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.

Scaffolded/Short-Answer Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the below bulleted outlines. Cite details from the novel over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Both Tyler’s and Mari’s actions and words show that they have matured over the course of the year.

• Of the two, who experienced greater personal change and why? (topic sentence)
• What are three events that contribute strongly to that character’s coming-of-age experience? Cite scenes at the novel’s beginning, middle, and end and explain how they demonstrate the character’s maturation.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, quote a line of dialogue or interior monologue from the character that demonstrates coming-of-age; summarize how the line reveals change.

2. In Return to Sender the sections limited to Tyler’s viewpoint are each headed with a potential name for the farm, like “Watched-Over Farm” and “Farm of Many Plots.”

• What kind of information can the reader glean from reading these potential farm names? (topic sentence)
• Choose three chapters in which the farm name befits the events of the chapter particularly well.