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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 do the French forces do in Chapter 24?

2. What do Sharpe and Harper do at Helene's wagon?

3. Who leads the men forward along with Leroy?

4. What does Sharpe decide to do about the parole?

5. What does Angel spot as the group leaves La Marquesa's wagon?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does La Marquesa do after it is obvious the British have won and what happens to her?

2. What do the French do at the end of the battle of Vitoria and what does King Joseph do?

3. What does Sharpe do when el Matarife shows up at the inn? How does that end?

4. What does La Marquesa tell Sharpe in Chapter Sixteen about his situation and what does she and Montbrun want Sharpe to do?

5. What is Wellington's plans for the battle at Vitoria?

6. What does General Verigny ask from Sharpe and what is his response?

7. What do the British do when they arrive at Vitoria and how do they feel about what they are facing?

8. How does Sharpe escape from Verigny?

9. In what shape is Sharpe at the beginning of Chapter Sixteen and what does he think about?

10. What does the Fifth Division do in the battle of Vitoria and what happens to Leroy?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

At the conclusion of a novel, most readers either consciously or unconsciously engage in processing the book and usually come to a conclusion as to whether they like the book or not. Discuss one of the following:

1. Would you consider Sharpe's Honor a "good" book? Why or why not? Use examples to illustrate your stance.

2. What do you think are the elements of an outstanding novel? Analyze one of your favorite novels to see if those elements are present.

3. What are some reasons you might consider a novel a failure? Analyze a novel you think is a failure and see if those elements are in that novel.

Essay Topic 2

Cornwell is masterful in his description of battles and life in general in for a soldier during the Napoleonic Wars in the early 1800s. Discuss one of the following:

1. Trace and analyze Cornwells's descriptive passages about life as a soldier. How does he use descriptions of the five senses to make the reader feel s/he is there? Do you find his descriptions compelling? Seemingly accurate? How would Sharpe's Honor be different if Cornwell did not include such descriptive passages?

2. Analyze Cornwells's descriptive passages about the social structure of the times and discuss what you think it would be like to be a person of wealth and/or privilege such as Wellington, or the Marques. Contrast that to the lives of those who are in a lower social strata such as Sharpe and Harper or one in service to someone of wealth and/or privilege.

3. Describe and analyze Cornwell's descriptive passages about the topographical setting and the physical descriptions of the people. Does Cornwell do an adequate job of actually making the reader "see" the land or sea where the action is taking place? How about getting a visual image of the characters? How does the descriptions of the setting add to the novel? Do you like having an idea of how a character looks? How would the novel be different without such descriptions?

Essay Topic 3

Sharpe, despite his background, is an officer and a gentleman and is therefore accorded more respect and trust even in enemy territory than the common soldier. He has been told if he gives his parole he will not be guarded yet he cannot accede to that. Discuss the following:

1. Does it seem likely that officers are usually more respectable than enlisted men back then? What about today? Why or why not.

2. Sharpe has begun an affair with Helene, a woman recently widowed and who has participated in setting Sharpe up to be convicted of murder. Do you think this is how an officer and gentleman comports himself? Why or why not.

3. In the present military in the United States, both officers and enlisted can be held for court martial for adultery or having sexual relations with someone of inferior rank. Why do you think this is so? Do you agree with the policy?

(see the answer keys)

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