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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. How old was Cheryl when she first met Joe?

2. What animal's tracks did Cheryl spot after leaving Golden Oak Springs in Chapter 5: “Tracks”?

3. Who is the author of the following poetic excerpt that opens Part Three? "If your Nerve, deny you - / Go above your Nerve - "

4. How old was Ed when Cheryl met him in Chapter 7: “The Only Girl in the Woods”?

5. What had Cheryl done with the book Staying Found after reading it?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens when Cheryl goes to lift her backpack and set out on the hike in Chapter 3: “Hunching in a Remotely Upright Position”?

2. What internal and external conflicts are presented for Cheryl in Chapter 8: “Corvidology”?

3. How does Cheryl describe her early childhood and her biological father in Chapter 1: “The Ten Thousand Things”?

4. What information does Cheryl learn during her detour in Chapter 6: “A Bull in Both Directions”?

5. What invitation is extended to Cheryl from Doug and Tom in Chapter 8: “Corvidology”? How does Cheryl respond?

6. When does Cheryl stop hiking on her first day on the PCT in Chapter 4: “The Pacific Crest Trail, Volume I: California”? What are her thoughts as she camps?

7. How does Cheryl describe her past relationship with Joe in Chapter 4: “The Pacific Crest Trail, Volume I: California”?

8. What revelations about herself does Cheryl have while looking into the mirror before setting out for the PCT in Chapter 3: “Hunching in a Remotely Upright Position”?

9. What memories of Cheryl's divorce are shared with the reader in Chapter 6: “A Bull in Both Directions”?

10. What is revealed of Cheryl's past in the flashback to the Mayo Clinic in Chapter 1: “The Ten Thousand Things”?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the theme of abandonment in Wild. How did Cheryl come to feel abandoned by her mother? How does abandonment apply to Cheryl’s relationship with her father? How do you think Cheryl’s feelings of abandonment have influenced her as a person? How have these feelings influenced Cheryl’s actions?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Cheryl’s flashback and discussion of James Michener when she meets Christine and Jeff in Chapter 10: “Range of Light.” Why did Cheryl disregard and insult her mother’s love of Michener? Why did Cheryl choose a Michener book from Jeff’s collection? What does this action symbolize in the narrative?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the narrative style of Wild. Is the story related from a first, second, or third-person perspective? Is it related in present or past tense? What impact does each of these choices have on the reader?

(see the answer keys)

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