The Vaster Wilds

What effect does the girl’s lack of a name have on the book’s exploration of her character?

What role does fear play in the narrative? Choosing at least one character in addition to the girl, analyze at least three different examples in which fear has a profound effect upon the events of the narrative.

The Vaster Wilds explores the movement from a known place to an unknown place. Discuss the various “unknowns” that the girl confronts and their similarities and differences.

Violence is a fact of life for the girl. Identify the different types of violence within the book and discuss how they compare and contrast with one another.

The girl’s death is ultimately caused not by the “wilds” of North America, but by a disease imported from England. What does this imply about the nature of the colonial venture?

Physical objects are very important to the girl because she has so few of them. How do her feelings toward the items she takes with her from the fort compare to her feelings toward the natural world?

How do the violent men of the fort and London compare with the girl’s imaginary future husbands?

Cosmology and the theological truths of the universe are frequently discussed. What is the importance of these discussions and the girl’s journey with her faith to the narrative?