O Pioneers!

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 novel over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. In what ways is Alexandra a subversive character?

• What is unusual or surprising about Alexandra’s character, given her gender and time period? (topic sentence)
• Does Alexandra remain subversive throughout the novel? Cite at least 3 distinct passages to support your claims.
• Use your concluding sentence or sentences to discuss why Cather might have characterized Alexandra in this way, thinking especially about the theme of Sacrifice of Self for the Good of the Community.

2. Consider the novel’s depiction of the immigrant experience.

• To what extent is there a unified immigrant experience in Hanover? (topic sentence)
• Where do the various immigrants to Hanover come from, and how do their cultures affect their experience in America? What differentiates immigrants from second-generation Americans? Discuss the experiences of at least 2 characters in your response.
• Use your concluding sentence or sentences to discuss how Cather’s immigrant characters connect to the theme(s) of Respect the Power of the Land, Sacrifice of Self for the Good of the Community, and/or Loneliness Is a Double-Edged Sword.

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. How does Cather use the changing seasons as a symbol? What is her message about growth, change, and reflection? Why are these symbols important to the novel as a whole?

2. Consider the character of Ivar. What ideas or themes does he represent? What is his role as a secondary character in the novel? What is his influence on the novel as a whole?

3. In what ways does Alexandra embody the Nebraskan landscape? How does Cather personify nature itself in the novel? What is the significance of the relationship between Alexandra and the land? Include at least 3 quotes from the text to support your response.