Before the Ever After

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 play over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Friends are an important motif in Before the Ever After.

• How is friendship characterized in the novel, especially through ZJ’s friend group? (topic sentence)
• Describe the three friends in ZJ’s life and explain each one’s superhero “powers.”
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain how these “powers” help ZJ begin to heal from losing the person his father once was.

2. Compare and contrast ZJ’s mother, Lisa Johnson, with ZJ’s grandmother.

• What roles do the two female characters take on in the narrative? (topic sentence)
• Contrast Lisa’s actions in “Over Breakfast” with Grandma’s wisdom in “Deep Waters.”
• Wrap up the essay by providing comparisons of the two women and their overall roles in helping the male characters.

3. Reread the final poem in the text, “Music.”

• How does “Music” relate to ZJ’s Support Network, his idea of Heroes, and The Role Memory Plays in Healing and Acceptance? (topic sentence)
• Highlight lines from “Music” that relate to these major themes.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, describe the tone with which the novel ends and how the tone connects to at least one theme.

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. Music is often mentioned in ZJ’s stories about his family and friends as he copes with his father’s declining cognitive abilities. What is the overall role of music in the narrative? In what ways does music change the tone of ZJ’s stories? How do ZJ, Zachariah, Sr., and ZJ’s mother feel about music? How might music relate to the author’s choice to write the novel in verse? Reference quotations with section titles and page numbers to support your ideas.

2. Zachariah, Sr.’s dream was to play football, while ZJ’s dream is to create and pursue music. Compare and contrast their dreams, examining how they are alike and how they are different. What do the dreams provide for each character? In what ways are the dreams sustainable? How might their dreams be tied to the novel’s messages about masculinity? Include at least two comparisons and two contrasts by providing evidence from the text to support your answer.

3. Before the Ever After navigates difficult emotions regarding grief and loss. Does ZJ really “lose” his father? How does he process his emotions regarding his father’s cognitive decline? What emotions are present and how do they show themselves in ZJ? Does the use of verse add to the emotion or take away from the tone of the book? Provide citations from the text to support your ideas.