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 below bulleted outlines. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. There are two biological father-son storylines that run parallel to one another in the novel—Henry and his son Marty’s storyline, and Henry and his own father’s.

• What is the overall effect of the author’s decision to structure the novel this way? (topic sentence)
• Compare the relationship between Henry and his father with the relationship between Marty and Henry. How are they the same? How are they different? Can Henry and Sheldon’s relationship be viewed as a father-son one, as well?
• In your conclusion, explain the statement that the novel makes regarding healthy Father-Son Relationships vs. unhealthy ones.

2. Keiko proudly identifies herself as American throughout the novel.

• What does being an American mean to Keiko? (topic sentence)
• What American qualities is Keiko most proud to claim? Provide 2-3 examples.