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. Hanna faces discrimination and intolerance in LaForge throughout the story. Her first challenge pertains to attending school and getting her diploma; after she succeeds, her challenge shifts to establishing herself as a dressmaker in Papa’s shop.

• Which of these two major challenges for Hanna is the more difficult and/or influential to her? (topic sentence)
• Explain your choice in a thorough discussion that incorporates details and examples from the novel.
• Summarize in your concluding sentence or sentences the way in which Hanna’s Evolving Identity is apparent through her success.

2. Prairie Lotus offers a motif of food and drink throughout the story; for example, Hanna cooks meals for Papa and makes cookies for the party.

• What is the deeper meaning of the author’s motif of food in this book? (topic sentence)
• Choose at least three specific meals or food and drink items from the book and discuss the significance of each to the plot. What do you think each might represent on a symbolic level?
• Of the given themes (The Struggle for Acceptance and Inclusivity, Recognizing One’s Own Evolving Identity, and Persistence as a Pathway to Success), which one is supported most by the motif of food and drink, and in what way(s)? Discuss this response in your concluding sentence or sentences.

3. Think about the events that take place on the prairie outside of LaForge, especially the interactions that occur between Hanna and Wichapiwin.

• What might this setting—the surrounding prairie—symbolize considering Hanna’s conflicts and experiences? (topic sentence)
• Discuss your rationale in the body of your essay, using at least 3 examples from the novel to help in supporting your ideas.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, evaluate the strength of the symbolism of the prairie compared to the symbolism of the town. (Be concise but clear in explaining what the town symbolizes).

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. Though the Native women Hanna encounters (Wichapiwin and the mothers and daughters with her) are Ihanktonwan members, Hanna refers to them (through the narrative’s third-person limited perspective) as “Sioux” because folks living in a town like LaForge would have used that name. What other word or name choices does the author make in representing the time period? Why might a writer elect to include names or words that are culturally out-of-date, inappropriate, or incorrect? What effect might this decision have on readers? Connect at least part of your response to the theme of The Struggle for Acceptance and Inclusivity.

2. The rising action of a story is made up of escalating events that often involve discoveries and complications. How do complications and discoveries benefit a book with Prairie Lotus’s style and pace? What discoveries and complications occur between the novel’s inciting incident (Hanna’s arrival in LaForge and simultaneous desire to attend school) and its climax (Hanna’s worried night before the shop opening)? How do these complications and discoveries work to advance the plot, or lead from one event to the next? Be sure to reference text details in your essay.

3. What traits and behaviors make Papa’s character so complex? Do Papa’s background, experiences, and personal history justify his grumpiness and quick jumps to anger and frustration? How do Papa’s decisions and opinions help along Hanna’s character in Recognizing One’s Own Evolving Identity? Compose an essay in the thesis statement/3 main points structure that responds to these questions and support your ideas with details from the story.