Duty and Desire

In real life and in fiction, people are often torn between desire and obligation. This theme is especially true of Richard Sharpe.

The first time we see Sharpe he is full of rage and looking for a way to vent that rage. He has also decided to desert the army and embark on a life of crime. This Richard Sharpe at the beginning of the novel has succumbed to emotion after grave disappointments including the death of loved ones and seeing his army career stall. The opportunity to go on a mission for General Baird is initially little more than a convenient escape for Sharpe, but once he is put in a military situation where his talents and skills are appreciated, his old sense of duty starts to return.

The further Sharpe goes into the mission, the more both his sense of desire and duty return...