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. Adam thinks to himself at the end of the novel that there never was an apple that wasn’t worth the trouble you got into for eating it.

• What is the message the authors are attempting to convey about the nature of free will and the (possible) disobedience that goes with it? (topic sentence)
• Find two or three examples of action or dialogue that support the authors’ point. Explain how they support the authors’ point. If you disagree with the authors’ point, explain why.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, show the connection between these points and the novel’s theme of The Rights and Limitations of Free Will. You may also consider addressing how the reader might use the insights gained from the story to change their own actions.