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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. Where does Hornblower invite Meadows to receive the ship's papers?

2. Who huddles below deck?

3. What command is Hornblower leaving?

4. Why does the Princess finally head for England?

5. What do the naval officers do as they become restless?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the new commander of the Hotspur, Captain Meadows.

2. How does Hornblower learn that Baddlestone overcharged him tremendously for passage aboard the Princess?

3. Why doesn't the Princess set sail immediately for England and how do the naval officers respond?

4. What does Hornblower suggest and how is it received by Meadows and Baddlestone?

5. What turns out to be a real challenge for Hornblower in leaving the Hotspur and what does he do?

6. About what does Hornblower muse?

7. How do the English plan on destroying Villeneuve's fleet?

8. What are Hornblower's quarters like aboard the Princess?

9. What is the outcome of Meadows' court martial?

10. What does Hornblower wonder about the court martial and who answers his question?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

HORNBLOWER DURING THE CRISIS is one book in a series of novels involving Horatio Hornblower. Discuss the following.

1. What is one advantage of writing a series of novels about the same characters?

2. What is a disadvantage of writing a series of novels about the same characters? Use examples.

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

4. Do you think it is easier or more difficult (or about the same) to write a standalone book versus one in a series? Explain your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Loyalty is demonstrated in a number of ways, as is the lack of loyalty. Discuss the following:

1. How do you define loyalty? Is the ability and desire to be loyal an admirable trait in humans? Why or why not? What are the advantages and disadvantages of being loyal to a person? Cause? Country? Idea? What of those who are loyal to something no matter what they learn about that person, thing, ideal, country, etc... -in other words, blind loyalty.

2. Discuss and analyze Hornblower's tendency to be loyal. Is it always warranted? Wise? Earned? What situation in HORNBLOWER DURING THE CRISIS shows Hornblower's loyalty at its most ideal? Do you feel that Hornblower is a loyal British subject? What about in "Hornblower's Temptation"? Friend? Husband? Comrade? Discuss each situation.

3. Do you think McCool is truly loyal to Ireland? Why do you think he would go from the military service of one country (England) to that of military service with a country at war with the first country (France). Does McCool not feel any loyalty to his oath of service? Does he think loyalty to his oath is invalid since he is from Ireland?

4. Why do you think even as young as he is, Hornblower is able to elicit loyalty from the men on board the Princess to go fight a difficult and dangerous battle with the sailors of the French brig?

Essay Topic 3

In "Hornblower's Temptation," Hornblower is a very young officer and is given a great deal of responsibility to manage a fairly sly prisoner. Discuss the following:

1. Do you think in the "real" world, a young officer would be given charge of a prisoner such as McCool? Why or why not?

2. What do you think it says about Hornblower's reputation that he is assigned this duty?

3. What sort of character traits do you think a man (at that time) would possess who would attain the rank of admiral, a rank only a tiny fraction of officers ever earn? Does Hornblower possess all or many of the characteristics you name? Hornblower eventually earns the rank of admiral in later books of the series. Can you see a hint of that in his behavior in Hornblower During the Crisis and "Hornblower's Tempation"?

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