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 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. Magwe and Nang represent two opposing views on the war and Burmese Independence.

• How are Nang’s and Magwe’s perspectives on colonization different? (topic sentence)
• Describe Magwe’s perspective on colonization, Nang’s perspective on colonization, and how each represents the attitudes of the Burmese people during World War II.
• In your concluding sentences, explain why Nang and Magwe are both justified in their perspectives on colonization.

2. Both Nick and Mya are alienated in the novel due to circumstances beyond their control.

• How do both Nick and Mya experience alienation? (topic sentence)
• Describe in detail why Mya is alienated and why Nick is alienated. Explain how their alienation creates a bond between them and how it creates conflict between the two.