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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 does Stew say Claire thought of him and his brothers when she was young?

2. What does Uncle Dock call the wind?

3. How old is Sophie?

4. What does the crew call the new bilge box?

5. How does the narrator describe sailing?

Short Essay Questions

1. How long have Sophie's uncles wanted to sail across the ocean?

2. What does Sophie's mother do?

3. What does Frank's wife call Sophie?

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

5. Describe Uncle Mo.

6. What does Uncle Dock call and tell Sophie about their planned departure?

7. What does Sophie think of the Ohio River?

8. What chore will Sophie have to take a turn at that she's not looking forward to?

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

10. What habit of speech does Cody have that annoys most of the people on the boat?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Sophie is a young adolescent as the novel begins, and the journey she takes is part of the process of growing up. Discuss growing up in the novel.

1) How does Sophie grow as a result of her journey? What steps does she take toward becoming an adult?

2) How does Cody grow up as a result of the journey on The Wanderer? How does he change?

3) What have Sophie's uncles lost and gained in the process of growing up? What does Sophie learn about growing up from talking to them?

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

Death is central to the novel. Discuss death in the novel.

1) How does Sophie react to killing fish on the journey? What is her attitude toward the death of fish?

2) How does Sophie deal with the death of her parents and grandfather? How does she deal with the impending death of Bompie?

3) How do the characters deal with the prospects of their own deaths?

(see the answer keys)

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