The Endless Steppe

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. Throughout her experiences of exile, antisemitism, and loss, Esther allows her Jewish heritage, community, and rituals to help comfort and sustain her.

• How important was her Jewish heritage to Esther? (topic sentence)
• Provide several examples of how Esther's father, mother, grandmother, and perhaps other family members influenced the way Esther thought about what it meant to be a part of the Jewish community.
• In your concluding sentences, briefly summarize how Esther’s Jewish heritage connects to the theme of Adaptability and Resistance to Change.

2. The isolation Esther feels is one of the greatest challenges of her exile.

• How can language and cultural barriers influence the need for acceptance and friendship? (topic sentence)
• Describe some of the things Esther did to fit in at school and make friends.