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. Dolls are a recurring symbol in this novel.

• What messages are conveyed by the novel’s doll symbolism? (topic sentence)
• Support your interpretation with at least three pieces of evidence from separate places in the novel.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, demonstrate how the doll symbolism supports the novel’s thematic concern with Women as Powerful Agents of Change.

2. The novel is primarily told from Ana’s point of view, but there are a few passages that focus on Juan’s perspective.

• What is the rhetorical function of including Juan’s perspective in the novel? (topic sentence)
• Support your argument with at least three pieces of evidence from separate places in the novel.