What does Surprise find out is the source of what was thought to be mortar fire?

3. What do the various religious groups' men do when aboard ship?

4. How does Aubrey refer to Dutourd's ideas?

5. Of what does Vidal complain to Maturin?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Dutourd conduct himself on board Surprise and how does Aubrey feel about him?

2. How is Martin behaving and what does Maturin see Martin doing?

3. What does Vidal talk to Maturin about?

4. How does Reade accidentally slow down the Surprise?

5. How did Clarissa affect the crew of the Surprise?

6. Who is Clarissa Harvill, why was she on the Surprise, and what did Aubrey make her do?

7. What do Maturin and Aubrey do as they sail to Peru?

8. What does Maturin write to Diana about Martin and how does Martin and Maturin's friendship fare?

9. What is Franklin's advantage in a chase with Surprise and why does it seem Franklin cannot shake the Surprise?

10. What does Dutourd say about surrender and what does Aubrey discover in Franklin's papers?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

A work of fiction is often organized around a structure called a plot. Discuss the following:

1. Define plot and its major parts (rising action, climax, falling action, resolution [or denouement]. Write a sentence or two synopsis of the major plot of the The Wine-dark Sea.

2. Identify where the parts of the plot seem to fall in The Wine-dark Sea. Explain using examples.

3. Define the literary term "subplot." Write a sentence or two synopsis of a subplot in The Wine-dark Sea.

4. Identify the major parts of the subplot you identified in task number 3.

5. Why do you think identifying the plot and elements of the plot is useful?

Essay Topic 2

At the conclusion of a novel, most readers either consciously or unconsciously engage in processing the book and usually come to a conclusion as to whether they like the book or not. Discuss one of the following:

1. Would you consider The Wine-dark Sea a "good" book? Why or why not? Use examples to illustrate your stance.

2. What do you think are the elements of an outstanding novel? Analyze one of your favorite novels to see if those elements are present.

3. What are some reasons you might consider a novel a failure? Analyze a novel you think is a failure and see if those elements are in that novel.

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. O'Brien often includes irony in his Aubrey/Maturin 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 The Wine-dark Sea, offering examples from the text.

3. Identify the point of view of the novel and discuss why you think O'Brien chooses to use that particular point of view. Does the point of view seem to be the best one for The Wine-dark Sea? Why or why not.

4. Identfiy two major conflicts in The Wine-dark Sea. Are the conflicts completely resolved by the end of The Wine-dark Sea? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,051 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample