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 cargo does the Estreela del Sur often carry?

2. What does Hornblower hope?

3. What does Hornblower intend to do?

4. Who is Mr. Cloudesley Sharpe?

5. What type of freight will the Daring be taking on shortly?

Short Essay Questions

1. What has been done while Hornblower was verbally sparring with the captain of the Estrella del Sur?

2. Describe the capture of the Estrella del Sur by the Clorinda.

3. What does Hornblower tell Cambronne when Hornblower boards the Daring?

4. If Cambronne is undertaking the mission which Hornblower believes he is doing, why is Hornblower concerned and what does Hornblower determine to do?

5. How does Hornblower encounter the Estrella del Sur's captain and what does Hornblower do?

6. How does Cambronne verify Hornblower's information and what is the reaction of Cambronne and the ship's crew?

7. What vessel has Hornblower made his flagship in this chapter and what is the vessel doing?

8. What is the ostensible reason Cambronne has hired the Daring, and does Hornblower believe the explanation?

9. Who commands the Clorinda and what is his financial situation?

10. Where has Cambronne actually gone and what prevents Hornblower from following him immediately?

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 Admiral Horatio Hornblower is no exception. Hornblower's legendary power of reasoning is juxtaposed with his nervousness and internalized self-doubt. Discuss the following:

1. Trace and analyze situations when Hornblower demonstrates his prodigious powers of reasoning. Give specific examples to illustrate your analysis.

2. Trace and analyze Hornblower's character flaws, especially his nervousness and self-doubt, offering specific examples of these flaws in your discussion.

3. Discuss how you think Hornblower's admirable traits helped him obtain a high rank in the Navy, and how Hornblower hides his character flaws so they have not impeded his career. Do any of those under his command seem to notice these flaws? Who? How does the reader know this?

Essay Topic 2

Characters are an integral and important part of almost all novels. Discuss one of the following:

1. Compare/contrast the characters of Cambronne and Ramsbottom. How are both idealists? Is there a flaw in each of theirs idealism? Is either man's cause more worthy than the other? Do you think Hornblower is more sympathetic towards the cause of one of the men compared to the other? Why? Be specific and give examples.

2. Compare/contrast the characters of Governor Hooper and Cloudesley Sharpe. Compare the physical description of the two and how the physical description gives some clue as to their personalities. Who seems more reliable? Who seems to take his responsibilities more seriously? With whom would you rather work? Be specific and give examples.

3. Thoroughly analyze how three of the secondary characters help drive the plot and what their contribution is to the storyline. Are any of the secondary characters unnecessary? Indispensable? Which of the secondary characters are likable? Which are either unlikable or even despicable? Be specific and give examples. (Consider Fell, Mr. Hough, Lucy Hough, Spendlove, Ned Johnson, Hudnutt, Lady Barbara Hornblower, and Governor Hooper as secondary characters for the purpose of this essay topic.)

Essay Topic 3

Forester is masterful in his description of battles, storms and life in general in the West Indies in the early 1820s. Discuss one of the following:

1. Trace and analyze Forester's descriptive passages about life at sea, particularly in times of stormy weather. 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 he did not include such descriptive passages?

2. Analyze Forester'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 Hornblower, Ramsbottom, Governor Hooper, Mr. Hough. Contrast that to the lives of those who are in a lower social strata such as Hudnutt, Ned Johnson or one in service to someone of wealth and/or privilege.

3. Describe and analyze Forester's descriptive passages about the topographical setting and the physical descriptions of the peopl. Does Forester 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?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,376 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample