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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 does Aubrey note among the crew?

2. Where has one of the patients that Maturin is examining been?

3. To whom does Aubrey give his word that there are no stowaways on board?

4. What do Aubrey and the scout seem to have?

5. What does the crew catch?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the inspection fare?

2. What does Aubrey hope for on his return to England?

3. How does Clarissa end up at a penal colony in Australia?

4. What would the officers normally do to celebrate a wedding and how do they finally manage to do so?

5. What ship closes to Surprises and what is its purpose?

6. What do Maturin and Clarissa go ashore to do, but what do they end up doing?

7. Describe Emily and Sarah Sweeting.

8. How is Clarissa dressed for the ceremony and who performs the ceremony to marry Oakes and Clarissa?

9. Why do Sarah and Emily become upset and how is the problem solved?

10. How does Clarissa come to be on board the Surprise and what does Aubrey say he is going to do about it?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Clarissa Harville (later Oakes) is the only woman on board the Truelove, although there are 2 young girls on board the ship, due to some unusual circumstances. Discuss the following:

1. Research the superstition related to having a woman on board a ship. Do you think the superstition has a basis in logic? What?

2. How did the superstition about a women on board give rise to the bare-chested figure of a woman often found on the prow of a ship?

3. Discuss three other superstitions that are peculiar to sailors of that time. Which of them might have some basis in reality? What is the reality that may be behind each superstition?

4. Is there any reason to pay attention to a superstition, whether on land or at sea? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

There are a number of instances of foreshadowing in THE TRUELOVE. Many of these instances, readers will recognize as probable foreshadowing; others, the readers may not be aware until the event which is foreshadowed occurs. Discuss the following:

1. Define the literary term foreshadow. Why do you think authors foreshadow a future event? What might be a reader's reaction to a sudden tragic or wonderful event if there were no hints whatsoever that it might occur?

2. Find four events that are foreshadowed in and pair up the foreshadowing text with the event. Analyze each event to include the following: What is foreshadowed? Is the method O'Brian uses to foreshadow effective? Did you guess when a particular text was foreshadowing a future event? Did you guess what the event is?

3. Along with foreshadowing, symbolism usually plays a role in most works of fiction? How extensive is the use of symbolism in Truelove? Is there enough symbolism to add depth to the writing? Interest to the writing? Explain your statements with examples.

Essay Topic 3

Aubrey is an officer and a gentleman and is therefore accorded more respect and trust even in enemy territory than the common sailor. Discuss the following:

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

2. Aubrey has an adulterous affair with a young native woman . 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, both officers and enlisted can be held for court martial for adultery or having sexual relations with someone of inferior rank. Why do you think this is so? Do you agree with the policy?

4. In the time in which THE TRUELOVE is set, an officer's word was assumed to always be good; whereas a non-officer was not considered trustworthy. What is the flaw in this standard? Do you think it affects the moral and/or morals of non-officers? How? What about the morale of each group?

(see the answer keys)

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