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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. Who is summoned to account for the missing battalion recruits?

2. Who does Sharpe encounter after speaking with Carline?

3. What is the unit designation on the enlistment forms?

4. Who are Weller and Marriott?

5. What does Nairn think Sharpe should do?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Lord Fenner suggests should be done about the South Essex's trouble?

2. With whom does Sharpe meet concerning the South Essex problems and what does he tell Sharpe?

3. What happens when Marriott attempts to escape?

4. What does Jane tell him about the system for the recruits there and what does she say she will do?

5. What are Girdwood's orders concerning Harper and what does Harper do?

6. Where is Sharpe sent on a work party and what does he take the time to do?

7. What does Sharpe wonder about as far as Simmerson's involvement with the second battalion? What is Sharpe's relation to Jane Gibbons?

8. What does Sergeant Carew at the second battalion depot tell Sharpe?

9. Under what names do Sharpe and Harper enlist and who enlists with them?

10. Of what units does the South Essex consist and what is the function of each of those units? What seems to be the problem with one of the units?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Sharpe rather naively believes the situation with second battalion will be easily rectified simply by bringing it to the attention of the authorities. His initial plan is to simply lay the matter before the Prince of Wales and let that august person propose a solution.

1. Do you think it is conceivable that a man who has been in the military as long as Sharpe has could be so naive about political power? Why or why not? Use examples from the text and your own experience to support your answer.

2. Discuss what might be the similarities and differences between Sharpe's efforts and the efforts one might make in America today when trying to bring a wrong to the attention of a legislator or governor. Use examples from the text and your own experience to support your answer.

3. Discuss what you see are the similarities and differences between the politicians in Sharpe's Regiment and America today. Use examples from the text and your own experience to support your answer.

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 1820s. 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 the novel 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, Lawford, and Windham. 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/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

Girdwood is the primary antagonist in the novel and a completely deplorable character, although Simmerson and Fenner are indeed close seconds.

1. Why do you think Girdwood is still in the military? Discuss his motives and the military's motives for allowing him to stay. Use examples from Sharpe's Regiment to support your answer.

2. What do you think would happen to Girdwood if he served in the U.S. Army and still did the crimes he did? Compare the modern concept of criminals in the military with that of the era of Sharpe's Regiment.

3. Girdwood seems to be not only despicable, but pitiable. Discuss the concept of characters who though despicable can also be pitied. Use examples from Sharpe's Regiment to support your answer.

(see the answer keys)

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