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 many ways, Fences is about generational inheritance. In this case, the focus is on father to son.

• What is the original Sin of the Father (or sins) that Troy’s father passes to Troy? (topic sentence)
• How does this legacy affect Troy and then Cory?
• In your concluding sentences, discuss whether Cory sufficiently breaks the cycle.

2. The American Dream has been defined and redefined by each generation of Americans.

• What does The American Dream mean to Troy? (topic sentence)
• In what ways does The American Dream drive Troy’s thinking and actions? Cite examples from the play’s beginning, middle, and end.
• In your concluding sentences, discuss the constructive and destructive power of a concept such as The American Dream in a life such as Troy’s.