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. Wolf Hollow takes place in the mid-20th century during World War II.

• In what ways do Wolk’s female characters subvert mid-20th-century gender norms? (topic sentence)
• Provide three examples from the novel in which one or more of the female characters subvert traditional gender norms.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain why you believe Wolk chose to portray females in this way.

2. Toby is considered a wanderer by the community of Wolf Hollow.

• What is the significance of wanderers and the act of wandering in the novel? (topic sentence)
• Explain why there are wanderers that pass through Wolf Hollow and the attitudes the community has toward wanderers in the novel.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain why understanding community attitudes toward wanderers is important to the plot of the novel.