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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 reason does Uncle Mo give for not helping to clean?

2. What is the first leg of The Wanderer's planned journey?

3. What is Cody always doing while he works?

4. What one thing does Sophie like about moving?

5. How old does Sophie say Bompie was when he left England?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Uncle Dock do, when the fog comes in, and how does it affect Sophie?

2. How did Uncle Dock get his nickname?

3. What does Uncle Dock give Sophie's mother, that encourages Sophie's mother to let her daughter go on the trip?

4. Describe the nightmare the narrator has.

5. How do the three brothers react when Brian asks if Stew has heard Sophie's baptism story before?

6. How do the dolphins act when they come up to the boat?

7. What does Sophie think of the boat when she first sees it?

8. What does Sophie's mother do?

9. What is the sail to Nova Scotia supposed to be like?

10. How does The Wanderer look, compared to the other boats in Martha's Vineyard?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare Cody and Brian as characters, and Mo and Stew as similar characters from the previous generation.

1) How are Cody and Mo similar? How are Brian and Stew similar? Is each generation a continuation of the past?

2) Why are Cody and Brian often at odds, just like Mo and Stew? What does this show about the family dynamic?

3) Why does the author choose family members with clear differences to include in the story?

Essay Topic 2

The sea and The Wanderer are the main settings of this novel. Discuss setting and its importance in the novel.

1) Why is the sea the main setting of the novel? In what ways is the sea personified in the novel? What does Sophie expect from it? How does she respond to it?

2) How does The Wanderer function as a setting of the novel? What does the boat contribute to the novel? Why does the author set the novel on this boat?

3) How does setting affect the beginning and end of the journey, when the characters are in Kentucky, Grand Manan, Ireland, England, and elsewhere? How are these settings different from the sea and The Wanderer?

Essay Topic 3

During the journey, the characters learn about each other. Discuss learning about other people in the novel.

1) How does Sophie learn about her uncles and cousins during the journey? What affect does this have on their relationships?

2) How does Cody learn about Sophie during the journey? How does Cody respond to his cousin and to learning about her?

3) How do Cody and Mo learn about each other during the journey? How does this affect their relationship as father and son?

(see the answer keys)

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