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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. Who is Visser?

2. With what is Skovaard getting annoyed?

3. What does Peyman ask Lavisser to translate?

4. What does Sharpe say that Gordon can order Sharpe to do?

5. What does Sharpe say about Skovaard?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who does Sharpe see sleeping on a chair and how does he deduce who she is?

2. What does Hopper give Sharpe when Sharpe first arrives on his ship, and what do Hopper and Chase say to Sharpe about Grace?

3. What is said about General Castenschiold's Danish militia?

4. Describe the encounter between Sharpe and Barker.

5. Describe Sharpe's converstion with Madam Visser.

6. Describe the conversation among Sharpe, Captain Gordon and Pumphrey.

7. What does Sharpe ask of Chase and what is Chase's response?

8. Why does Sharpe finally leave Skovaard's home?

9. What does Castenschiold plan to do in response to the British presence?

10. What transpires between Astrid and Sharpe concerning their relationship?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Richard Sharpe is in some ways a larger-than-life hero. Despite incredible odds, he usually comes out on top, in "Sharpe's Prey" and in the others in the series. Discuss the following:

1. Does having a larger-than-life hero make that person less of a hero? In other words, which is more admirable--a hero who ultimately always "lands on his feet," or one who strives against impossible odds and doesn't always succeed?

2. Does a character have to be successful in order to be a hero? Explain your answer.

3. Choose one other character besides Sharpe who you might call a hero/heroine and explain why you choose that person. Illustrate your statements with examples from the text.

4. Does every work of fiction have to have a hero? Explain your answer.

Essay Topic 2

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 Prey" 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.

Essay Topic 3

Cornwell is masterful in his description of battles and life in general in for a soldier during the Napoleonic Wars in the early 1800s. Discuss one of the following:

1. Trace and analyze Cornwells's descriptive passages about life as a soldier. How does he use descriptions of the five senses to make the reader feel s/he is there? Do you find his descriptions compelling? Seemingly accurate? How would "Sharpe's Prey" be different if Cornwell did not include such descriptive passages?

2. Analyze Cornwells's descriptive passages about the social structure of the times and discuss what you think it would be like to be a person of wealth and/or privilege such as Wellington, or Dunnet. Contrast that to the lives of those who are in a lower social strata such as Sharpe and Harper or one in service to someone of wealth and/or privilege.

3. Describe and analyze Cornwell's descriptive passages about the topographical setting and the physical descriptions of the people. Does Cornwell do an adequate job of actually making the reader "see" the land/sea where the action is taking place? How about getting a visual image of the characters? How does the descriptions of the setting add to the novel? Do you like having an idea of how a character looks? How would the novel be different without such descriptions?

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