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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 Brian accuse Sophie of lying about?

2. What does Uncle Mo do most of the time while the group is working on the boat?

3. What material does the boat-maker use in a technique to help his work stay smooth?

4. What insult do Cody and Brian call each other after the baptism celebration?

5. How many bluefish does the sailing catch on the sail toward Martha's Vineyard?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What does Frank's wife call Sophie?

3. How does The Wanderer look, compared to the other boats in Martha's Vineyard?

4. Describe the nightmare the narrator has.

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

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

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

8. In Cody's journal, how does he describe his mother?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

"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?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the novel's structure.

1) Why does the author divide the novel into parts? What is the significance of the six parts of the novel?

2) Why do the chapters of the novel vary in length? What is different about the very short chapters? What role do these short chapters play in the novel?

Essay Topic 3

One of the primary themes of the novel is identity. Discus identity in the novel.

1) What elements help Sophie to find her identity and sense of self? Why does Sophie find it difficult to find her identity and where she fits into the world?

2) How do family, experience, memory, careers, and heritage affect identity in the novel?

3) How is storytelling a part of building identity for Sophie? What other ways do characters build or understand their identities?

(see the answer keys)

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