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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. For what does Gudin pray?

2. To whom is the telescope inscribed through which Sharpe is looking?

3. What does D'Alembord ask Sharpe about India?

4. To what does Caillou object?

5. What are Sharpe and the other man trying to do?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Sharpe and d'Alembord see through Sharpe's telescope?

2. Why is General Picard upset? What pleases him about his men? Why does he think he is different from Gudin?

3. What finally breaks up the French brigade's advance?

4. Why does Sharpe have hope the garrison will surrender, and what does the garrison have that Sharpe would like to take?

5. What does Cornwell say about the people who helped him write Sharpe's Christmas? What else does he address in the introduction?

6. What does Cornwell briefly describe in the introduction?

7. How do the French play into Sharpe's trick with wine barrels?

8. What does Caillou object to with the leaving of the fort? How does he threaten Gudin? How does Gudin feel about Caillou's threat?

9. Where does Sharpe send his skirmishers? What is the result?

10. What is Gudin told about Maria and what is his response?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Cornwell is masterful in his description of battles and life in general in for a soldier during the Napoleonic Wars in the early 1800s. Discuss one of the following:

1. Trace and analyze Cornwell's descriptive passages about life as a soldier. 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 Sharpe's Christmas be different if Cornwell did not include such descriptive passages?

2. Analyze Cornwells's descriptive passages about the social structure of the times and discuss what you think it would be like to be Lucille who was wealthy before the war and now is reduced to living well below her previous level.

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

Essay Topic 2

Discuss one of the following:

1. Thoroughly analyze how the setting informs the plot in Sharpe's Christmas.

2. Trace and analyze one major theme of Sharpe's Christmas. How is the theme represented by symbolism? By the characters' behaviors? By the action?

3. Trace and analyze two secondary themes of Sharpe's Christmas. How are the themes represented by symbolism? By the characters' behaviors? By the action?

Essay Topic 3

The military way of life is in and of itself similar to a distinct culture. Understanding how the military is organized, how it operates, and its basic rules of conduct will make any novel that centers on the military more understandable and enjoyable. Discuss one of the following:

1. Describe and analyze the military structure during the time of Sharpe's Christmas. What is rank? What is the difference between officers and enlisted men? How serious is it to disobey an order? What happens if one decides he does not like being in the military and walks away? How are men conscripted? Does the infantry have a similar means of augmenting their ranks as the maritime action called "impressments"?

2. Compare the infantry of Sharpe's Christmas to that in modern times in for the United States, England or France. What are the similarities? The differences? Are the changes from those times improvements? Why or why not? (This question will require some research).

3. Discuss why you think the military has the following: Uniforms, a rank structure of Officers and Enlisted, Strict Discipline, Training for New Recruits, Court Martial, and Different types of companies (i.e., rifle, Cavalry, artillery, etc). Discuss why you think men (and nowadays women) choose to become professional soldiers.

(see the answer keys)

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