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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 haul up from the cellar?

2. Where does Sharpe send two companies?

3. Of what does Gudin assure Sharpe?

4. What does Malan do as Sharpe greets him?

5. What does Lucille do when Challon gropes her breast?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Sharpe say about the villagers, especially Malan? What is Lucille's response?

2. What does Sharpe tell Locet about the gold?

3. What does the man in the kitchen tell Sharpe about Ducos?

4. Where does Sharpe go on the morning of Christmas Eve?

5. What does Lorcet say to Lucille when it starts to snow? What does she reply?

6. Who pushes their way into the house while Sharpe is gone, and what do they do and say?

7. What does Sharpe do when he hears of Nicholls' death?

8. What does Sharpe offer Gudin and what is Gudin's reply?

9. What does Lorcet agree to with Challon, and what does he find distasteful about Challon's suggestion?

10. What does Lucille do when Challon pushes on the bed, and what is Challon's response?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There are a number of "villains" in Sharpe's Christmas. Ducos, Juanita de Elia, Father Sarsfield, and Loup.

1. Explain, with examples from the text, what you see as the main motivations behind Caillou's behavior. If he lived in America today, with what crimes do you think he would be charged?

2. Picard is a "villain" who does not seem to be motivated by self-interest. Discuss why or why not you believe this statement to be true. Use examples from Sharpe's Christmas to support and illustrate your opinion.

3. Do you think crimes or immoral behavior motivated by good intentions is more pardonable than that motivated by self-interests? Why or why not? Use examples from Sharpe's Christmas to support and illustrate your opinion.

Essay Topic 2

Most of the entire series of novels concerning Richard Sharpe takes place during the Napoleonic Wars; therefore, understanding the political and social situation during that time helps to a greater understanding and appreciation of this book and others in the series. Discuss one of the following:

1. Research and write an expository essay about how the Napoleonic Wars begin and end.

2. Research and write an expository essay about the battles that take place on land between Britain and France during the Napoleonic Wars.

3. Compare/Contrast the importance of the British infantry during the Napoleonic Wars to the importance of the British infantry during either WWI or WWII.

4. Write an expository essay on how the Napoleonic War affects the social culture of one of the following countries: Britain, France, or Germany.

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)

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