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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. Maeve names her daughter Amadora, a name which means "gift of love" (146) in what language?

2. What sound did Maeve hear that alerted her to the presence of an infant in one of Red's hollows?

3. What keeps Samar from touching the word that is carved into Red's trunk, though she reaches out to do so?

4. Who are Lewis and Clark?

5. What happens to cause Stephen to run home after he and Samar hear Red speak aloud?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who was Squibbles?

2. Which character is asked by Red to untie Samar's wish from Red's branch and why?

3. What is the significance of the year 1848 in Red's life?

4. Why does the first plan to help Samar find a friend fail?

5. What does the reader learn about Maeve in Chapter 31?

6. What is Bongo and Red's first plan to help Samar find a friend?

7. Compare and contrast the ways in which Bongo and Red feel about a plan to help Samar.

8. How does Red describe the "crow version of a smile" (113)?

9. Who ultimately gets Samar's wish untied from Red's branch and how is the task performed?

10. How does Francesca's delivery of her announcement about Red differ from previous times when she has threatened to have Red cut down?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

William Faulkner once famously claimed that the most important literature deals with the subject of the human heart in conflict with itself. Explain how the theme of Human versus Self is demonstrated within Applegate’s novel Wishtree. Create a decisive, arguable claim and prove it with quotes from the book.

Essay Topic 2

How is the theme of communication portrayed in Wishtree? Examine Applegate's treatment of and messages regarding communication throughout the book.

Essay Topic 3

Analyze the interplay between the resolution of Wishtree and one of the novel's main messages. How does Applegate make connections between these elements and how does their juxtaposition help them get across one main message of the novel?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,090 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample