Quiz Wild Side Elsie Silver

Wild Side Quiz – 20 Questions on Plot, Characters, Themes & Symbols

Quiz: Wild Side by Elsie Silver

Answer all 20 questions. Questions 1–8 test plot and sequence, 9–13 test character motivation, 14–17 test theme and symbol, and 18–20 are synthesis questions. Some are multiple-choice; others require short written answers.

Plot & Sequence (Questions 1–8)

  1. How does Tabitha first meet Rhys in the opening chapter?

    • A. At a funeral
    • B. When she knocks on his door asking him to secure prescription drugs from her sister Erika
    • C. At the bowling alley
    • D. During a therapy session

  2. Why does Tabitha blame Rhys for Erika's death?

    • A. He gave her drugs
    • B. He broke a pinky promise not to evict Erika, causing her housing instability
    • C. He refused to help pay for rehab
    • D. He kept Milo from her

  3. What document reveals that Rhys is the legal guardian of Milo?

    • A. A foster care placement letter
    • B. Erika's last will and testament
    • C. A police report
    • D. A court summons

  4. What event forces Tabitha to propose marriage to Rhys?

    • A. She falls in love with him
    • B. Border officials flag Rhys's visa overstay; the lawyer recommends taking Milo because the boy has no legal guardian in Canada
    • C. Her parents insist she marry for Milo's sake
    • D. Rhys receives a wrestling contract requiring him to be married

  5. How does Tabitha learn that Rhys is the professional wrestler Wild Side?

    • A. He tells her during a fight
    • B. She sees him perform live at the arena
    • C. She catches a glimpse of his match on TV while Cora watches wrestling replays
    • D. Will (Million Dollar Bill) reveals it

  6. What does Tabitha discover in Erika's recovery journals? (Short answer: mention at least two key details)

  7. What causes Rhys's severe spinal injury during the championship match?

    • A. He is hit with a steel chair
    • B. Will misjudges a backflip and Rhys hits his head on the metal stairs
    • C. He is thrown from the ring
    • D. A botched chokeslam

  8. At the end of the book, what legal change does Tabitha facilitate for Rhys? (Short answer)

Character Motivation (Questions 9–13)

  1. Why does Rhys initially hide his wrestling career from Tabitha?

    • A. He is ashamed of his job
    • B. He fears she will mock him or try to use him for his fame and money
    • C. He is contractually forbidden to talk about it
    • D. He thinks she won't believe him

  2. Why does Tabitha confront her mother about the family's silence regarding Erika?

    • A. She wants to inherit Erika's belongings
    • B. She insists that Milo be allowed to talk freely about his mother
    • C. She demands an apology
    • D. She is angry that her mother favored Erika

  3. After his spinal injury, why does Rhys push Tabitha away from the hospital?

    • A. He is angry at her for causing the accident
    • B. He fears being a burden and losing his sense of identity
    • C. He wants to reconcile with Elle
    • D. He believes Milo needs her more

  4. Why does Tabitha decide to keep her restaurant and her life in Rose Hill rather than move with Rhys? (Short answer)

  5. What motivates Rhys to accept the name change to Rhys Garrison? (Short answer)

Theme & Symbol (Questions 14–17)

  1. The pinky promise appears multiple times in the novel. What does it most strongly symbolize?

    • A. Childhood innocence
    • B. A binding commitment and trust between characters
    • C. A superstition about good luck
    • D. A threat of violence

  2. Wild Side's mask represents which central theme?

    • A. The danger of professional wrestling
    • B. The separation between Rhys's public persona and his private self, and the eventual integration of both
    • C. The anonymity of fame
    • D. Rhys's desire to hide his scar

  3. What do the Cat Whiskers flowers that Rhys orders for the wedding symbolize?

    • A. Tabitha's love for cats
    • B. His careful attention to Tabitha's preferences and his growing affection
    • C. The brevity of their marriage
    • D. The wildness of their relationship

  4. In Chapter 5, Tabitha mentions the caterpillar-to-butterfly metaphor. What aspect of the story does this symbol most directly connect to? (Short answer)

Synthesis Questions (Questions 18–20)

  1. Compare Tabitha's relationship with Rhys to her relationship with her late sister Erika. How do guilt, loyalty, and forgiveness function differently in each?

  2. The author includes content warnings and a reader note about consulting a therapist and a lawyer. How does this transparency affect the way the novel handles grief, addiction, and child welfare? Provide at least one specific example from the story.

  3. The bowling team (West, Bash, Ford) and the women's group (Rosie, Skylar, Gwen) serve as a found family for Rhys and Tabitha. Choose one event showing this support and explain how it helps a character heal.

Answer Key

Plot & Sequence

  1. B. In Chapter 1, Tabitha arrives at Rhys's door as Erika's sister and asks him to secure prescription drugs. (Outline Ch 3)

  2. B. Tabitha believes Rhys broke his pinky promise not to evict Erika, which she blames for Erika's relapse and overdose. (Outline Ch 4, 8)

  3. B. In Chapter 3, Rhys shows Tabitha Erika's will naming him Milo's legal guardian. (Outline Ch 5)

  4. B. In Chapter 15, border officials flag Rhys's overstay, and his lawyer says taking Milo is the best legal move; Tabitha proposes marriage to keep Milo with her. (Outline Ch 17)

  5. C. In Chapter 21, Tabitha walks in on Cora watching wrestling and recognizes Rhys's tattoos, posture, and mannerisms as Wild Side. (Outline Ch 23; Evidence ch 23)

  6. Answer: Tabitha reads that Rhys never evicted Erika (Erika lied), and that Erika relapsed with a man named Tyson. Tabitha also sees that Erika chose Rhys as guardian partly to spite her sister. (Outline Ch 33)

  7. B. In Chapter 43, Will misjudges a backflip during a planned stunt, causing Rhys to hit his head on the metal stairs and lose feeling in his legs. (Outline Ch 45)

  8. Answer: Tabitha presents Rhys with legal name-change papers, making him Rhys Garrison. (Outline Ch 50)

Character Motivation

  1. B. Rhys explains that people either ridicule wrestling or treat him differently for his fame, and he wanted to avoid gold diggers. (Outline Ch 23; Evidence ch 23)

  2. B. Tabitha extracts a promise from her mother that Milo can speak freely about Erika, refusing to let grief silence his memories. (Outline Ch 32)

  3. B. Rhys pushes Tabitha away because he fears permanent paralysis will cost him his identity as a wrestler and father, and he believes she married only out of necessity. (Outline Ch 47)

  4. Answer: Tabitha chooses to stay because she has built a life and business in Rose Hill; she wants to maintain her own identity while building a new family with Rhys and Milo. (Outline Ch 42; Evidence ch 44)

  5. Answer: Rhys accepts the name change as a symbol of belonging and acceptance into Tabitha's family; it shows his emotional healing and commitment to their new life together. (Outline Ch 50)

Theme & Symbol

  1. B. Pinky promises recur as a symbol of trust and binding commitment—first broken (Erika/Rhys), then restored (Tabitha/Rhys at the hospital). (Outline Ch 3, 8, 49)

  2. B. The mask allows Rhys to separate his vulnerable self from the confident performer; in Chapter 42, Tabitha removes it in front of the crowd, symbolizing their unified identity. (Outline Ch 44; Evidence ch 44)

  3. B. Rhys specially ordered Cat Whiskers after learning it was Tabitha's favorite, demonstrating his thoughtful care and deepening feelings. (Outline Ch 19)

  4. Answer: The metamorphosis metaphor connects to Milo's growth and the family's transformation after Erika's death, as well as Tabitha's journey from resentment to trust. (Outline Ch 7)

Synthesis

  1. Sample answer: Tabitha's relationship with Erika is colored by guilt and a sense of obligation; she feels she failed her sister. With Rhys, she learns to accept vulnerability and forgive herself. Loyalty to Erika initially makes her distrust Rhys, but reading Erika's journals allows her to let go of guilt and claim her own happiness. (Outline Ch 33, 36)

  2. Sample answer: The content warnings prepare readers for heavy themes like addiction and child welfare. The consulting therapist informs the realistic portrayal of therapy sessions with Dr. Trixie, where the characters learn to tell Milo about death in direct, age-appropriate language. (Outline Ch 1, 2, 9)

  3. Sample answer: After Rhys's injury, the bowling team and friends visit him in the hospital, providing emotional support. West's toast to "parenthood in all its iterations" validates Rhys's role as Milo's father figure and reduces his isolation, contributing to his acceptance of help and healing. (Outline Ch 49)