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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 Lieutenant Ayres do?

2. What sort of demonstration do Sharpe's men give?

3. Who do they use to find their way through the dark?

4. To what does Teresa admit?

5. Against what are the French well fortified?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Sharpe decide to do based upon what Harper tells him?

2. Describe the encounter between Sharpe and Ayres.

3. Who is holding the gold and what does Kearsey know about the man and the situation?

4. Where do the men of Sharpe's company go?

5. Where and who are the Provosts and what is their purpose?

6. Describe the English attack on the French in the village.

7. Describe Sharpe's discussion with Wellington.

8. Who is Cox and what does Sharpe learn from him?

9. How does Sharpe threaten El Catolico's men?

10. What does Sharpe observe during the fighting between the Spanish and French and for whom does he look?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Oftentimes, a book is more of a character-driven plot rather than action driven, and oftentimes the other way. Some books seem to balance the two. Discuss the following:

1. What do you think it means to say that a plot is character-driven or action-driven?

2. How do you think a plot differs if it is character-driven versus action-driven?

3. Which type of plot do you find more interesting? Why?

4. Do you think it is possible to have a plot where action and character development share equal time? Why or why not.

5. What type of plot do you think Sharpe's Gold is? Explain your response.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss one of the following:

1. Define irony in literary terms. Discuss the irony of the situation when Sharpe's men think he is torturing Teresa when he is involved with her romantically.

2. Define symbolism in literary terms. Discuss the use and meaning of five symbols you choose to analyze from Sharpe's Gold. What do they symbolize? Is the symbolism obvious? Effective? Does the symbolism contribute to the enjoyment of reading?

3. Discuss five literary devices that occur in Sharpe's Gold and how they are used. Are they effective? Do they add or detract from the reading of the book? Why or why not. Some possible techniques: Allusion, connotation, denouement, dialogue, flashback, figurative language, motif, metaphor, narrator, point of view, simile, mood, and puns.

Essay Topic 3

Sharpe's Gold 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.

(see the answer keys)

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