A List of Cages

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

1. Explain how Russell is abusive to Julian other than physically.

• Other than physical abuse, how is Russell abusive to Julian? (topic sentence)
• Describe three ways Russell is abusive to Julian without being physical.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain how what Russell says/does is in fact abuse even though it is not physical.

2. Explain the lies Julian believes about himself, Adam, and Russell.

• What lies does Julian believe about himself, Adam, and Russell? (topic sentence)
• Describe one lie Julian believes about himself, one lie Julian believes about Adam, and one lie Julian believes about Russell.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, summarize the ways in which the lies Julian believes connect to the novel’s theme of False Appearances and Deceit.