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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. Approximately how many men are marooned on an unnamed island?

2. What does Maturin spend his time and money doing?

3. What does Aubrey admire about the Captain of the Marines?

4. To where does the junk take the British sailors?

5. What is the effect of the aftermath of the attack?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens shortly after the dinner?

2. Who are some of the main characters who are marooned?

3. What good news does Maturin receive from Sir Joseph Blaine?

4. What is Aubrey's plan concerning an engagement with the Cornélie?

5. Who does the Nutmeg of Consolation encounter and what do they learn?

6. What does Maturin give Paulton for his help?

7. Where does Li Po take the men and what important information Maturin gain along the on the trip?

8. Describe the first attempt of the Nutmeg of Consolation to engage Cornélie.

9. Why is Surprise spending so much time in port?

10. How does the dinner for officers fare that Aubrey hosts?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

At sea, the commander of a vessel is "God," and failure to obey the Captain's orders can subject one to court martial and even execution. Discuss the following:

1. Should sailors be held accountable for anything they do under orders? Discuss fully, using examples both from The Nutmeg of Consolation and your own knowledge.

2. Why do you think mutiny on a ship is punishable by death?

3. Is there ever justification for a crew to mutiny?

4. Is it just for a captain to have that much power over his crew? What sort of abuses can this lead to?

Essay Topic 2

Maturin acts as a covert agency for the Crown and uses his intelligence connections to slow down Cornélie's resupplying in order to give The Nutmeg of Consolation a chance to catch up and capture the French vessel.

1. What sort of covert operations does Maturin undertake? How similar do you think his covert operations are to that of an organization such as the CIA of today?

2. How much does Maturin's covert operations effect good outcomes for the The Nutmeg of Consolation and other British endeavors during The Nutmeg of Consolation?

3. Do you see any conflict of interests between being a doctor and also a covert operator? Why or why not.

Essay Topic 3

Most protagonists are a mixture of admirable traits and character flaws, and both Maturin and Aubrey are no exceptions.

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

2. Trace and analyze both Maturin and Aubrey'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 each man's strengths and weaknesses, decide if each man is an appropriate "hero" of the story. Is there anyone else who might be a more admirable "hero"?

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