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. Throughout the novel Rose’s character is depicted through drawings and through written letters addressed to her, rather than through dialogue.

• What does the reader learn about Rose from the context of her illustrations? (topic sentence)
• Explain why the author chose to draw Rose’s experience rather than write it, and what can be learned about Rose’s life in the drawings.
• In your concluding sentences, explain whether you believe the author made a good choice in depicting Rose through illustrations.

2. David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” is frequently mentioned in the novel.

• What does “Space Oddity” mean to Ben? (topic sentence)
• Describe why “Space Oddity” is important to Ben, whom Major Tom symbolizes to Ben, and how the overall meaning of the song relates to Ben’s feelings.