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. 

Scaffolded/Short-Answer Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the below bulleted outlines. Cite details from the play over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. In the middle of the collection, there’s a three-story arc about Frank and Max’s relationship as brothers.

• How do these stories work as a foil to the relationship between Bob and Vic Lang? (topic sentence)
• Compare and contrast the two families and the effects that familial relationships have within them, using examples from the text.
• What are these stories trying to say about family trauma?

2. The bonfire party that Boner McPharlin throws is central to several stories in the book.

• What does this bonfire party symbolize? (topic sentence)
• How does it serve as a fulcrum point for different characters in the book?
• Why is it such an important moment in the characters’ lives?

3. The events of Vic Lang’s childhood are presented from both his and his father’s perspective in “Long, Clear View” and “Fog.”

• How do these stories inform each other’s themes? (topic sentence)
• Using evidence from the stories, detail how the two characters are incapable of empathizing with each other in the moment.