Merci Suárez Changes Gears

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

1. An important part of Merci’s maturation process is accepting that things change.

• How does the story show maturation in Merci’s attitude toward change? (topic sentence)
• Give two examples from the beginning or middle of the story that show Merci’s early attitude about change.
• Give two examples from near the end of the story that show how her attitude has matured.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, show how Merci’s attitude toward change relates to the novel’s thematic concern with Coming of Age as a Tween.

2. Medina uses foreshadowing to give the reader clues about things that will happen later in the text.

• How does Medina foreshadow the car accident? (topic sentence)
• Give three examples of hints from earlier in the narrative that show that Roli does a lot of driving for the family, even though Roli’s driving is not very reliable.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, show how this relates to the novel’s thematic concern with Class Differences in America.

3. The school and the casitas are important settings in the novel.

• How does the atmosphere of the casitas contrast with the atmosphere of Seaward Pines Academy? (topic sentence)
• Offer evidence from the text that shows that the atmospheres of the two places contrast in at least three ways.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, connect the difference in the two atmospheres with one or more of the novel’s larger thematic concerns: Class Differences in America, The Anguish and Complexity of Alzheimer’s Disease, and Coming of Age as a Tween.

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. What is the purpose of including details in the story about the actor Merci has a crush on and the tension at school over Michael? What do details about Merci’s level of interest in boys add to the reader’s understanding of her maturity? Write an essay in which you analyze Medina’s purpose in adding details about Merci’s romantic interests to this story. Connect your analysis to the novel’s thematic concern with Coming of Age as a Tween. Support your arguments with details drawn from throughout the novel.

2. What is the symbolic importance of the bikes that appear in this story? Consider both the two bikes that Merci herself rides and her feelings about others’ bikes. Also, think about what bikes in general might represent for someone Merci’s age. Write an essay in which you analyze the symbolic value of bikes in this novel. Connect your analysis to the novel’s thematic concerns with Class Differences in America and Coming of Age as a Tween. Support your arguments with details drawn from throughout the text.

3. What does the inclusion of the Nochebuena celebration communicate about Merci’s family’s pride in their heritage? How does it mark Merci’s life as different from her classmates’ lives? How does it demonstrate the strength of her family life, despite the hardship of Lolo’s illness? Write an essay focusing on this celebration and the messages it communicates about Merci’s family life. Connect your analysis to one or more of the novel’s larger thematic concerns: Class Differences in America, The Anguish and Complexity of Alzheimer’s Disease, and Coming of Age as a Tween. Support your arguments with details drawn from both this section of the text (Chapter 38) and earlier sections.