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 that serve as examples and support over the course of your response.

1. Early in the novel, the inspector points out that Ram Mohammad Thomas has an unusual name.

• What is unique about Ram Mohammad Thomas’s name? (topic sentence)
• Explain how Ram Mohammad Thomas received his names, what they each represent, and how it relates to Thomas’s identity.
• In your concluding sentences, explain which of the names best describes Thomas’s personality.

2. Thomas has a recurring dream about a woman with black hair and an obscured face. 

• Who is this woman, and why is her face obscured? (topic sentence)
• Explain why the woman is important to the plot of the novel despite Thomas’s lack of familiarity and direct interactions with her.
• In your concluding sentences, explain what the woman reveals about Thomas’s underlying desires.