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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 part of the horse is disabled?

2. Who does the French commander summon?

3. Why does Pailleterie allow Tubbs to keep his sword?

4. What do Teresa's men do that gives their presence away to Pailleterie?

5. What is being stored in the back of the chapel?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where is Teresa thinking of going, and what does Sharpe suggest about her trip?

2. Who raises the alarm about the fire and what do they do?

3. What sets Teresa off running for her horse and why is she going for the horse?

4. Who do Pailleterie and Tubbs discuss and what do they say?

5. What does Pailleterie do while waiting for the French reinforcements?

6. What does Sharpe do after sabotaging the fort?

7. In what way are both Sharpe and Pailleterie furious at the other group?

8. How does MacKeon again "save the day"?

9. Why is Sharpe now grateful for Harper's earlier disobedience about the wine?

10. What does Sharpe admit to Teresa about his jumpiness?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss one of the following:

1. Thoroughly analyze how the setting informs the plot in "Sharpe's Skirmish". Does the setting make a unique contribution to the plot? If it were some other country, how would the plot be affected? If it were some other time?

2. Trace and analyze one major theme of "Sharpe's Skirmish". How is the theme represented by symbolism? By the characters' behaviors? By the action?

3. Trace and analyze two secondary themes of "Sharpe's Skirmish". How are the themes represented by symbolism? By the characters' behaviors? By the action?

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 1800s. Discuss one of the following:

1. Trace and analyze Cornwell'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 Cornwell'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 Major Tubbs or Ducos. 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

Many events that happen in "Sharpe's Skirmish" are foreshadowed by previous events and/or signs. Discuss the following:

1. Define the literary term "foreshadowing."

2. Why would an author use foreshadowing? Do you think it adds or detracts from your experience as a reader? Explain.

3. Trace and analyze five instances of foreshadowing in "Sharpe's Skirmish". Match up what is mentioned earlier and what it foreshadows. Did you guess that each instance of foreshadowing was a "heads up" of something to come? Why or why not.

(see the answer keys)

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