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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. How many days had it been since Cheryl left Sierra City when she arrived at the jeep rail on the PCT and encountered people in Chapter 9: “Staying Found”?

2. What was the name of the therapist that Cheryl had seen in downtown Minneapolis?

3. Who is attributed to the following quote that opens Part Three? "We are now in the mountains and they are in us..."

4. What animal's tracks did Cheryl spot after leaving Golden Oak Springs in Chapter 5: “Tracks”?

5. The father and son that gave Cheryl a ride from Mojave to the PCT were from a suburb of what city?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where did Cheryl go before she left Minnesota for her hike? What did she do here, according to the narrative in Chapter 2: “Splitting”?

2. What memories of Cheryl's marriage are shared with the reader in Chapter 2: “Splitting”?

3. How does Cheryl describe her early childhood and her biological father in Chapter 1: “The Ten Thousand Things”?

4. What memories of Cheryl's divorce are shared with the reader in Chapter 6: “A Bull in Both Directions”?

5. Where is the author in the Prologue of the memoir? What action takes place in the Prologue?

6. Where does Cheryl's hike of the PCT begin? What thoughts does Cheryl have upon arriving at her starting point in Chapter 2: “Splitting”?

7. Describe Cheryl's encounter with the fox in Chapter 9: “Staying Found.” What inner emotions are revealed in this excerpt of the memoir?

8. What symbolism is revealed to be connected to the feather that Cheryl carries in Chapter 8: “Corvidology”?

9. What are Cheryl's initial thoughts about facing snow in the High Sierras in Chapter 7: “The Only Girl in the Woods”?

10. How would you describe Cheryl's mindset as she returns to the PCT in Chapter 9: “Staying Found”?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Cheryl’s flashback and discussion of James Michener when she meets Christine and Jeff in Chapter 10: “Range of Light.” Why did Cheryl disregard and insult her mother’s love of Michener? Why did Cheryl choose a Michener book from Jeff’s collection? What does this action symbolize in the narrative?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the themes of friendship and human connection in Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail. How does Cheryl evolve in her relationships as a result of her experiences on the trail? In what ways do Cheryl’s perceptions of men and women transform as she meets and befriends fellow hikers?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the genres of memoir and Bildungsroman. How does the term “Bildungsroman” relate to the narrative of Wild? How do literary devices such as theme, plot structure, imagery, metaphor, and symbolism apply to this genre? How do memoirs vary in terms of how they are related and how they are structured?

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