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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 will the rest of Herault's men do?

2. Where does Herault think the biggest danger to his men lies?

3. In what country did Sharpe serve when he was younger?

4. Who is Lieutenant Price?

5. What does Sharpe keep in his room for medicinal purposes?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the setting and mission for Captain Richard Sharpe.

2. What is Sharpe's mission in relation to Major Tubbs and why does he take his mission seriously?

3. How does one of the people eating together in the mess offend Sharpe, and who steps in and has his own opinion about the topic?

4. What is Teresa's response to Hickey's question about fighting the French?

5. What is Sharpe's response to Teresa's question about Gawilghur?

6. Describe the situation with the wine that is found in the fort at San Miguel.

7. Who is Major Tubbs supervising and what is his mission?

8. Describe Major Pierre Ducos.

9. Briefly characterize Captain Richard Sharpe.

10. What does Sharpe order Lieutenant Price to do and why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Most protagonists are a mixture of admirable traits and character flaws, and Richard Sharpe is no exception.

1. Trace and analyze situations when Sharpe demonstrates his admirable traits. Give specific examples to illustrate your analysis.

2. Trace and analyze Sharpe's character flaws, and explain how the flaws create more complex and believable characters. How do you think either man's character flaws make some situations more difficult for him?

3. After analyzing Sharpe's strengths and weaknesses, decide if Sharpe is an appropriate "hero" of the story. Is there anyone else who might be a more admirable "hero"?

4. Answer the above questions for one other person you think could be considered a hero in "Sharpe's Skirmish".

Essay Topic 2

Sharpe, despite his background, is an officer and a gentleman and is therefore accorded more respect and trust even in enemy territory than the common soldier. Discuss the following:

1. Does it seem likely that officers are usually more respectable than enlisted men back then? What about today? Why or why not.

2. Major Tubbs, who is an officer and gentleman plans to commit fraud for his personal gain. Do you think this is how an officer and gentleman comports himself? Why or why not?

3. In the present military in the United States, officers are held more strictly accountable for their behavior than enlisted men and women. Is this fair? Should officers be more accountable for their actions?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss one of the following:

1. Trace and analyze one major theme of "Sharpe's Skirmish". Consider the following: How does one character's actions portray the theme you are analyzing? How does the setting contribute to that theme? Is the theme one that you would call a "universal theme"? If so, what other book or novel that you have read also includes this theme. If not, why don't you think it is a "universal" theme?

2. Trace and analyze two secondary themes of "Sharpe's Skirmish". How does one character's actions portray the themes you are analyzing? How does the setting contribute to those themes? Is each theme one that you would call a "universal theme"? If so, what other book or novel that you have read also includes this theme. If not, why don't you think it is a "universal" theme?

3. What benefit is there in discussing and analyzing the themes of a work of fiction? Do you think most authors consciously develop themes in their works? Why or why not? Can there be accidental themes? What do you think is one possible "accidental" theme in "Sharpe's Skirmish"? Which theme in "Sharpe's Skirmish" speaks to you the most in your life? Why?

(see the answer keys)

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