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. In her village, Makina runs the switchboard. This puts her in an important position as a mediator.

• In what ways does Makina translate language and culture for those around her? (topic sentence)
• Find 2-3 examples in the text where Makina serves as a mediator for Translation and Communication between people.
• How does her role as a mediator and translator impact the way she navigates the world?

2. Many aspects of the past intrude upon the present in Herrera’s novel. To what extent does the novel function as a palimpsest? (topic sentence)

• Identify 2-3 examples in the text where the past and present intersect.
• What does Herrera suggest about the future of the societies that the novel examines? How does this argument link to the theme of History as a Palimpsest?

3.