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 brief (1-3 paragraph) response the bulleted outline to structure your writing. Cite details from the novel throughout your response as examples and support.

1. A dynamic character is one whose opinions, beliefs, or emotions change over the course of the story.

• Which dynamic secondary character experienced the most notable change in ideas or attitude in the novel as a result of Efrén’s experiences with Amá’s absence? (topic sentence)
• In what traits or reactions do you observe change in this secondary character? Use details and events from relevant scenes to support your answers.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, briefly explain how this secondary character’s change in characterization affects or impacts Efrén or Efrén’s conflicts (does it help, hurt, or hinder Efrén, and in what way)?

2. In some stories, the antagonist is not a character but instead is an idea, a way of life, or a problem in society.