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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. Where do Sharpe and Harper return?

2. To what country does the second battalion travel?

3. What do Anne and Sharpe do after she tells him about Lawford?

4. What does Fenner do about Sharpe's arrest because of Anne's action?

5. With whom does Lawford make a deal?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Jane's mission to obtain the accounting books turn out and how does she feel?

2. What does Sharpe do with the men at Foulness after he sets up the new command structure?

3. What does Fenner do when Anne confronts him about Sharpe's arrest?

4. What are the results of the negotiations between Anne and Fenner?

5. What does Anne tell Sharpe about him wanting to take Fenner and Simmerson down?

6. What happens with Anne and Fenner after Lawford leaves?

7. What does Simmerson do with the recruiting scheme accounting books and how does Fenner react?

8. What does Anne tell Sharpe about her and Fenner's relationship?

9. What does Jane tell Sharpe about her personally?

10. What does Anne do about Sharpe being arrested?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Richard Sharpe is in some ways a larger-than-life hero. Despite incredible odds, he usually comes out on top, in Sharpe's Regiment and in the others in the series. Discuss the following:

1. Does having a larger-than-life hero make that person less of a hero? In other words, which is more admirable--a hero who ultimately always "lands on his feet," or one who strives against impossible odds and doesn't always succeed?

2. Does a character have to be successful in order to be a hero? Explain your answer.

3. Choose one other character besides Sharpe who you might call a hero/heroine and explain why you choose that person. Illustrate your statements with examples from the text.

4. Does every work of fiction have to have a hero? Explain your answer.

Essay Topic 2

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.

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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