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 below bulleted outlines. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Despite their dislike of each other, Rose and Lolly develop a relationship over time.

• How does the relationship between Lolly and Rose evolve? (topic sentence)
• Describe Rose and Lolly’s relationship when they first start building together. Explain how their relationship grows and how Rose encourages Lolly to become a better artist.
• In your concluding sentences, explain how Rose and Lolly help one another in other ways.

2. Most of the novel takes place in Harlem, New York, where Lolly lives.

• How does Lolly feel about Harlem? (topic sentence)
• Explain how Lolly describes Harlem and how he feels about living there.
• In your concluding sentences, explain where you believe Lolly will choose to live when he is an adult.

3. Lolly often draws parallels between his relationship with Vega and his brother’s relationship with Steve.