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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. Where does Vetch find Ged after he has fought the shadow?

2. What does Ged call his new boat?

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

4. Why are the couple on the island?

5. About whom does the woman tell Ged?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does it say about Vetch and Ged's friendship that Ged is drawn to the village even before he meets his friend?

2. What do you think Otak's death symbolizes?

3. What does Ged learn from his confrontation with Skiorh?

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

5. At what point in this chapter does Ged show his increasing maturity?

6. How does Ged know he is going in the right direction?

7. How is it important to the story that Ged's mother died during his early childhood?

8. Why do you think the Shadow runs away after Ged tries to grab it?

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

10. How does Ged's meeting with Serret show a coming of age?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

A Wizard of Earthsea details Ged's coming of age.

1) What problems does Ged have to overcome? How does he overcome them? At what point does Ged become free of his problems and how does he react to this freedom?

2) What do you think would have happened to Ged if he went to Roke instead of facing the Shadow? Do you think this would have signified his defeat.

3) Discuss why it is so important for Ged to achieve something special? What do you think has triggered his ambition.

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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