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. In contrast to her mother’s Christian outlook, Hulga’s view of the world is atheistic and even nihilistic.

• What general outlook on people and on life does Hulga express? (topic sentence)
• Identify three moments in the story when Hulga discusses her beliefs. Are her thoughts contradictory? What do her statements mean? Does The Conflict Between Mother and Daughter play a factor at all in her philosophical outbursts?
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain whether you think Hulga’s beliefs are authentically hers and why.

2. Names are very important in O’Connor’s story.

• How does Mrs. Hopewell’s disdain for the name Hulga show her beliefs about women in society? (topic sentence)
• Describe three pieces of evidence that help explain how Hulga’s name change impacts the way Mrs.