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 over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Samuel Kingsley’s journey to the US to become a star actor features as a crucial part of Natasha’s character development.

• How does Samuel’s struggle influence Natasha’s perspective on life and love? (topic sentence)
• Using at least one example for each, describe how Samuel’s struggle influenced Natasha’s perspective on life and love. Support your responses with evidence from the text.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain how the resolution of Samuel’s story reveals Natasha’s growth.

2. Like many immigrants, Natasha’s family has had to face many challenges with US immigration.

• What legal and cultural obstacles lead to their impending deportation? (topic sentence)
• Describe one legal obstacle and one cultural obstacle that led to their present predicament.