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. Salt to the Sea is written from four first-person narratives throughout the novel.

• How is Septys’s decision to use four first-person narratives the most effective way to tell the story? (topic sentence)
• Explain why it is essential for Salt to the Sea to be told from a first-person perspective from four different characters. Then explain what the novel would lack if told from only one character’s perspective.
• In your concluding sentences, explain whether the author could have added other narratives to clarify the novel.

2. Eva is a unique character in the narrative and serves an important role in explaining the historical context and themes in the novel.

• What impact does Eva’s character have on the novel? (topic sentence)
• Explain what Eva’s size, bold personality, and understanding of history and major themes provide for the novel.