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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 Sharpe explain to Tarrant?

2. Why have the French called an unofficial truce?

3. What does Sharpe do when the young lieutenant is shot?

4. How many French soldiers are in Almeida?

5. What does Harper see lying in the dirt that he picks up?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do Hogan and Wellington decide about Sharpe and the battle at Isidoro?

2. Who and what does Sharpe find at a house in San Cristobal?

3. What does Sharpe persuade Harper to do and why?

4. Why do the French call a temporary truce and what do two French and British officers do during the truce?

5. Why is Sharpe being subjected to a board of inquiry?

6. What do Sharpe and Donaju talk about while Sharpe is cutting his own hair?

7. Where are the Spanish partisans set up to watch the southern flank and what happens to them?

8. What type of superstitious action does Harper take?

9. What does Loup do when he and his men first arrive at the village and what does he see that makes him disregard his assignment from Massena? What does he disregard his assignment?

10. Who do Sharpe and Harper join in the first battle for the village and what happens to that person?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Sharpe's Battle, like many, and perhaps a majority, of novels ends on a happy note. Discuss the following:

1. Why do you think many (most?) people want what they perceive as a happy or good ending to a novel? Explain your opinion. Do you? Why or why? not?

2. What are three reasons to read fiction? Discuss each one in light of Sharpe's Battleand whether or not it fulfills all three, two or one of the reasons you mention. Give examples as to why Sharpe's Battleis or is not successful in fulfilling the reasons you discuss.

3. Do you think reading solely for entertainment is as good a reason to read as any other? Why or why not? Can any work of fiction or non-fiction, no matter how poorly written, enlighten, teach, stimulate thought? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

In any book centered around the military, leadership of the troops is often crucial with the better leaders able to command the respect and loyalty of their men. The men's willingness to follow a particularly leader can have a decisive impact upon the success of a mission. Discuss the following:

1. Whose command style seems most effective? Analyze the elements of those effective leaders thoroughly and discuss the traits of the good leaders. What makes an excellent leader/commander? Give examples.

2. Whose command style seems most ineffective? Analyze the elements of those ineffective leaders thoroughly and discuss the traits of the poor leaders. What makes a poor leader/commander? Give examples.

3. Is disobeying a poor leader ever justifiable? Explain using details from the text, other books you have read and your personal experience. In times of war, disobeying an order can be punishable by death. Is this harsh sentence justifiable for such an act? Why or why not.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss one of the following:

1. Trace and analyze one major theme of Sharpe's Battle. Consider the following: How does one character's actions portray the theme you are analyzing? How does the setting contribute to that theme? Is the theme one that you would call a "universal theme"? If so, what other book or novel that you have read also includes this theme. If not, why don't you think it is a "universal" theme?

2. Trace and analyze two secondary themes of Sharpe's Battle. How does one character's actions portray the themes you are analyzing? How does the setting contribute to those themes? Is each theme one that you would call a "universal theme"? If so, what other book or novel that you have read also includes this theme. If not, why don't you think it is a "universal" theme?

3. What benefit is there in discussing and analyzing the themes of a work of fiction? Do you think most authors consciously develop themes in their works? Why or why not? Can there be accidental themes? What do you think is one possible "accidental" theme in Sharpe's Battle? Which theme in Sharpe's Battlespeaks to you the most in your life? Why?

(see the answer keys)

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