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 serves as examples and support.

1. Gender roles evolve considerably from one generation to the next in this novel.

• How are Papa and Jaja’s roles similar and dissimilar? (topic sentence)
• Identify and explain three examples from the text that display similarities and differences between Jaja and Papa and their roles in the family.
• In your concluding sentences, explain what causes the differences in roles between Jaja and Papa.

2. Laughter is an essential element in Aunty Ifeoma’s world, and Kambili has embraced a life of laughter by the end of the novel.

• Why is laughter important to Kambili and Aunty Ifeoma in the novel? (topic sentence)
• Explain why there is so little laughter in Kambili’s family, why laughter is essential for Aunty Ifeoma’s family, and why Kambili has decided to embrace laughter in her own life.