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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 Hocking say Sharpe can do while waiting?

2. How does Sharpe feel about going up a chimney.

3. What does Baird say that seems to momentarily shock Lavisser?

4. What does Sharpe do when Hocking brings him a young girl?

5. Where does Lavisser lead Willsen?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the encounter between Sharpe and Barker.

2. How does Sharpe rescue Skovaard?

3. What is Wapping Steps and why does Sharpe go there?

4. Where is Sharpe on Friday night at the opening of Chapter 2, and what does he do initially?

5. What does Sharpe do and think after fleeing Wapping Steps.

6. Describe the initial communication between Captain Willsen and John Lavisser.

7. What does Pumphrey say to Sharpe in private?

8. What is the reason for the mission to Copenhagen?

9. Describe Sharpe's encounter with Hocking when Hocking brings Sharpe a young girl.

10. Why is Richard Sharpe angry about his commission and how did he get a commission?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

There are a number of literary elements that occur in many works of fiction. Irony is a means of increasing both the humor and the complexity of a story. Cornwell often includes irony in his Richard Sharpe series. Point of view is the way the story is narrated; all works of fiction have a point of view. Conflict is almost always present in a work of fiction. Discuss the following:

1. Define the literary terms irony, point of view and conflict.

2. Identify two instances of irony in "Sharpe's Prey", offering examples from the text.

3. Identify the point of view of the novel and discuss why you think Cornwell chooses to use that particular point of view. Does the point of view seem to be the best one for "Sharpe's Prey"? Why or why not.

4. Identfiy two major conflicts in "Sharpe's Prey". Are the conflicts completely resolved by the end of "Sharpe's Prey"? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss one of the following:

1. Trace and analyze one major theme of "Sharpe's Prey". Consider the following: How does one character's actions portray the theme you are analyzing? How does the setting contribute to that theme? Is the theme one that you would call a "universal theme"? If so, what other book or novel that you have read also includes this theme. If not, why don't you think it is a "universal" theme?

2. Trace and analyze two secondary themes of "Sharpe's Prey". How does one character's actions portray the themes you are analyzing? How does the setting contribute to those themes? Is each theme one that you would call a "universal theme"? If so, what other book or novel that you have read also includes this theme. If not, why don't you think it is a "universal" theme?

3. What benefit is there in discussing and analyzing the themes of a work of fiction? Do you think most authors consciously develop themes in their works? Why or why not? Can there be accidental themes? What do you think is one possible "accidental" theme in "Sharpe's Prey"? Which theme in "Sharpe's Prey" speaks to you the most in your life? Why?

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