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. To what does Caillou object?

2. What does Sharpe say is fitting for Christmas?

3. With whom does Sharpe go to consult?

4. How long has Colonel Jean Gudin been in his present command?

5. Who shoots Nicholls?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How does Gudin feel about leaving the fort at Ochagavia, and what is the group composed of who will be leaving the fort?

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

4. What does Caillou do to keep Gudin from meeting with the British truce?

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

6. What does Gudin think about when he thinks of India?

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

8. How long is each story in Sharpe's Christmas, and why are they that length?

9. When does Sharpe think the French will arrive? What does he do for his men because of this?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Though this novel is probably more action driven rather than character driven, obviously there are several characters who make the novel what it is. Discuss one of the following:

1. Compare/contrast the characters of Sharpe and Caillou. Include their goals, sense of honor, abilities and social skills. Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

2. Compare/contrast the characters of Gudin and Picard. Include their goals, sense of honor, abilities, and social skills. Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

3. Thoroughly analyze the character of Richard Sharpe discussing both his strong and weak points and how both affect the outcome of the plot. Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Often titles reveal much about one or more aspects of a novel. Discuss the following:

1. What do you think is the purpose of a title? How closely related to a major theme(s) of a book do you think a title should be? Or should it be?

2. Sharpe's Christmas suggests these short stories might be different from Sharpe in a war situation. Discuss this title and the theme behind it.

3. If you were the writer of Sharpe's Christmas and your editor says the title must be changed, what would you choose? Why?

4. Discuss the titles of the two short stories and their meanings in the context of the story. Evaluate the effectiveness of the title.

Essay Topic 3

There are a number of literary elements that occur in many works of fiction. Irony is a means of increasing both the humor and the complexity of a story. Cornwell often includes irony in his Richard Sharpe series. Point of view is the way the story is narrated; all works of fiction have a point of view. Conflict is almost always present in a work of fiction. Discuss the following:

1. Define the literary terms irony, point of view and conflict.

2. Identify two instances of irony in Sharpe's Christmas, offering examples from the text.

3. Identify the point of view of the novel and discuss why you think Cornwell chooses to use that particular point of view. Does the point of view seem to be the best one for Sharpe's Christmas? Why or why not.

4. Identfiy two major conflicts in Sharpe's Christmas. Are the conflicts completely resolved by the end of Sharpe's Christmas? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,209 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample