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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. Why have the French admitted defeat?

2. What does the French do the day after the convent is destroyed?

3. What does Sharpe give to Dubreton?

4. What does Farthingdale seem to be oblivious about?

5. What was the castle originally?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens when Farthingdale comes outside and what interests him about the French?

2. How many forces does Sharpe estimate are arrayed between the French and the British soldiers?

3. What does Sharpe capture first at the castle and how does he do it?

4. What happens to the convent due to Harper's actions?

5. What is the French's response to Sharpe's machinations?

6. What do the French do the day after they take the convent? How does Sharpe view his situation?

7. What does Hakeswill do during the battle and after the French are repulsed?

8. What do Sharpe and Harper do when the British attack is faltering?

9. Where do the French concentrate their artillery fire and why? What is the British response?

10. What unit shows up after the castle is taken and what does Sharpe do with them?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Sharpe's Enemy is one book in a series of novels involving Richard Sharpe. Discuss the following.

1. What are two advantages of writing a series of novels about the same characters? Illustrate your statements with details from the text.

2. What is a disadvantage of writing a series of novels about the same characters? Illustrate your statements with details from the text.

3. Do you prefer to read a standalone book, or a series of books with the same main characters? Explain your response.

Essay Topic 2

Richard Sharpe is in some ways a larger-than-life hero. Despite incredible odds, he usually comes out on top, in Sharpe's Enemy 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 3

Most protagonists are a mixture of admirable traits and character flaws, and Richard Sharpe is no exception. Sharpes legendary powers of military strategy is juxtaposed with his reputation as a womanzier. Discuss the following:

1. Trace and analyze situations when Sharpe demonstrates his prodigious powers of military strategy. Give specific examples to illustrate your analysis.

2. Trace and analyze Sharpe's character flaws offering specific examples of these flaws in your discussion.

3. Discuss how you think Sharpe's admirable traits helped him obtain a high rank in the military despite his background as a child. Have his flaws impacted his career at all? Do any of those under his command seem to notice these flaws? Who? How does the reader know this?

(see the answer keys)

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