The Red Pencil

Use these essay questions as critical thinking and writing exercises for all levels of writers, and to build analytical skills by requiring textual references in responses.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that may help formulate responses 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 book to support your answer.

1. Although Miss Sabine only makes a brief appearance, she nevertheless plays a vital role in the story.

• Who is Miss Sabine and how does she impact the story? (topic sentence)
• How would you describe Miss Sabine’s personality and role? Are there aspects of her that mirror any other important character in the book? List any parallels you find and substantiate them with examples from the text.
• In your conclusion, examine the single thing that Miss Sabine does that prompts the title of the book and sets into motion events which lead to its climax and resolution.

2. The image of soil is a recurring one throughout The Red Pencil.

• How does soil work as both a symbol and motif in the book? (topic sentence)
• What does soil symbolize? How does it come to represent different ideas at different points in the book? Trace different mentions of soil and how they support one of the main themes in the book.
• In your conclusion, summarize soil’s different meanings and the theme it highlights as a recurring motif.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured, well-developed essay with a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by textual evidence, and a conclusion.

1. Both Dando and Old Anwar believe that Amira is special and would benefit from an education. Compare and contrast the two men, focusing on their respective relationships with Amira. What are their similarities and differences, personality and action-wise? Support your answer with evidence from the text.

2. The Red Pencil is set in a specific geographical and sociohistorical context: the Janjaweed attacks on villages in South Darfur in the early 2000s. Given the specificity of the book’s setting, how does it still remain accessible to a large readership? Examine the themes explored in The Red Pencil and discuss how they may be universally relatable across cultures.