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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 what voice is the Prologue written?

2. What do Eunice and Agatha try to do while Polly and them are having tea?

3. How did Thaddeus Blinn look?

4. What does Polly notice about the card after she makes her wish?

5. What does Stew Meat ignore when he goes into Thaddeus' tent?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Polly impress her teacher?

2. What is the Coven Tree Church Social and who is allowed to set up a booth there?

3. What does Polly worry about the next morning and how is she initially reassured?

4. What does Polly find and then lose?

5. What does Polly talk about at tea, and what do Eunice and Agatha talk about?

6. Describe the discussion about Eunice and Agatha.

7. What do Agatha and Eunice try to do at tea the next day and how does Polly respond?

8. What does Stew Meat do with his card?

9. What does Rowena take Henry for breakfast and how does he like it?

10. What does each story chronicle?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There are a number of interesting questions raised by "The Wish Giver". Questions that Brittain most likely want readers to consider and think through carefully. Discuss the following:

1. What does the term "author agenda" mean?

2. Name one idea/concept you think may have been a part of the Brittain' agenda. Analyze that idea throughout the book and discuss Brittain' probable agenda concerning that idea.

2. Do you think writers who have an agenda for writing should point it out in a preface?

3. How often do you think fiction is written with a clear agenda in mind by the author?

4. Research the life of Brittain and see if/where his life may have influenced his writing.

Essay Topic 2

The central character in each tale experiences a particularly challenging confrontation with his / her inability to achieve a driving desire, impulsively uses the wishing card s/he purchased from Thaddeus Blinn, and begins to suffer the consequences of that impulse. In this context, structure and theme can be seen to interrelate, the principle of cause and effect (i.e. this action causing that reaction causing this action, and so on and so on) coming into play in order to reinforce the work's central thematic contention that blindly following impulse is dangerous.

1. Chose one of the characters of Polly, Rowena or Adam and discuss, in depths ways in which their desire could have been achieved without a wish card. Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

2. Do you think some of the consequences of using the wish card might still have happened if the characters had never met Blinn? Why or why not? Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

3. Do you think impulsive behavior always has negative consequences? Why or why not? Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Many readers of fiction place themselves in the position of one character, wondering if they would do the same thing as that character. Discuss the following:

1. Do you think one of the values of literature is to serve as a reflection of oneself? Why or why not?

2. Socrates said "Know thyself." How can reading a book such as "The Wish Giver" help a reader to know him/herself? Do you find yourself reflecting on your own character and abilities when reading "The Wish Giver"? Why or why not.

3. Choose one specific incident in "The Wish Giver" to discuss and compare one of the characters' response to how you think you would respond.

(see the answer keys)

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