Be Not Far from Me

What are some characteristics of Ashley’s narration style? What literary devices does McGinnis use to create Ashley’s voice?

Identify examples of foreshadowing in Part 1 of the novel. How and where does McGinnis provide hints about Ashley’s impending survival experience?

How do flashbacks function in the novel? Consider how the novel would be different without McGinnis’s use of flashbacks.

How does Ashley illustrate self-reliance throughout the novel?

The novel opens with the words “The world is not tame” (3), and this sentence is repeated on the novel’s second to last page (230). What does this sentence mean within the context of Ashley’s experiences, both before and during her time lost in the forest? How does it apply to nature? How does it apply outside of nature? How does its meaning change or grow over the course of the novel?

How does Ashley illustrate respect for nature and appreciation for it, even as her life is in danger? Analyze the seeming contradiction of both appreciating and fearing nature. Given these contradictory stances, what should humans’ relationship be to nature?

What is the novel’s central conflict? Provide support for your answer using specific examples and analysis.

Referring back to Psalm 22 and Ashley’s exploration of its relevance to her trials in the woods, explain the significance of the book’s title.