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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 does Sharpe believe there must be proof?

2. With whom does Lawford make a deal?

3. Why does Lawford feel an obligation to Sharpe?

4. What does Sharpe tell Lawford?

5. How does Sharpe feel about Simmerson's treatment of Jane?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Lawford with his information?

2. What does Sharpe do with the command structure at Foulness and what does he do with Girdwood?

3. Where does Girdwood run and what does he do?

4. What does Sharpe decide to do after speaking with Anne?

5. What does Jane tell Sharpe about her personally?

6. What does Sharpe do when Girdwood runs?

7. What does Jane tell Sharpe about her involvement with the recruiting scheme?

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

9. What does Jane estimate is the kind of money the schemers are making off the recruits?

10. What does Sharpe decide to do in London and when that was unsuccessful what does he end up doing?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The conclusion of Chapter 19 finds Sharpe at his lowest ebb--he has "solved" the mystery of his missing men but has also fallen into the hands of his enemies, is under official arrest, and is powerless to effect change. At this point, he appears entirely subject to the whims of Fenner, who plans to send him away under official condemnation.

1. There is a saying in writing circles that for good conflict one needs to: "put a character out on a limb then keep making the limb weaker and weaker." Discuss this idea in relationship to the chronological events that puts Sharpe under arrest and powerless.

2. Discuss what you believe are the emotional, psychological and physical reactions to being powerless and how a person might mitigate some of those reactions. Include in your discussion the harm or benefit one might derive from being powerless.

3. Sharpe is powerless. Most people find themselves in situations in life in which they are powerless. Discuss some lessons one could learn from being powerless. 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

The recruiting sergeant is a bluff, likable man who tells ridiculous, grandiose lies and draws in many unsuspecting recruits. Of course his entire spiel is lies, but even Sharpe admires Havercamp's ability to spin military enlistment as something desirable and exciting.

1. Do you think someone who lies as much as Havercamp does can also be a likable person? Why or why not? Use examples from the text and your own experience to support your answer.

2. Most people have known someone who has joined the armed forces and inevitably hear the complaint that his/her recruiter lied. Discuss the concept that a recruiter lying isn't really wrong since everyone knows recruiters lie.

3. Compare and contrast the tactics of a military recruiter to a sales person, for example, one selling a used car.

(see the answer keys)

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