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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 Anne and Sharpe do after she tells him about Lawford?

2. How does Sharpe feel about what Anne tells him?

3. What happens to Girdwood after the assault?

4. Why is Anne deeply in debt?

5. What battle does the parade commemorate?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Sharpe do with the men of the second battalion?

2. What does Havercamp tell Sharpe when questioned about his involvement in the recruiting scheme and what does he promise?

3. What does Anne do about Sharpe being arrested?

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

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

6. What does Lawford with his information?

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

8. What do Sharpe and his group do after Girdwood runs?

9. What does Sharpe do when he reaches London in order to get something done about Simmerson and Fenner?

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

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

Cornwell has tried as much as possible to use historical events and facts around which to weave his work of fiction. Discuss the following:

1. Do you think Sharpe's Regiment qualifies as an historical fiction? Why or why not?

2. If much of the events in the book are historical, what surprises you about the way the events play out?

3. Do you think the culture of that era is more or less advanced than you imagined? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

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