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. 

Scaffolded/Short-Answer Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the below-bulleted outlines. Cite details from the novel over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. At one point in the novel, the man realizes that he is functionally an alien to his son.

• Why is there a fundamental disconnect between the man and the boy? (introductory paragraph)
• How has the apocalypse changed the boy’s upbringing in relation to the father, and how has that shaped him as a person? Provide specific evidence from the text.
• What is the novel trying to say about fatherhood? (conclusion)

2. The man and the boy argue over what they owe to other people they encounter in the world.

• What is the boy’s stance on what people owe to each other? (introductory paragraph)
• How does this put him into conflict with his father? Please provide evidence from the text.
• With whom does this novel ultimately side? (conclusion)

3. When the man and the boy encounter people burned in the road, the boy says he doesn’t need to look away, because he’s seen that and worse before.