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. What does Sharpe do with the newly arrived unit?

2. What is Hakeswill doing during the battles?

3. What does Sharpe begin to do after the French are spotted?

4. What are the troops spotted doing?

5. What does Farthingdale do with Josefina?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do the French respond after the first two attacks?

2. What do the British do with the last of the rocket artillery?

3. What do the British do when they capture the castle and what do some of Pot-au-Fea's men do?

4. What does Sharpe arrange the day after the war council?

5. What does the French agree to and why does Sharpe agree to it?

6. What is Hakeswill's ultimate fate?

7. What are the first actions Sharpe takes after the war council?

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

9. What happens to Hakeswill when the French arrive?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

When Sharpe and Dubreton present their gold to Pot-au-Fea and Hakeswill the men take the gold but refuse to release the woman. There is some inconsistency in this situation as Sharpe and Hakeswill's last confrontation in another book would definitely preclude Hakeswill inviting Sharpe to join them. Also, the fact that Pot-au-Fea and Hakeswill allow the four men to leave is inconsistent with their characterization. These two items are necessary for the plot but they are more of a narrative contrivance than believable.

1. With research, define narrative contrivance and how it is used in several places in Sharpe's Enemy. Do you think the plot could have been satisfied without it? Why or why not? Use examples from the text to support your answer.

2. Do you think narrative contrivances detract from Sharpe's Enemy by placing too much reliance on readers' gullibility? Why or why not? Use examples from the text to support your answer.

3. When you read of the two contrivances above, did it stop you and make you pause in your reading to consider Hakeswill allowing Sharpe, his sworn enemy to leave? What do you think, in real life would have happened to Sharpe? Why?

Essay Topic 2

Sharpe's Enemy, like many, and perhaps a majority, of novels ends on a happy note (until he arrives back home). Discuss the following:

1. Why do you think many (most?) people want what they perceive as a happy or good ending to a novel? Explain your opinion. Do you? Why or why? not?

2. What are three reasons to read fiction? Discuss each one in light of Sharpe's Enemy and whether or not it fulfills all three, two or one of the reasons you mention. Give examples as to why Sharpe's Enemy is or is not successful in fulfilling the reasons you discuss.

3. Do you think reading solely for entertainment is as good a reason to read as any other? Why or why not? Can any work of fiction or non-fiction, no matter how poorly written, enlighten, teach, stimulate thought? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Sharpe demands a duel from Ducos but Ducos says no. In other books in this series, Sharpe has fought duels. Discuss the following:

1. What is a duel? How is it conducted? Why is it conducted? When did the use of duels to settle matters of honor go out of use in England? The United States?

2. What other methods do you think could be used to settle a matter of honor or insult to one's reputation?

3. In England, dueling becomes illegal in the 19th century, yet men still engaged in them and the winner often has to flee to escape punishment. Do you think dueling should have been made illegal? Why or why not?

4. Research dueling in Britain and discuss the typical reasons two men would engage in a duel. Do the reasons seem worth the potential costs?

5. If dueling were still legal, can you imagine engaging in one? Why or why not.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,127 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample