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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 establishment did Cheryl spend the night at in Mojave in Chapter 2: “Splitting”?

2. What did the skiers respond when Cheryl shouted to them from the PCT in Chapter 9: “Staying Found,” "WHERE ARE WE?"

3. What is the total distance of the Pacific Crest Trail?

4. What animal did Cheryl have a moving encounter with in Chapter 9: “Staying Found”?

5. Where did Cheryl have her camp stove repaired in Chapter 6: “A Bull in Both Directions”?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Cheryl's encounter with Greg influence her mindset on the trail in Chapter 6: “A Bull in Both Directions”?

2. How would you describe Cheryl's mindset as she returns to the PCT in Chapter 9: “Staying Found”?

3. What memories of Cheryl's marriage are shared with the reader in Chapter 2: “Splitting”?

4. What are the "last-minute" items that Cheryl remembers to bring as she sets out in Chapter 3: “Hunching in a Remotely Upright Position”?

5. What map does Cheryl describe in the beginning of Chapter 2: “Splitting”?

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

7. Where does Cheryl's hike of the PCT begin? What thoughts does Cheryl have upon arriving at her starting point in Chapter 2: “Splitting”?

8. How does the author describe her position as a woman on the trail in Chapter 7: “The Only Girl in the Woods”?

9. 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?

10. Where did Cheryl go before she left Minnesota for her hike? What did she do here, according to the narrative in Chapter 2: “Splitting”?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and discuss the narrative structure of Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail. How does the narrative develop tension and build in the first chapters? Would you say that the narrative style of the memoir is similar to the narrative style of a fictional novel? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Discuss Cheryl’s relationship with Joe as described in the narrative. In what ways did Joe differ from Cheryl’s husband Paul? Where did Cheryl meet Joe? How did their relationship develop? How did Cheryl’s relationship with Joe influence her decision to hike the PCT?

(see the answer keys)

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