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 throughout your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Each of the example prodigies Suyuan presents to June is stereotypically American, notably Shirley Temple.

• For June’s family, in what ways is the American Dream about assimilation? (topic sentence)
• What is June rebelling against? The American Dream? Assimilation? Or something else?
• In your final sentences, discuss the family’s internal practices versus their public practices.

2. Suyuan leaves China during the second Sino-Japanese War when Japan invaded China. She loses her family, home, husband, and two baby daughters during her escape.

• In what ways does Post-Wartime Grief in the Immigrant Household affect Suyuan’s aspirations for June? (topic sentence)
• June laments that her mother doesn’t appreciate her for who she is. Describe how June fails to understand her mother.
• In your closing sentences, consider whether the pair ever come to understand or appreciate each other.