View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is Vetch worried about when he finds Ged?

2. Why is Ged nervous about entering the inlet?

3. What tells Ged he is heading in the right direction?

4. To where does Ged find a ship to sail?

5. What do Ged and Vetch head into after Atowell?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Ged seek security at Roke and not in his hometown in Gont?

2. How is the couple's refusal to leave the island comparative to Ged's need to move on?

3. Why does LeGuin change the point of view from Ged to Ogion?

4. How does Ged's reaction to the town's celebration show a change in his character?

5. Why do you think Ged decides magic is not everything?

6. What does Vetch's comment that he was there in beginning so he should be there in the end, mean in context of the story?

7. What is significant about the reintroduction of Vetch?

8. Why is it significant Ged goes back to see his original teacher?

9. What does it symbolize that Ged cannot get back to Roke?

10. What does it show that Ged respects the couple's decision to stay on the island?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Using examples from the book discuss how Ged's personal journey makes a complete circle? Does he re-live similar situations? How does he react differently to them the second time round?

Essay Topic 2

The book is generally told from the point of view of the main character Ged, but on two separate occasions, Le Guin switches point of view. The first time it switches to Ogion when Ged is a hawk and the second time it switches to Vetch when Ged is busy fighting the Shadow. Taking one of these examples, answer the following questions.

1) How does the meaning of the story change when Le Guin switches point of view?

2) Why does Le Guin use this character's point of view and not any of the other characters?

3) Imagine you are the shadow. What do you think his point of view would be? Is he completely evil? Is he as scared as Ged?

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)

This section contains 893 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample