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 of support.

1. A dynamic character is one who undergoes a profound evolution in their thoughts, opinions, beliefs, and perception of themselves and/or their world during the story.

• In what way does Dedé’s changed perception of herself and her role in her sisters’ story make her the most dynamic character in the novel? (topic sentence)
• How does Dedé identify herself to the reporter in the opening chapters? How does that perception change in the closing chapter? Use the photos on the wall, for instance, and her definition of the role of a survivor.
• In your concluding sentences, define the importance of being the survivor. How does Dedé handle both her guilt and her pride?

2. Although Rafael Trujillo is the novel’s antagonist, the real antagonist is authoritarianism as a way of government and a way of life.