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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 Maturin tell Putnam when he works on him?

2. What does the part of the crew that takes the boats and leave the ship take with them?

3. What changes in the ship's situation when the water pouring in slows down?

4. What surprises Aubrey when morning arrives?

5. What does Grant constantly do that drives Aubrey crazy?

Short Essay Questions

1. What decision of Aubrey's does Grant criticize?

2. What does the superstitious crew say about Larkin and about the Dutch ship?

3. Why does Aubrey allow Grant and others to leave the ship?

4. Discuss a few of the nautical technical information given in this chapter.

5. Why does Leopard end up too far south?

6. What does the fact that the Waakzaamheid has found the Leopard mean as far as the Dutch captain goes?

7. The novel thus ends with Leopard ready to sail and Maturin finally freed of his weighty intelligence responsibilities. Do you think this ending was complete?

8. Why does Aubrey decide Cape Town is not a good destination?

9. What do you think Herapath's history with Wogan says about his character?

10. What does Herapath's relating his experience with opium cause Maturin to do and why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Often in O'Brian's series involving Jack Aubrey, his ship and/or life is saved by extraordinary means. Discuss the following:

1. Identify and analyze a time in the book when O'Brian makes free use of the technique of narrative contrivance to save Aubrey and his ship.

2. Does the use of narrative contrivance diminish the impact of the plot? The believability of the storyline?

3. Is there any other way O'Brian could have a mixture of suspense and action while at the same time making certain the main characters are not killed?

Essay Topic 2

Though the author O'Brian may or may not have such personal views on women, the way women are characterized in his naval series is often less than complimentary. Discuss one of the following:

1. Present and analyze the treatment of women in Desolation Island.

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

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

Essay Topic 3

In addition to understanding the war in which O'Brian's novels are set, it is quite helpful to have a basic understanding of nautical terminology and the types of ships and their armaments that were used during the early 1800s. Discuss the following:

1. Define ten of the most commonly-used shipboard terms and discuss how those terms are used in Desolation Island.

2. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the ships used in the early 1800s?

3. How is the British navy organized during this period (early 1800s) and how different do you think it is organized today (including how one rises in rank).

4. Compare/contrast one of the naval battles described in the novel with one from WWII.

(see the answer keys)

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