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 language 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. Fiona is a single parent who experiences depression, loneliness, and feelings of wishing she was not a mother.

• How does Fiona embody the challenges of single motherhood? (topic sentence)
• Discuss three of Fiona’s character traits, the actions that indicate these traits, and how each relates to her situation as a single parent.
• In the conclusion of your essay, examine whether Fiona’s issues are helped or hindered by Will’s presence.

2. Will undergoes a significant personal transformation from the beginning to the end of the novel.

• How does Will change throughout the novel, both as a person and in terms of his worldview? (topic sentence)
• Detail the most important events and changes that Will experiences using textual evidence to support your reasoning.