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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 doubt will ever happen?

2. Whom does Father Defoy embarrass publicly?

3. What does Sharpe notice is rusted?

4. Who does Lucille say will want to come in for food and wine?

5. Sharpe tells the congregation a story about _____________.

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Sharpe tell Locet about the gold?

2. What does Sharpe tell Lorcet when Lorcet calls upstairs to Challon?

3. What does Sharpe say to Lucille about the cogwheels, and what is her response?

4. What does Malan say to Sharpe's request? What is Sharpe's response?

5. What does Picard hear as he thinks about his loss to Sharpe and what do he and Santon think it is?

6. What does Challon do while Lucille puts Patrick to bed? What does Lorcet find in Sharpe's accounts?

7. What does Father Defoy announce in church? How does the widow Malan feel about the announcement?

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

9. What does Locet tell Sharpe to do? How does Locet arrange for that to happen?

10. How does Sharpe deal with the three men who are with him?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Richard Sharpe is in some ways a larger-than-life hero. Despite incredible odds, he usually comes out on top, in Sharpe's Christmas and in the others in the series. Discuss the following:

1. Does having a larger-than-life hero make that person less of a hero? In other words, which is more admirable--a hero who ultimately always "lands on his feet," or one who strives against impossible odds and doesn't always succeed?

2. Does a character have to be successful in order to be a hero? Explain your answer.

3. Choose one other character besides Sharpe who you might call a hero/heroine and explain why you choose that person. Illustrate your statements with examples from the text.

4. Does every work of fiction have to have a hero? Explain your answer.

Essay Topic 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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