A Single Shard

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. Use details from the novel over the course of your response to serve as examples and support.

1. Broken pottery frequently appears in the novel.

• How do shards of pottery function as plot devices to move the story forward?
• Give three examples from the text where Tree-ear either breaks or salvages pottery. How do his actions affect the story?
• What conclusion is the reader meant to draw about the symbolic importance of a single shard in all these situations?

2. Foxes and thievery are common motifs in the story.

• What reaction do these elicit from Tree-ear?
• Cite three examples from the novel when Tree-ear encounters foxes or thieves or in which he contemplates stealing.
• What does Tree-ear learn from his encounters, and how does it build his character?

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. Families are an important element in the novel. Consider the family relationships among all the major characters at the beginning of the story. How do these change over the course of the novel? Find several examples from the text of the characters’ changing attitudes and use them to support your answer. What do you think the author is saying about blood relationships as opposed to other affiliations? How is the theme of Lost and Found Families made evident as the novel progresses?

2. Tree-ear aspires to become a potter, and Min is already a master of the craft. Compare and contrast their behavior. What do they have in common? How are they different? How do both embody the theme of Dreams of a Lifetime? Cite three passages from the text describing each one’s attitude toward their craft and each other. How do these change over the course of the novel?