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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 made Aubrey feel encouraged at the gathering?
2. How much money does Aubrey have at the beginning of the book?
3. What type of people make up much of the residents in Shelmerston?
4. What does Maturin give Aubrey as the ship in question #38 closes?
5. What does Maturin spend too much time doing as he walks to town?
Short Essay Questions
1. What is one of the primary talks at the formal dinner aboard ship the night before sailing?
2. How does Padeen get injured and why does he continue to take pain medication?
3. What alleviates Aubrey's concerns in question #17?
4. How does Maturin feel about money? What does he obtain to help him and Aubrey with Surprise?
5. What type of work does Maturin do and for what is he also known?
6. Where has Spartan stashed its prizes and why?
7. What is Aubrey going to do for money with Maturin? What is Maturin and Aubrey's relationship?
8. What is the final outcome of Aubrey's shakedown cruise?
9. Who does Maturin see as Aubrey waits on him for sailing?
10. What ship first approaches Surprise on Aubrey's first shakedown cruise and why? How does Aubrey feel about the authorization Maturin has?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
In addition to understanding the war in which O'Brian's novels are set, it is quite helpful to have a basic understanding of nautical terminology and the types of ships and their armaments that were used during the early 1800s. Discuss the following:
1. Define ten of the most commonly-used shipboard terms and discuss how those terms are used in THE LETTER OF MARQUE.
2. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the ships used in the early 1800s?
3. How is the British navy organized during this period (early 1800s) and how different do you think it is organized today (including how one rises in rank).
4. Compare/contrast one of the naval battles described in the novel with one from WWII.
Essay Topic 2
During this era when THE LETTER OF MARQUE takes place, if a vessel under the command of a naval officer captures another vessel from a country with whom they are warring or captures a pirate vessel, etc...the crew of the victorious vessel shares in the goods, money and value of the vessel. Discuss the following:
1. Why do you think the British had such a policy in place then?
2. What are the possible abuses that can arise from such a policy?
3. Why do you think this policy is eventually abandoned?
Essay Topic 3
O'Brian's female characters are almost always peripheral to the story line of any of his novels. Discuss one of the following in view of O'Brian's female characters in THE LETTER OF MARQUE.
1. What type of reader demographics do you think THE LETTER OF MARQUE might appeal to given the limited scope of O'Brian's female characters. Use examples from THE LETTER OF MARQUE or other O'Brian books you have read to support your answer.
2. Do you think O'Brian's books would be better with more in depth female characters? Why or why not? Use examples from THE LETTER OF MARQUE or other O'Brian books you have read to support your answer.
3. Do you think the O'Brian's paucity of female characters reflects history in our reality? Discuss why it might be possible that females played more significant roles in history but were ignored by the primarily male historians through the ages.
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This section contains 1,036 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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