The God of the Woods Quiz: 20 Questions to Test Your Understanding
Quiz
1. [Multiple Choice] What is the title of the first chapter after the epigraph?
A) Bear
B) Barbara
C) When Lost
D) Visitors
2. [Multiple Choice] Which chapter title comes immediately after "When Lost"?
A) Visitors
B) Found
C) Survival
D) Self-Reliance
3. [Short Answer] What is the Roman numeral for the chapter titled "Bear"?
4. [Multiple Choice] Which chapter title suggests a discovery?
A) Survival
B) Found
C) Visitors
D) Self-Reliance
5. [Short Answer] In what year was the New York Times article quoted in the epigraph published?
6. [Multiple Choice] Which author is quoted in the second epigraph?
A) Anne LaBastille
B) Ralph Waldo Emerson
C) Henry David Thoreau
D) Liz Moore
7. [Short Answer] How many parts (Roman numeral chapters) are there in the novel based on the supplied outline?
8. [Multiple Choice] The epigraph warns visitors about which danger?
A) Wild animals
B) Getting lost
C) Hypothermia
D) Starvation
9. [Multiple Choice] Why might Barbara Van Laar have ventured into the woods according to the epigraph's warning?
A) She was an experienced hiker
B) She was incredulous of the danger
C) She was forced by someone else
D) She was following a map
10. [Multiple Choice] What is the likely motivation for Bear Van Laar in the search for Barbara?
A) Revenge
B) Curiosity
C) Family loyalty
D) Desire for fame
11. [Short Answer] According to the chapter "When Lost," what is the emotional state of those searching for Barbara?
12. [Multiple Choice] The chapter "Survival" suggests that characters are motivated by a need to:
A) Escape captivity
B) Endure physical and emotional challenges
C) Find treasure
D) Reconnect with nature
13. [Short Answer] What philosophical concept is invoked by the chapter "Self-Reliance," which may influence character motivations?
14. [Multiple Choice] What duality is introduced in the epigraph?
A) Good vs evil
B) Peril vs beauty
C) Civilized vs wild
D) Knowledge vs ignorance
15. [Multiple Choice] The bear in the chapter title likely symbolizes which of the following?
A) The Van Laar family legacy
B) The wilderness itself
C) A specific character's anger
D) The camp's mascot
16. [Short Answer] The concept of "being lost" in the novel may apply to both physical disappearance and what?
17. [Multiple Choice] The chapter "Visitors" suggests the arrival of new characters, which likely introduces:
A) A romantic subplot
B) New clues or complications
C) Comic relief
D) A flashback
18. [Short Answer] How does the epigraph by Anne LaBastille relate to the overall theme of the novel?
19. [Multiple Choice] Which chapter title best encapsulates the idea of Emersonian individualism that may drive a character's actions?
A) When Lost
B) Visitors
C) Self-Reliance
D) Survival
20. [Short Answer] Considering the epigraph's warning and the chapter titles, what is the central conflict in the novel?
Answer Key
1. B) Barbara – The outline states that Chapter 2 is titled "I. Barbara."
2. A) Visitors – Chapter 5 is titled "IV. Visitors," which follows Chapter 4, "III. When Lost."
3. II – The chapter "Bear" is numbered "II" as seen in the outline.
4. B) Found – The outline notes that a chapter titled "Found" suggests a discovery occurs.
5. 1890 – The epigraph cites an article from The New York Times dated March 16, 1890.
6. A) Anne LaBastille – The second epigraph is attributed to Anne LaBastille’s Woodswoman.
7. 7 – The outline lists chapters from "I. Barbara" through "VII. Self-Reliance."
8. B) Getting lost – The epigraph explicitly warns that "the danger of losing himself in the forest" is the only thing to be dreaded.
9. B) She was incredulous of the danger – The epigraph states that "many a pedestrian … is incredulous of the danger," implying that Barbara likely underestimated the risk.
10. C) Family loyalty – The outline mentions Bear Van Laar in the context of the search for Barbara, and family loyalty is the most plausible motive given the emotional stakes described.
11. Emotional disorientation – The outline for "When Lost" refers to "the emotional disorientation of those searching for her."
12. B) Endure physical and emotional challenges – The outline says that in "Survival" characters must "confront physical and emotional challenges."
13. Self-reliance (or Emerson’s concept) – The outline notes that the chapter title "Self-Reliance" may invoke Emerson’s idea.
14. B) Peril vs beauty – The LaBastille epigraph reflects on how "peril could be followed by beauty in the wilderness."
15. B) The wilderness itself – The outline lists "Bear (symbol)" and associates it with nature, endurance, and threat, strongly suggesting the bear represents the wilderness.
16. Emotional disorientation – The outline states that "When Lost" addresses both a physical disappearance and the emotional disorientation of the searchers.
17. B) New clues or complications – The outline indicates that "Visitors" marks the arrival of new characters, which in a mystery novel typically introduces new leads or complications.
18. It highlights the intertwined nature of peril and beauty in the wilderness, reflecting the novel’s central duality as established in the epigraph.
19. C) Self-Reliance – The chapter title directly references Emerson’s philosophy of self-reliance, which can drive a character’s independent actions.
20. The struggle between human vulnerability and the unforgiving wilderness – This synthesis draws from the epigraph’s warning about getting lost and the subsequent chapter titles focusing on survival, self-reliance, and search efforts.