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. Many of the stories in this collection feature the ocean.

• What is one symbolic use of the ocean in this collection? (topic sentence)
• Give three pieces of evidence that support your interpretation.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, show how this symbolic use of the ocean supports meaning in one or more stories.

2. Most of the characters in this collection are dealing with some kind of fear.

• What relationship does the characters’ fear have to prior traumas? (topic sentence)
• Give examples from at least three stories that demonstrate the relationship between trauma and fear.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, show how the characters’ traumas and fears are related to the theme of Growing Up.

3. A recurring motif in this collection is colonialism.