A Wizard of Earthsea

Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Chapters 1-2

Reading Check

1. What kind of magic does Ged use to save Ten Alders?

2. What is magic tied to in Ged’s world?

3. What does the daughter of Rei Albi ask Ged to do?

4. How does the ship to Roke echo Ged’s destiny?

5. What is the inciting incident or call to adventure?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. In what ways is Ogion Ged’s foil?

2. What themes has Ogion’s character mastered that Ged has yet to learn?

3. What is Ged’s internal conflict?

Paired Resource

“Some Assumptions About Fantasy”

• In her speech, which was presented at the Children’s Literature Breakfast in 2004, Ursula K. Le Guin explores her reactions to the fantasy genre as it is presented and commercialized to a mass audience, arguing that it is the writer’s responsibility to disrupt assumptions and explore themes beyond battles of good and evil.
• This speech connects to the themes of The Limits and Responsibilities of Power and The Importance and Power of Agency.
• In what ways does the story so far upend traditional fantasy tropes? How and where does Le Guin overturn assumptions about the genre?