A Wizard of Earthsea

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Though the novel involves predominantly male characters, women play an important role in Ged’s journey. Choose one female character for the focus of this essay.

• What role does this female character represent in Ged’s coming-of-age journey? (topic sentence)
• Describe the character’s relationship to Ged. How does she help or hinder his journey? In what ways does she influence him? Explain your reasoning using 2-3 examples from the text.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, state what universal role, lesson, phase, or trial this character represents in a youth’s coming-of-age story and why it is a vital part of the genre.

2. As a character, Ged is blessed with a high degree of magical talent, but he does not always have the knowledge or wisdom necessary to use his power well.