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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 happens as the British forces are scrambling over the castle's outer walls?

2. What does Josefina tell Sharpe about Lord Farthingdale and how he feels about her?

3. What does Dubreton's wife say to her husband?

4. What is the first thing Sharpe decides needs to be done in an assault on Andrados?

5. What does Sharpe think as he watches Farthington's preparations?

Short Essay Questions

1. What type of combat unit has the Prince Regent sent, why has he sent it and how does Nairn feel about it?

2. What happens to Sharpe and the three others in the convent shortly after they meet?

3. Who is Spain at war with and how is the country divided?

4. What does Nairn decide about Andrados and what does Sharpe do?

5. What does Sharpe first do when he takes over his new command and to what conclusions does he come?

6. Where and at what time is the Prologue set?

7. What happens when Frederickson shows up at the convent?

8. Who does Sharpe meet who is head of the rifle company going to Andrados, what is that man like and how does Sharpe feel about him?

9. How important is Andrados, where it is situated and what types of protections are in place around it?

10. Who saves Lady Farthingdale and why does he do it?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Honor is a very important concept in Sharpe's Enemy and in the life of those in the upper class during that era. Sharpe demands honor from Ducos, who declines. Discuss the following:

1. Trace and analyze the theme of honor in Sharpe's Enemy. What do you think Sharpe would tell you is the definition of honor if you ask him? Do you think honor can be restored if it is lost?

2. Respond to the following statement using specific examples from the book and your own experience: Honor is one of the most important character traits for anyone in any social strata. First fully define the concept of honor, then discuss whether you believe the preceding statement is true with specific examples from Sharpe's Enemy and other books/films, etc... that you have read or experienced.

3. During the era in which Sharpe lives, men could give their word on the basis of being a gentleman and it is assumed to be true. There was no such concept for a lady or anyone of lower social/economic groups. Fully discuss the implications in a society where only gentlemen are considered trustworthy enough to give their word unquestioned.

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

Farthingdale is wealthy, educated, and titled, yet he is also militarily ignorant and is so haughty that he fails to recognize his own limitations. Sharpe is not wealthy, not educated, and not titled, though he knows the ins and outs of combat and knows how to lead soldiers. Farthingdale makes several mistakes, some catastrophic, while Sharpe works behind the scenes to keep the attack together.

1. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of having a system of nobility in a country, especially how it applies to the military. Use examples from the text to support your answer.

2. The class separations in the era of Sharpe's Enemy are very distinct and the upper class is basically impenetrable to the lower class. Discuss the implications of Sharpe, the son of a prostitute being able to obtain the rank of major and the possible ramifications he might have to deal with when interacting with officers who come from a much higher class.

3. Often in this series of novels the upper class officers are presented as incompetent, at best, and dangerous uncaring at worse. What might that portrayal suggest about how the author might feel about wealthy people and the positions they hold in society, whether qualified or not? Use examples from the text to support your answer.

(see the answer keys)

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