View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Cheryl Strayed writes in Chapter 3: “Hunching in a Remotely Upright Position,” "Every now and then I could see myself--truly see myself--and a sentence would come to me, thundering like a god into my head, and as I saw myself then in front of that tarnished mirror what came to me was" what?

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

3. What is the name of the low green bush that Cheryl pointed out as she and Greg began on the PCT in Chapter 9: “Staying Found”?

4. What did Troy work delivering around southern California when he picked Cheryl up to give her a ride in Chapter 6: “A Bull in Both Directions”?

5. How many days was Cheryl on the PCT before she reached Golden Oak Springs in Chapter 5: “Tracks”?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. 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?

3. What book inspired Cheryl's journey? Where did Cheryl first encounter this book?

4. Describe Cheryl's encounter with the fox in Chapter 9: “Staying Found.” What inner emotions are revealed in this excerpt of the memoir?

5. What causes Cheryl to leave the PCT in Chapter 5: “Tracks”? Where does she go when she departs from the trail?

6. 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”?

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

8. What items does Cheryl describe that she has brought for her journey in Chapter 3: “Hunching in a Remotely Upright Position”?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the genres of memoir and Bildungsroman. How does the term “Bildungsroman” relate to the narrative of Wild? How do literary devices such as theme, plot structure, imagery, metaphor, and symbolism apply to this genre? How do memoirs vary in terms of how they are related and how they are structured?

Essay Topic 2

Examine the theme of intimacy in the narrative. Cheryl discusses her propensity toward adultery that occurred following her mother’s death. In what ways does Cheryl’s desire for sex relate to her desire for human connection? How does Cheryl change in this regard over the course of the story?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the symbolism of the black feather Cheryl carried on her backpack in the narrative. Who gave Cheryl the feather? What did she come to learn it symbolized from a stranger in Reno? What did the feather represent to Cheryl?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,057 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample