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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 kind of job does Pechvarry have?

2. What does Duny produce to help the village?

3. What is Duny's new name?

4. What happens to Duny after he casts the spell?

5. What surprising information does Vetch offer Ged?

Short Essay Questions

1. Do you think Duny's Aunt initially sets out to use him?

2. Why do you think Duny receives his new name on his 13th birthday?

3. What do you think the differences are between a town witch and a wizard?

4. Why is it significant that Vetch tells Ged his real name?

5. Is it significant that characters can deplete the powers of both wizards and dragons by saying their real names?

6. What do you think Ged will learn at wizard school that he cannot learn with Ogion?

7. Why do you think Jasper is so cruel to Ged?

8. Why do you think Ged is so enthusiastic about going to Wizard School?

9. Why do you think LeGuin's book harks back to the Middle Ages?

10. What part has tradition, ancient artifacts, and ancient languages played in the story so far?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The book follows Ged through some of the important years of his life and divides it into three periods.

1) From 7-13 at the the Gont village.

2) From 13-16 training to be a wizard, first with Ogion and then at the wizard school in Roke.

3) From 16 he tries to find himself in the world.

Take one of the periods and discuss what he learns and the problems he faces.

Essay Topic 2

The Wizard of Earthsea was written in 1968, a year after the summer of love and consequently communicates some of the concerns of that period. Choose one of the following ideas from the book and discuss how they reflect the concerns of sixties culture.

1) Good vs evil

2) Friendship and adventure in preference to shutting yourself away from the world.

3) The importance of tradition.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the importance of ancient traditions in the novel. Do you think tradition holds Ged and the younger characters back? How does it affect the tone of the novel? Does it represent a split between the younger and older generations?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 754 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample