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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 the commodore of the fort send his men?

2. Who lands as the Marines march away?

3. What does Bampfylde say he is going to do with the Americans?

4. What is Sharpe supposed to do after the first part of his mission is accomplished?

5. What does Bampfylde's Marines do when they arrive at the fortress?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Sharpe prepare first for his mission? How does that turn out?

2. To where do the British advance in Chapter 1 and 2 and what do they decide to do next?

3. What is Richard Sharpe's role in the coming British action and why is he chosen for this task?

4. What is Harper's story concerning how he is with Sharpe's men?

5. What do the British decide to do to implement their plan from question # 3?

6. What does Lassan do when he flees the fortress?

7. What does Sharpe doe when he arrives near the area of the fortress?

8. What does Sharpe do with the American prisoners and how does Bampfylde respond?

9. How does Sharpe counter Bampfylde's assertion of command and what does Bampfylde decide to do?

10. What is Sharpe's mission and what does Elphinstone think about it?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The military way of life is in and of itself similar to a distinct culture. Understanding how the military is organized, how it operates, and its basic rules of conduct will make any novel that centers on the military more understandable and enjoyable. Discuss one of the following:

1. Describe and analyze the military structure during the time of Sharpe's Siege. What is rank? What is the difference between officers and enlisted men? How serious is it to disobey an order? What happens if one decides he does not like being in the military and walks away? How are men conscripted? Does the infantry have a similar means of augmenting their ranks as the maritime action called "impressments"?

2. Compare the infantry of Sharpe's Siege to that in modern times in for the United States, England or France. What are the similarities? The differences? Are the changes from those times improvements? Why or why not? (This question will require some research).

3. Discuss why you think the military has the following: Uniforms, a rank structure of Officers and Enlisted, Strict Discipline, Training for New Recruits, Court Martial, and Different types of companies (i.e., rifle, Cavalry, artillery, etc). Discuss why you think men (and nowadays women) choose to become professional soldiers.

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 Captain William Bampfyldem, Comte de Maquerre, General Calvet, and Commandant Henri Lassan. 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

Sharpe weighs various factors in trying to decide what to do about Killick and decides that he cannot simply leave Killick behind, knowing full well that as soon as Sharpe is out of sight, Bampfylde will begin hanging the Americans. He is also haunted by the specter of Jane's death and involves himself in some superstitious speculation; Killick's yarn about sailors being hung in still air sends chills down Sharpe's spine and he somehow illogically conflates the story with Jane's survival. Sharpe comes to the conclusion that sparing Killick somehow guarantees Jane's survival. Discuss the following:

1. What is superstition? Can you name a few common superstitions? Do any of them seem to have any validity in logic? How do you think a superstition gets started? Continues?

2. Why do you think soldiers have the reputation for being superstitious? Do you think it is true? What superstitions are mentioned in Sharpe's Siege? Do you think superstitions help a person emotionally or psychologically when that person's life is in danger constantly such as a soldier at war? Do you think people are more superstitious during the era of Sharpe's Siege than they are now? Why or why not?

3. Do you believe any superstitions? What are they? Why? Have you ever found yourself unconsciously associating the outcome of something with something else happening that is totally unrelated? Discuss a couple of those times. How do you start associating one event with the other?

(see the answer keys)

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