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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. In Sophie's story, what does Bompie's mother give him?

2. When Cody asks Uncle Dock what happened to Sophie's parents, what does he say?

3. What does Uncle Dock call the competitiveness among boat owners in Martha's Vineyard?

4. In his journal, what animals does Cody compare his father with?

5. What does Sophie say when Cody asks what happened to her parents?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens to the car in Sophie's story about Bompie?

2. What story does Sophie tell Cody about a little kid she knows?

3. What does Sophie initially plan to do the last day of school?

4. What does Sophie think of the Ohio River?

5. How do the three brothers react when Brian asks if Stew has heard Sophie's baptism story before?

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

7. Describe Uncle Mo.

8. What does the tall, lanky woman that Cody and Sophie meet show them?

9. How does Brian act when he walks on the beach with Cody and Sophie?

10. Why does Uncle Mo worry while Cody and Sophie are away visiting Wood Island?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The novel centers around memory and remembering. Discuss these elements in the novel.

1) How is Bompie's failing memory during his illness important to the story? Why does Sophie want to keep Bompie's memory alive through his stories?

2) How is memory unreliable in the novel? How are Sophie and Bompie's memories both unreliable in different ways?

3) How does memory drive the characters? How do Sophie's repressed memories drive her? How do Dock's memories of Rosalie drive him?

Essay Topic 2

The characters in the novel all deal with tragedy and loss. Discuss dealing with tragedy in the novel.

1) How does Dock deal with the loss of Rosalie? How is this loss a tragedy for Dock?

2) How does Sophie deal with the loss of her parents?

3) What other tragedies do characters deal with? Is Stew's loss of his job a tragedy? Does Cody deal with tragedy?

Essay Topic 3

"The Wanderer" contains many instances of conflict. Discuss the three types of conflict in the novel.

1) What conflicts in the novel are Man versus Man? How are these conflicts significant in the novel?

2) What conflicts in the novel are Man versus Nature? How are these conflicts significant in the novel?

3) What conflicts in the novel are Man versus Himself? How are these conflicts significant in the novel?

(see the answer keys)

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