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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. Who does Ogion say the girl's mother is?

2. What does Master Namer teach him?

3. What does Ged decide he should do when he graduates?

4. Which Master keeps Ged alive?

5. Why does Duny's Aunt try to weave a spell over him?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. What do you think Ged could learn with Ogion that he could not learn at a wizard school?

4. What does Le Guin show about Ged's character when he is looking for the school?

5. Do you think Duny has anything that initially sets him out from others?

6. What do you think the shadow represents to Ged?

7. What does the death of Pechvarry's child represent to Ged?

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

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

10. How do you think the Archmage's death changes Ged?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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?

Essay Topic 2

Pick one of the following themes from the story and discuss how it contributes to the story's meaning.

1) Pride.

2) Coming of Age

3) Friendship

Essay Topic 3

The Wizard of Earthsea is a fantasy novel with many of the conventions you would associate with the fantasy genre.

1) Discuss what you already know about the fantasy genre. What do you think are the conventions of a fantasy book in terms of structure, characters and themes?

2) What kind of fantasy book is Wizard of Earthsea? What conventions does it use from the genre? Does it take anything from any other genre? Does Le Guin subvert any of the fantasy genres conventions?

(see the answer keys)

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