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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. Towards what city does the Surprise sail after completing the trip in question #39?

2. What does Aubrey do about his new orders?

3. What is the conversation mostly about during dinner ashore before the Surprise leaves?

4. How does Aubrey feel about Standish's problem?

5. How do Aubrey and his group get to Corunna?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens to the Surprise with Aubrey's new orders and what do Pullings and Aubrey arrange?

2. What does Maturin think about in relation to Padeen?

3. What happens to Standish on the journey to Corunna?

4. What is Aubrey and Pullings' relationship and how are they similar?

5. What does Standish ask for at Lisbon and how does Aubrey respond?

6. What is Maturin's covert job?

7. Why is the man in question #2 on the Surprise?

8. Who is the Surprise's first lieutenant and what is his qualification?

9. What does Maturin think about Batavia and what is his hope?

10. Who owns the Surprise and what kind of work does the owner do?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

A work of fiction is often organized around a structure called a plot. Discuss the following:

1. Define plot and its major parts (rising action, climax, falling action, resolution [or denouement]). Write a sentence or two synopsis of the major plot of the Thirteen Gun Salute.

2. Identify where the parts of the plot seem to fall in Thirteen Gun Salute. Explain using examples.

3. Define the literary term "subplot." Write a sentence or two synopsis of a subplot in Thirteen Gun Salute.

4. Identify the major parts of the subplot you identified in task number 3.

5. Why do you think identifying the plot and elements of the plot is useful?

Essay Topic 2

There are a number of literary elements that occur in many works of fiction. Irony is a means of increasing both the humor and the complexity of a story. O'Brien often includes irony in his Aubrey/Maturin series. Point of view is the way the story is narrated; all works of fiction have a point of view. Conflict is almost always present in a work of fiction. Discuss the following:

1. Define the literary terms irony, point of view and conflict.

2. Identify two instances of irony in Thirteen Gun Salute, offering examples from the text.

3. Identify the point of view of the novel and discuss why you think O'Brien chooses to use that particular point of view. Does the point of view seem to be the best one for Thirteen Gun Salute? Why or why not?

4. Identify two major conflicts in Thirteen Gun Salute. Are the conflicts completely resolved by the end of Thirteen Gun Salute? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Most protagonists are a mixture of admirable traits and character flaws, and Jack Aubrey is no exception. Aubrey's insight and a nearly infallible instinct tends to carry him through the various perils he encounters, yet he is also plagued with doubts and is not above an occasional act of adultery.

1. Trace and analyze situations when Aubrey demonstrates his instinct for handling problems at sea. Give specific examples to illustrate your analysis.

2. Trace and analyze Aubrey's character flaws, especially his ineptness on land, with business ventures and wandering eye as far as women are concerned.

3. Discuss how you think Aubrey's admirable traits helped his career in the Navy? How does Aubrey hide his character flaws so they have not impeded his career. Do any of those under his command seem to notice these flaws? Who? How does the reader know this?

(see the answer keys)

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