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Name: _________________________ | Period: ___________________ |
This test consists of 5 short answer questions and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. What happens concerning Mr. Gray before the fleet gets underway?
2. Who does Stephen mention in defense of homosexuals?
3. What does Aubrey think about the fighting condition of the fleet?
4. What is said of the citizens of the village where the French were headed?
5. Why does Stephen not go ashore in Freetown with Square?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Often, authors will write about "what they know," and sometimes knowing a little about the author makes the books more interesting. Discuss the following:
1. Research and give a brief biographical sketch of Patrick O'Brian.
2. What in O'Brian's background may have helped him in writing The Maze? What may have influenced the way he depicts various characters and scenes?
3. Do you think there is always some of the author's own life in his/her novels? Why or why not? Give examples.
Essay Topic 2
Many events that happen in The Commodore are foreshadowed by previous events and/or signs. Discuss the following:
1. Define the literary term "foreshadow."
2. Why would an author use foreshadowing? Do you think it adds or detracts from your experience as a reader? Explain.
3. Trace and analyze five instances of foreshadowing in The Commodore. Match up what is mentioned earlier and what it foreshadows. Did you guess that each instance of foreshadowing was a "heads up" of something to come? Why or why not.
Essay Topic 3
Patrick O'Brian has tried as much as possible to use historical events and facts around which to weave his work of fiction. Discuss the following:
1. Do you think The Commodore qualifies as an historical fiction? Why or why not?
2. If much of the events in the book are historical, what surprises you about the way the events play out?
3. Do you think the culture of that era (early 1800s) is more or less advanced than you imagined? Explain.
This section contains 2,324 words (approx. 8 pages at 300 words per page) |
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