9th Grade Essay Prompts
Life of Pi
Write a critical essay in which you discuss two works of literature you have read from the
particular perspective of the statement that is provided for you in the Critical Lens. In
your essay, provide a valid interpretation of your opinion using specific references to
appropriate literary elements from the two works. You may use scrap paper to plan your
response.
Critical Lens:
“You must take life the way it comes at you and make the best of it.”
—Yann Martel
Life of Pi, 2001
Guidelines: Be sure to
• Provide a valid interpretation of the critical lens that clearly establishes the criteria
for analysis
• Indicate whether you agree or disagree with the statement as you have interpreted it
• Choose two works you have read that you believe best support your opinion
• Use the criteria suggested by the critical lens to analyze the works you have chosen
• Avoid plot summary. Instead, use specific references to appropriate literary
elements
(for example: theme, characterization, setting, point of view) to develop your
analysis
• Organize your ideas in a unified and coherent manner
• Specify the titles and authors of the literature you choose
• Follow the conventions of standard written English
Creation Stories
In a typed, well developed essay, consider the implications of what you’ve learned about
these creation stories. What similarities or differences occur in these myths? What does
each myth say about the people who told it? What archetypes are present in these myths?
Draw some conclusions about why these myths are still important today. What is the
importance of the stories that are the cornerstone of a culture’s literature?
Speak
Throughout Laurie Halse Anderson’s novel Speak, the main character/narrator Melinda
Sordino describes the trials and tribulations of her first year of high school. Melinda
frequently uses figurative language (metaphor/simile) to compare herself and others to
animals or insects. What is the significance of this use of figurative language? Why does
Melinda constantly compare herself and others to animals?
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Please pick one of the following questions and write a fully developed essay response.
Please include at least 2 pieces of textual evidence (direct quotes from the book, properly
cited within the body of your essay).
1.
Heather explains to Melinda that they are just different types of people and
maybe they shouldn’t hang out together anymore. Do you think that Heather and
Melinda were ever really friends?
2. Do you think that Melinda’s parents and the school are handling her behavior
properly? Why or why not? What are they doing right and what could they be
doing better?
When you use a direct quote it should look like this –
(Anderson 32).
In order to properly cite a quote- you open the parenthesis (
Write the author’s last name (Anderson
Write just the page number the quote is on (Anderson 32
Close parenthesis (Anderson 32)
Punctuate after the parenthesis is closed (Anderseon 32).
Odyssey/ Speak
Write a full and complete essay that addresses the topic below. Be sure to make sure that
you have a clear and specific thesis statement as well as specific examples to support that
thesis in each body paragraph.
Also, be sure to AVOID using I, Me, My, We, You, Our, Us and ANY contractions
“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end”
– Ursula K. LeGuin
In a well constructed essay, respond to this quote using both Melinda’s and Odysseus’s
journey stories. How is the journey what matters in these stories?
Kite Runner
Write a full and complete essay that addresses the topic below. Be sure to have a clear
and specific thesis statement that answers the question as well as specific examples to
support that thesis in each body paragraph.
Also, AVOID using I, Me, My, We, You, Our, Us and ANY contractions and include
transitions between ideas.
In The Kite Runner various themes emerge throughout the story based around
general topics. Select three topics from the list below and explain how they are
seen throughout the novel. Use direct quotes to support your thesis. Avoid plot
summary.
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Father/ Son relationships
Personal Journey
Redemption
Sacrifice
Theft
Love
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10th Grade Essay Prompts
All Quiet on the Western Front Final Essay
Directions: The prompt that follows is based on two sources: Wilfred Owen’s “Dulce et
Decorum Est” and Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front. This essay
requires you to integrate the two sources into a coherent, well-written essay. Refer to the
sources, both directly and indirectly, to support your position. Avoid mere paraphrasing
or summarizing. Your argument should be the central focus; the use of the sources
should support your argument.
Introduction
In class we have discussed the contributing factors that influenced the younger
generation’s decision to enter the war. Some feel that they were lied to by the older
generation, while others feel that it was an honorable and glorious decision.
Assignment
Read the following poem (including any introductory information) carefully and review
your chosen passages from the novel. Then, in an essay that synthesizes the two
sources for support, take a position that defends, challenges, or qualifies the claim
that it is honorable and glorious to fight for one’s country.
Guidelines
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Include a clearly developed thesis statement in your introduction.
Use quotations from the text to support your argument. Remember the techniques
for introducing quotations that we discussed in class.
Structure your essay according to the outline provided in class.
Consider literary devices and elements discussed thus far (imagery, tone, mood,
diction, theme, characterization, etc.)
DOUBLE-SPACE YOUR ESSAY.
Catcher in the Rye
1. Salinger weaves a variety of symbols into The Catcher in the Rye, including (but
not limited to) the red hunting hat, the ducks in Central Park, and Allie’s mitt. Select
and analyze one symbol that Salinger uses in the book. Explain how Salinger
develops this object as a symbol throughout the story. Discuss the symbol’s meaning
and significance and explore its contributions to the overall message of the novel.
2. Throughout the novel, Holden is a tormented adolescent. He feels alienated and
isolated at Pency Prep, he is belittled by women he wants to impress, he is beaten up
twice, he wants to run away and cut himself off from all other people, and he even
considers suicide. Yet, in spite of Holden’s pain, the novel is funny. It really is. Why
did Salinger choose humor as the tone for the novel? How does Salinger’s use of
humor contribute to the book’s overall meaning and effect? Consider how the book’s
overall meaning would be different if Salinger did not use so much humor.
3. Critic David D. Galloway said, “Wherever Holden turns, his craving for truth
seems to be frustrated by the phoniness of the world. Analyze Holden’s use of the
word phony.” What does the word mean in the context of the book, and does Holden
offer any alternative to phoniness? Is Holden himself guilty of being a phony? How
does Salinger want readers to judge ideas about phoniness?
4. Discuss the meaning or impact of the title of the book as a central, controlling
symbol of the story. How does Holden’s wish to be the catcher in the rye help
readers understand both his character and the nature of his deep troubles and
concerns about life? Be sure to address the significance of Holden’s misreading of
the Robert Burns poem.
5. Critic Maxwell Geismar writes, The Catcher in the Rye protests, to be sure, against
both the academic and social conformity of its period. But what does it argue for?
Write an essay to explain what the book argues for. What might Salinger have
been trying to communicate to his readers through this novel, and how does he do
so?
6. Holden, like each of us, faces living in a world he did not create. Nobody, not even
Holden, can live in a culture without having some of it rub off on him. What faults of
his society does Holden exhibit? How does Salinger reveal these faults to readers?
Macbeth
You are a friend of Macbeth’s and you have just heard about his evil plan to kill King
Duncan. Write a persuasive letter to Macbeth convincing him that he should not commit
this corrupt deed.
 Make sure your thesis statement is clear and states what you are trying to prove.
 Remember to include examples and supporting details from the text and life to
support your argument.
 Use proper letter format. (Greeting, Closing, Signature)
 Follow the conventions of Standard English.
Julius Caesar
In class we have been reading Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. Essentially, this
play is “historical fiction”. Although we studied the play as “literature”, analyzing the
devices the author used, we know the characters in the play were real people who
affected history.
Your assignment (as always) begins with some reading and thinking! Choose a time,
person, place or event in history that has interested you. Do some research. Then write a
piece similar to the one below. Be sure to acknowledge your sources. Your goal is to
interest and educate your classmates and teacher.
So – Begin by reading this piece.
Then – brainstorm a list of possible writing topics.
Choose one.
Research
Write.
Tale of Two Cities
In a well organized essay explain Charles Dickens’ use of “doubling” to create the
settings, memorable characters and universal themes in a Tale of Two Cities. For
example: Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton: Darnay is unjustly tried as an enemy of the
state in both England and France. Lucie Manette is the child of an English mother and a
French father, etc. What does Dickens’ accomplish with this doubling technique?
Dorian Gray
The legend of Faust is the story of a man who makes a deal with the devil in exchange for
something he wants. As we read The Picture of Dorian Gray, we will discuss this
concept in relation to the characters Dorian and Lord Henry.
Over the next week, you are to research the Faustian Tale and one devilish literary
example of your own choosing. Your example may come from history, literature (novels,
drama, poetry, etc.), cinema, television, music, or anywhere else relevant.
You are responsible for writing a compare/contrast paper that discusses both The Picture
of Dorian Gray and one other example of the Faustian tale.
Be sure to include:
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A thesis statement regarding the relationship between the two texts.
An explanation of the Faustian tale and its origins in literature.
Specific quotations (or details) from BOTH texts.
o If your second text is not in written form, you can provide details in any
effective form. Just be sure to do a close reading of both texts.
An analysis of how the two texts connect and what is revealed about Dorian and
Lord Henry’s relationship.
** You should also bring in an example of your second text to share with the class.
Consider photocopying a passage from the text or even bringing in a visual or audio
clip.
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11th Grade Essay Prompts
The Great Gatsby
In The Great Gatsby, Nick makes the observation that, “No amount of fire or freshness
can challenge what a man will store up in his ghostly heart.” In other words, reality can
never measure up to the dreams we create for ourselves.
Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support
your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience,
or observations.
Persuasive Writing Task
Writing Situation:
In the novel The Great Gatsby the lifestyle of the 1920s is showcased. Those that
have money live a decadent life, but when F. Scott Fitzgerald set out to write Gatsby
his intent was not just to show his readers what the Roaring ‘20s looked like.
Nick makes a comment at the end of the novel as he reflects on the events of his
summer. “It was all very careless and confused. They were careless people,
Tom and Daisy- they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated
back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept
them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made.”
As a reader of Gatsby explain what Nick means in this statement and if you agree or
disagree with Nick’s evaluation of the characters. Are there any characters in Gatsby
that are redeemable?
Directions for Writing:
Write a persuasive 4-5 paragraph essay where you explain how you agree or
disagree with Nick’s statement and explain if there are any characters in Gatsby that
are redeemable. Be sure to use specific examples from the novel, and have those
examples support your argument. Your job is to convince your reader that your
opinion is valid and correct.
Of Mice and Men
Directions: Respond to one of the following prompts in a well-written, cohesive essay.
Before you begin to write, you should plan what you are going to write about and how
you are going to prove your thesis. Be sure to fully answer the question and to use
specific examples from the text. Circle the question to which you will respond and
underline or boldface your thesis statement.
1) When George shoots Lennie, is this a sign of the strength of his love or the
weakness or his love for Lennie? Has he finally followed through on the threat to
abandon Lennie? Why does he shoot Lennie in the middle of their imagining the
farm one last time?
2) The novel Of Mice and Men is written using the same structure as a drama, and
meets many of the criteria for a tragedy. Examine the novel as a play. What
conventions of drama does it already have? Does it fit the definition of a tragedy?
(Hint: Consider our discussions of the Tragic Hero and the Tragic Flaw.)
3) Loneliness is a dominant theme in Of Mice and Men. Most of the characters are
lonely and searching for someone who can serve as a companion or just as an
audience. Discuss the examples of character loneliness, the efforts of the
characters in search of companionship, and their varying degrees of success.
*****
Hopes and dreams help people to survive, even if they can never become real.
Explain how this statement is true for characters in Of Mice and Men.
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12th Grade Essay Prompts
Dichotomy Essay Planner
Choose a dichotomy, such as light/dark or good/evil. Try to be original.
List 5-6 examples of your dichotomy here. Some examples should be simple, and some
should be more complex.
Use the following questions to help you develop a well thought out essay on your
dichotomy.
What is the significance of your dichotomy to the story as a whole? Does it characterize
the Epic Hero? Doe it show which side is good and which is evil? Does it help the
reader understand the plot or characters in a new way? Does it reinforce Christianity or
Animism* throughout the poem?
* Animism
by Alan G. Hefner and Virgilio Guimaraes
The term animism is derived from the Latin word anima meaning breath or soul. The
belief of animism is probably one of man's oldest beliefs, with its origin most likely
dating to the Paleolithic age. From its earliest beginnings it was a belief that a soul or
spirit existed in every object, even if it was inanimate. In a future state this soul or spirit
would exist as part of an immaterial soul. The spirit, therefore, was thought to be
universal.
Oedipus Rex
Choose one of the following prompts and write a well thought out essay. Remember to
use evidence from the text to support your argument.
1.
Characterize the chorus (include Senator as a part of the chorus). What have
been its tasks? How does Sophocles use the chorus?
2. The Greeks believed in moderation—“nothing in excess.” Edith Hamilton
expands this: “nothing that is vast enters into the life of mortals without a curse.”
What occurs in excess in Oedipus Rex? What happens as a result?
3. Discuss the role of irony in Oedipus Rex. Some things you may want to consider:
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Trace the light/dark, sight/blindness motif. How does Sophocles
use this imagery to reveal dramatic irony?
The various types of irony used in the play. (verbal, situational,
dramatic)
The reasons an author uses irony.
Remember to:
*state your thesis clearly.
*support your thesis with evidence from the text.
*use the conventions of Standard English.