These prompts can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before or after reading the graphic novel/book.

Personal Response Prompt

At the end of El Deafo, Cece finds acceptance among her peers by finding a way to use her deafness to benefit the classroom community. How do you think this fits into her quest to find true friends? Is there anything that bothers you about her finding acceptance through being useful to her peers, or is that something that you see as a natural part of belonging in a community?

Teaching Suggestion: Some readers might see Cece’s acceptance by her classmates through a skeptical lens, while others might see it as a purely positive development. Getting them to consider what makes for authentic friendship/acceptance and whether or not Cece finds it among her peers will prepare them to further discuss the themes of Disability and Alienation and True Friendship and Acceptance.

Post-Reading Analysis

Cece has complicated feelings about her deafness and how other people treat her because of it, and those feelings often find a symbolic outlet in her fantasies as El Deafo. How does Cece’s alter ego fit into Cece’s larger feelings about her treatment at the hands of her peers? How does she repurpose what makes her different from them into what makes her strong?