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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 Sharpe discover about Hakeswill after the convent is secured?

2. Who will assist Sharpe in rescuing the women?

3. What lies on either side of the road that runs out of the pass?

4. What is Sharpe supposed to do with the troops to which he has been assigned?

5. How do the defenders of the castle appear to Sharpe?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Sharpe first do when he takes over his new command and to what conclusions does he come?

2. What do Pot-au-Feu and Hakeswill suggest to Sharpe and the others and what are they doing while they talk?

3. Who does Sharpe meet who is head of the rifle company going to Andrados, what is that man like and how does Sharpe feel about him?

4. What does Lady Farthingdale do when she sees Sharpe?

5. What happens when Frederickson shows up at the convent?

6. What does Nairn tell Sharpe when he is summoned in Chapter 3?

7. What does Sharpe do with the prisoners and what bothers him the most about the prisoners as far as who he wanted to capture?

8. What happens to Sharpe and the three others in the convent shortly after they meet?

9. How important is Andrados, where it is situated and what types of protections are in place around it?

10. What does Farthingdale do when he is injured and what does Sharpe see after he does it?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Sharpe, despite his background, is an officer and a gentleman and is therefore accorded more respect and trust even in enemy territory than the common soldier. Discuss the following:

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

2. Sharpe blackmails Farthingdale about Josefina in order to obtain command of the forces. 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?

Essay Topic 2

When Sharpe and Dubreton present their gold to Pot-au-Fea and Hakeswill the men take the gold but refuse to release the woman. There is some inconsistency in this situation as Sharpe and Hakeswill's last confrontation in another book would definitely preclude Hakeswill inviting Sharpe to join them. Also, the fact that Pot-au-Fea and Hakeswill allow the four men to leave is inconsistent with their characterization. These two items are necessary for the plot but they are more of a narrative contrivance than believable.

1. With research, define narrative contrivance and how it is used in several places in Sharpe's Enemy. Do you think the plot could have been satisfied without it? Why or why not? Use examples from the text to support your answer.

2. Do you think narrative contrivances detract from Sharpe's Enemy by placing too much reliance on readers' gullibility? Why or why not? Use examples from the text to support your answer.

3. When you read of the two contrivances above, did it stop you and make you pause in your reading to consider Hakeswill allowing Sharpe, his sworn enemy to leave? What do you think, in real life would have happened to Sharpe? Why?

Essay Topic 3

At the conclusion of a novel, most readers either consciously or unconsciously engage in processing the book and usually come to a conclusion as to whether they like the book or not. Discuss one of the following:

1. Would you consider Sharpe's Enemy a "good" book? Why or why not? Use examples to illustrate your stance.

2. What do you think are the elements of an outstanding novel? Analyze one of your favorite novels to see if those elements are present.

3. What are some reasons you might consider a novel a failure? Analyze a novel you think is a failure and see if those elements are in that novel.

(see the answer keys)

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