WEST BLOOMFIELD HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
Ninth Grade: English 9: Summer Reading Assignment 2015
Please complete both assignments during the summer.
Assignment #1
Step A: Read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. By the end of the month, Barnes and Noble (West Bloomfield) will
have copies available for purchase. They will be available on display in the store organized by class. Or, you may order a
new or used copy online (consider www.abe.com OR www.bn.com and typical sources such as eBay and Amazon). Lastly,
you may check one out from the library.
Step B: For this novel, there are two sets of questions. The set of questions labeled “study questions” is for your personal
use to help you on your journey through this novel. These questions will not be collected, but thinking about the answers
may help you to better understand the novel. The second set of questions labeled “Short Answer Questions” contain one
question per section of the novel that must be answered using complete sentences and textual evidence. These answers
must be typed according to the instructions on that sheet. Please refer to the example provided as a model. The “Short
Answer Questions” must be typed and saved as you will be turning them in during the first week of school. You will need
both a hard copy (printed out) for your teacher as well as an electronic file to submit to turnitin.com. Instructions for
submitting the assignment online will be handed out by your teacher during that first week of class.
Step C: When you return to school, be prepared to take an objective test on the novel. The test will measure your ability
to comprehend material on various levels (such as factual, interpretative, and critical).
A Brief Synopsis of The Book Thief
-Adapted from the book jacket of The Book Thief
It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a
Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .
Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster
girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters
something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her
stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is
marched to Dachau.
This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.
Setting: Nazi Germany
Motifs to be considered, but not limited by, when developing themes in this novel are:
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Courage
Forgiveness
Friendship
Love
Family
Loss
Death
Identity
War
Style: Historical Fiction-based during and using information about WWII
Fantasy: based on the use of this narrator
Assignment #2
Step A: Read Divergent by Veronica Roth. By the end of the month, Barnes and Noble (West Bloomfield) will have
copies available for purchase. The novel will be available on display in the store organized by class. Or, you may order a
new or used copy online (consider www.abe.com OR www.bn.com and typical sources such as eBay and Amazon.) Lastly,
you may check one out from the library.
Step B: Once you have read this novel, please write an essay on the prompt provided. It is purposefully open ended, so a
variety of answers will be both correct and easily supported. However, remember to properly support your claim or thesis.
Essays must be formatted according to MLA 7th edition format.
Please visit the Purdue OWL website if you have forgotten how to do this at:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
Your responses must be typed and handed in the SECOND DAY OF CLASS. You must also submit an electronic copy of
your work to turnitin.com by the SAME DATE – THE SECOND DAY OF CLASS. You will receive more specific
instructions on how to do this from your English teacher.
This is an INDIVIDUAL assignment, and you cannot use material from sparknotes.com, wikipedia.com, etc. It must be
YOUR ORIGINAL work. Please review English Department policies on plagiarism if you have any concerns.
A Brief Synopsis of Divergent
-Adapted from the book jacket of Divergent
In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a
particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite
(the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote
the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t
have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.
During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris, and struggles alongside her fellow
initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together, they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and
intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must
determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes-fascinating, sometimesexasperating boy fits into the life she’s chosen. But Tris also has a secret: one she’s kept hidden from everyone, because
she’s been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threatens to unravel her
seemingly-perfect society, she also learns that her secret might be what helps her save those she loves . . . or it might be
what destroys her.
Setting: Futuristic Chicago
Motifs to be considered, but not limited by, when developing themes in this novel are:
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Friendship
Love
Family
Loss
Identity
Individuality
Loyalty
Genre: Dystopian
Final Words
While these are graded assignments, don’t panic. (We’ll give you a little bit of grading latitude on the questions.)
In short, do the following:
Required: Read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Required: Complete the short answer discussion questions with textual evidence and submit your work to turnitin.com
when class begins in the fall.
Be prepared to take an objective test during the first week of class.
Required: Read Divergent by Veronica Roth.
Recommended: Read both books twice .
Required: Complete the outline prewrite and then write the dystopian essay on the given prompt
Enjoy your summer (with these fantastic books). We look forward to working with you in 2015-2016.
Sincerely, Your English 9 literature teachers
P.S. If you have ANY questions, please do not hesitate to contact Mrs. McHardy. It is very important to us that
you find success and meaning in your summer reading.
[email protected]
The Book Thief - study questions NOT
Prologue
TO TURN IN!!!!!!!!
1. Where is the narrator as he starts his story?
Death and Chocolate
2. What is the small fact the narrator states?
3. What has nothing to do with the narrator?
4. Who does the narrator can't stand to look at? How does this connect to the story the narrator will present?
Beside the Railway Line
5. What was first up for the narrator? Why do you think this color is used?
6. What mistake did the narrator make at the train line?
The Eclipse
7. Why is this chapter called eclipse?
The Flag
8. What is the setting of The Book Thief?
9. What does the girl clutch in the mountain of rubble?
Part One
Arrival on Himmel Street
10.
11.
12.
13.
What tragedy struck Liesel’s family while aboard the train?
Why were Liesel and her brother Werner supposed to be placed in foster care in January 1939?
Why was the book about grave digging significant to Liesel?
What color is Europe? Why this color?
Growing Up a Saumensch
14. Define:
a. Communist
b. Saumensch?
15. Describe the Hubermanns. Why do you think the Hubermanns insisted that Liesel call them “Mama” and “Papa”?
The Woman with the Iron Fist
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
How does Papa comfort Liesel at night?
What did the accordion music represent to Liesel?
Even though Liesel cannot read, what did the book represent for Liesel?
What is the BDM?
Why is Mama called the woman with the iron fist?
The Kiss (A Childhood Decision Maker)
21. Identify the following:
a. Rudy Steiner
b. Frau Diller
c. Tommy Muller
d. Pfiffkus
22. What is the road of yellow stars?
23. What was the bet between Rudy and Liesel?
The Jesse Owens Incident
Jesse Owens -1936 Olympics
24. Describe Alex Steiner's reaction to his son during the Jesse Owens incident. What was Rudy’s father trying to
teach his son on the night of the Jesse Owens incident?
The Other Side of Sandpaper
25. Why is Liesel's bed wetting important in this section?
26. What is the significance of the title of this section?
27. "Hans Hubermann belonged to the 10 percent. There was a reason for that" (p 63). Speculate why Hans belongs to
the 10 percent.
The Smell of Friendship
28. What was the smell of friendship for Liesel? Why?
The Heavyweight Champion of the School-Yard
29. Why did Liesel insist on participating in the reading examination? Why did it end in disaster? When Liesel cries,
of whom does she think?
30. Why did the narrator’s workload increase in the beginning of September 1939?
Part Two
The Girl Made of Darkness
31. What did Liesel steal?
The Joy of Cigarettes
32. Symbolism—A symbol in literature is a person, object, or event that stands for an idea or a set of ideas. What
does the book The Grave Digger’s Handbook symbolize?
33. How did Hans Hubermann’s Christmas gift to Liesel reveal the depth of his feelings for her?
The Town Walker
34. Why did Mama Hubermann decide to risk sending Liesel on the important business of laundry pickup and
delivery?
35. Why do you suppose the Hubermanns avoid any discussion of Liesel’s mother in front of her daughter?
Dead Letters
Flashback and Flash Forward—A writer can play with time sequence to achieve particular effects. A flashback
is a scene which takes the narrative back to a time before the current point in the plot. A flash forward reveals
what will happen at some future point in the story.
36. Do you think Liesel deserved to be punished for taking money to mail letters to her mother? Was Rosa justified in
meting out such a harsh punishment?
37. “Liesel Meminger was ready. Happy Birthday, Herr Hitler. Many happy returns" (p 100). What is your reaction to
the last lines of this chapter?
Hitler's Birthday, 1940
38. In what important respect did Hans Junior differ from his father?
39. Why did Hans Junior accuse his father of cowardice? What was the “mistake” Papa Hubermann had committed?
In what ways might Hans Hubermann have been considered a hero and not a coward as he had been accused by
his son?
40. What happened to Hans Junior?
100 Percent Pure German Sweat
41. What shocking realization met Liesel when she listened to the speaker at the bonfire? Hint:Kommuniste
The Gates of Thievery
42. What calculation does Liesel make?
43. Why did Papa Hubermann slap Liesel?
Book of Fire
44. What is the name of the book that Liesel rescues from the book burning?
45. At the end of Part 2 what suspense (A literary device in which the author maintains the audience's attention
through the buildup of events, the outcome of which will soon be revealed) is created?
Part 3
The Way Home
The Mayor's Library
46. Who had seen Liesel steal the book at the book burning?
47. What silent understanding do you think passed between Liesel and the mayor’s wife? Why do you suppose Ilse
Hermann allowed Liesel to browse through her library?
Enter The Struggler
48. What do you think is the relationship between Max and Hans Hubermann?
49. "Those things happen when you wake up from a bad dream, not when you wake into one." How does this quote
relate to the times of the novel?
The Attributes of Summer
50. Why did Liesel avoid the mayor’s house for some time? And then, why did she change radically and look forward
to delivering laundry to the mayor’s house?
51. Do you think that the thievery practiced by Rudy, Liesel, and the other children was justified? Why?
The Aryan Shopkeeper
52. Who is Frau Diller?
53. Why was it a great day for Liesel and Rudy?
The Struggler, Continued
54. Why did Max Vandenburg read a copy of Mein Kampf on the train?
Tricksters
" - Proof again of the contradictory human being. So much good, so much evil. Just add water" (p 164).
The Struggler, Concluded
Part 4
The Accordionist (The Secret Life of Hans Hubermann )
A Good Girl
Liesel sees Max enter the Hubermann's house.
A Short History of the Jewish Fighter
55. Why did Death like Max?
56. How do you suppose Max’s years of street fighting helped him during the years before and during World War II?
57. Who was Walter Kugler and how did he help Max?
The Wrath of Rosa
58. What happens to Max as he eats the pea soup?
Liesel's Lecture
59. Why did Hans risk frightening Liesel terribly?
The Sleeper
“Liesel, in the act of watching, was already noticing the similarities between this stranger and herself. They both
arrived in a state of agitation on Himmel Street. They both nightmared" (p 206).
The Swapping of Nightmares
60. What qualities do you think Rosa Hubermann demonstrated after Max’s arrival?
61. "Imagine smiling after a slap in the face. Then think of doing it twenty-four hours a day" How does this quote
relate to the Hubermanns?
62. What new routine do the Hubermanns and Max have?
63. How does Liesel describe Max's hair?
64. Why does Max call Mein Kampf the best book ever?
65. What would have been "like a lamb, handing a knife to a butcher?" (p 221)
Pages From The Basement
66. What factors helped to create the bond between Max and Liesel? Why do you think Max created The Standover
Man for Liesel? What was significant about the materials he used to make the book?
Part Five
The Floating Book (Part 1)
67. Why do you suppose the narrator flashed forward to Rudy Steiner’s death? Do you think this knowledge
improves or lessens your appreciation of the book? Why?
The Gamblers (A Seven -Sided Die)
68. What is being personified as Liesel thinks about Max while she is visiting the mayor’s wife?
69. " Max and Liesel were held together by the quiet gathering of words" (p 248). Explain.
70. Why did Liesel scavenge from garbage pails on the days she went on her laundry route?
71. How did Max make time pass as he spent days and weeks in the Hubermanns' basement?
72. What is the symbolism of
a. the dream of Max fighting with the Führer?
b. Max’s over-written pages of Mein Kampf?
73. What does the seventh side of the die mean?
74. In your opinion, did Ilse Hermann deserve Liesel’s anger? Why?
Rudy's Youth
75. Do you think Rudy deserved the punishment he received at Franz’s hands? Could he have avoided it?
The Losers
76. Describe Victor Chemmel. What is his threat to Rudy?
Sketches
77. React to the two sketches (p.279-280) that Max had drawn.
The Whistler And The Shoes
78. Why did Lisa and Rudy feel compelled to commit a significant robbery by themselves? Who and what
did they rob?
79. What did Liesel become in late October 1941?
Three Acts Of Stupidity By Rudy Steiner
80. In what ways did Franz Deutscher embody the attitude of Hitler’s regime?
The Floating book (Part 2)
81. What is revealed in this section?
Part Six
Death's Diary:1942
82. How does death describe himself and what does,"You want to know what I truly look like? I'll help you
out. Find Yourself a mirror" (p 307) mean?
83. What are the three examples of death in 1942 that Death mentions?
The Snowman
84. Why was Christmas Day 1942 a special time for those who resided in Hans Hubermann’s home?
Thirteen Presents
85. What did Liesel hope to accomplish by bringing presents to the unconscious Max?
86. “It didn't stop her from pulling a lump of salt water from her eye and feeding it onto Max Vanderburg's
face. She knew” (p 324). What did Liesel know?
Fresh Air, An Old Nightmare, And what To Do With A Jewish Corpse
87. Why do you think Liesel was able to enter the mayor’s house with ease and rob books each time?
88. How did Liesel’s dream about her brother and Max Vandenburg mirror the conflicts in her own life?
89. How was The Dream Carrier the complete antithesis of The Whistler?
90. Why did Rosa Hubermann make an unplanned visit to Liesel’s school?
Death's Diary: Cologne
The Bombing of Cologne
The Visitor
NSDAP - National Sozialistische Deutsche Arbeiter Partei (National Socialist German Workers’ Party)
The Schmunzeler
Shumunzel - to smile
Death's Diary: The Parisians
The Mauthausen Concentration Camp
91. Why did Death say that the sky was “the color of Jews”? How did Death respond to the mass destruction
of human lives?
Part Seven
Champagne And Accordions
92. What caused the brief period of contentment for Liesel and Papa Hubermann during the summer of
1942?
The Trilogy
93. What was the trilogy of happiness?
The Sound Of Sirens
94. Why didn’t Death feel sympathy for the Germans who hid in their basements during the air raids?
The Sky Stealer
95. Irony—Why is it ironic that a book helped the Germans live through the second air raid in Molching?
96. Why didn't Papa bring his accordion with him?
97. How did Liesel calm the group during the raid?
Frau Holtzapfel's Offer
98. What was Frau Holtzapfel's offer?
The Long Walk To Dachau
99. Why did Hans suffer feelings of guilt after giving the dying Jewish man a piece of bread?
100.
Allusion—An allusion is a literary reference to a familiar person, place, or event. Allusions may
give readers a common reference point and also confer authenticity on a work of literature. For example,
in this section of the novel, the narrator explains that the Jewish prisoners were being marched through
the streets of Molching to demonstrate the efficiency of the Dachau work camp. How is this effective in
this novel?
Peace
101.
Why does Max leave?
The Idiot And The Coat Men
102.
Why was Hans Hubermann guilt-ridden?
103.
For whom have the Coat Men come?
Part Eight
The vision of a perfect race
Dominoes And Darkness
104.
Why did “the coat men” visit Alex Steiner’s house?
The Thought Of Rudy Naked
105.
Why was Rudy selected for examination by the Nazi medical authorities? What was it ironic?
Punishment
106.
Why were the middle-aged Alex Steiner and Hans Hubermann drafted?
The Promise Keeper's Wife
107.
What did Rosa Hubermann sleep with after Hans left for the war?
The Collector
108.
What was the LSE?
109.
Why do you think Hans Hubermann’s letters home were so brief?
110.
Why do you think the author showed German soldiers, such as Hans Hubermann, performing
civilian tasks instead of being shown on a battlefield? And, why did he focus on ordinary German
civilians during wartime?
The Bread Eaters
111.
Why did Liesel and Rudy go to observe the third march of the Jews to Dachau?
The Hidden Sketchbook
112.
What do you think Max’s book (The Word Shaker) revealed about the power of words? How
might words represent both beauty and evil? What message do you think the story imparted?
The Anarchist's Suit Collection
113.
Why did Liesel take Rudy to his father’s abandoned shop on Christmas night?
Part Nine
The Next Temptation
114.
How did Ilse Hermann prepare for Liesel’s next visit? Do you think Ilse Hermann was a Nazi
sympathizer?
115.
" Propaganda even reached the bathroom" (p 450). React.
The Cardplayer
116.
Who is Reinhold Zucker?
The Snows Of Stalingrad
117.
What disturbing news did Michael Holtzapfel bring to Himmel Street? Why did this news
devastate Rosa Hubermann as well as his own mother?
The Ageless Brother
118.
What finally laid the ghost of Liesel’s brother to rest?
The Accident
119.
Why did Hans survive the accident?
The Bitter taste Of Questions
120.
What is Rudy's reaction that Liesel's father was coming home?
One Toolbox, One Bleeder, One Bear
121.
What did Death mean when he commented about Liesel as she observed the dying survivor of
the plane crash, “She did not back away or try to fight me, but I know that something told the girl I was
there . . . she knew me and she looked me in my face and she did not look away . . . we both moved on”?
(p 490)
122.
What did Rudy give the dying pilot?
123.
What does the narrator mean when he says," It's probably fair to say that in all the years of
Hitler's reign, no person was able to serve the Fuhrer as loyally as me" (491).
Homecoming
124.
Do you find the last few words of this section suspenseful? Why?
Part Ten
The End Of The World (Part 1)
125.
How did Liesel survive the air strike on Himmel Street? How did words once again save her life?
126.
" Each soul was so soft" (p 499). Who is death describing?
The Ninety-Eighth Day
127.
Why did Liesel attend each time Jews were marched through Molching?
128.
Why did Michael Holtzapfel commit suicide?
The War Maker
"Max Vandenburg was one such Jew."
Way Of The Words
129.
What did Liesel do when she saw Max?
130.
How did Rudy save Liesel’s life?
Confessions
131.
What does Liesel confess to Rudy?
Ilsa Hermann's Little Black Box
132.
How did Ilse Hermann inspire Liesel to write her own story?
The Rib-Cage Planes
133.
How had Liesel developed a love-hate relationship with words?
The End Of The World (Part 2)
134.
What did Liesel realize when she found Rudy’s body after the bombing?
135.
" He steps on my heart. He makes me cry" (p 531). Who is Death talking about?
136.
Who does Death say had the best soul? Why?
Epilogue
Death And Liesel
137.
What do we find out about Liesel?
Wood In The Afternoon
138.
Who took care of Liesel after she was orphaned for the second time?
Max
139.
Who was the unexpected survivor of the war?
The Handover Man
140.
What did Death tell Liesel?
The Book Thief Short Answer Questions-TO TURN IN!!!!!!!!!
These questions are to be answered in complete sentences using appropriately cited quotations to support your answers.
Any unsupported answers WILL NOT RECEIVE CREDIT. This assignment should be saved. You will need to turn in
a hard copy (printed) as well as submit an electronic copy during the first week of school. Remember MLA formatting.
Prologue
1. Page 4 gives a hint of who the narrator is. Who is the narrator? Why does the narrator see life in terms of
color?
Part One
2. Irony—Irony refers to the difference between the way things seem to be and the way things are. What
was ironic about the first book that Liesel “stole”? Also, what is ironic about Himmel Street?
Part Two
3. Verbal irony—Verbal irony is a figure of speech in which the speaker says one thing, but intends
something quite different. The device of verbal irony may include sarcasm, overstatement, and
understatement. For instance, the narrator says that World War II was the result of the Germans’ love of
burning things. What tells you that this statement should not be taken literally, at face value?
Part Three
4. Cliffhanger—A cliffhanger is a device borrowed from silent serialized films in which an episode would
end abruptly at a moment of heightened tension or suspense. In a book it usually appears at the end of a
chapter to encourage the reader to continue on in the book. What is the cliffhanger at the end of Part
Three? Was it effective? Why?
Part Four
5. Flashback—How did Erik Vandenburg save Hans Hubermann’s life in the first World War?
6. Symbolism—What do you think the accordion symbolized?
7. Metaphor—What implied comparison is being made in the following comment about war?
a. "The conversation of bullets."
Part Five
8. What do you think was significant about the book entitled The Whistler? Is there a common theme that
connects the books Liesel has stolen?
Part Six
9. How did “Death” characterize the year 1942? Why do you think the author has “Death” narrate this tale,
using a chatty, somewhat ironic tone? Do you think this adds or detracts from the book’s serious themes?
Why?
Part Seven
10. Extended Metaphor—An extended metaphor is a suggested or implied comparison that continues on.
The chapter “The Long Walk to Dachau” begins with the events of the day being compared to “an ocean
sky, with whitecap clouds.” Scan the chapter and find other examples of events being compared to stormy
waters. What is this metaphor meant to explain? Is it effective? Why?
Part Eight
Allegory—An allegory is a work in which characters, events, or settings symbolize, or represent, something else.
Max Vandenburg’s illustrated story for Liesel is allegorical because the events and actions are symbolic and not
intended to be taken literally.
For instance:
Soon, the demand for the lovely ugly words and symbols increased to such a point that the forests grew. Many
people were needed to maintain them. Some were employed to climb the trees and throw the words down to those
below. They were then fed directly into the remainder of the Fuhrer’s people, not to mention those who came
back for more.
11. How do the words and symbols that sprout from these trees relate to the political situation in Hitler’s
Germany?
Part Nine
12. Most of this story has not dealt with any personal stories of soldiers. What is your reaction to “The Snows
of Stalingrad”? How does this add to the characterization of the narrator? What is the effect of showing
how the narrator and the people experience the same death?
Part Ten
13. For each of the important people lost in “The End of the World Part Two”, Liesel says good bye in a
manner fitting that which she loved most about the individual person. What did she do for each of them?
What does each act say about how she feels for that person?
Epilogue
14. At the end of the novel, only one character survives the war. Why this character? What is the
author trying to say about war and humanity?
Example of an “A” worthy answer!!!
Sample Question from To Kill a Mockingbird
Question #1: What is the reader meant to learn from Jem’s relationship with Boo Radley?
Answer: Through this novel, the reader watches Jem grow from a place of prejudice based on what he has heard
about Boo Radley to an acceptance of Boo Radley based on his own interactions. Early in the novel, Jem says
he is “Six and a half feet tall, judging from his tracks; he dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could
catch…There was a long…scar that ran across his face…his eyes popped and he drooled most of the time” (13).
This is something Jem has imagined based on the over exaggerated tales of Miss Stephanie Crawford. As the
novel progresses, Jem tells Scout, “I think I am beginning to understand something. I think I am beginning to
understand why Boo Radley has stayed shut up all this time. It is because he wants to stay inside” (227). This
growth in Jem shows not just his acceptance of Boo Radley but a realization that the world is full of prejudice
and injustice.
Essay prompt for Divergent
Beginning with Plato’s Republic in the fifth century B.C. and continuing unto today’s popular literature such as
The Giver, Hunger Games, and Divergent, the idea of a perfect world has fascinated humanity. As every
generation finds societal or political issues to protest, the utopian societies and their targeted evils find a path
into the literature of the era.
A utopia is defined as an imaginary ideal society or political state. The term, a pun on two Greek words, outopia
(“no place”) and eutopia (“the good place”), was coined by Sir Thomas Moore for his work Utopia, which
described a perfect political state as he envisioned it. However, as the literature proves, a utopian society only
lasts so long before turning into something quite threatening. It is at this point in the novel the paradise
presented as a utopian setting becomes a dystopia, or undesirable society.
Using Divergent, please explore how this novel fits the dystopian literary genre. Choose a faction through
which to prove how the novel fits the typical elements of this genre. Below is a list of elements that are
frequently found in dystopian literature. Please select two to three elements off of the list through which you
plan to evaluate how well the faction you have chosen fits into this genre. DO NOT WRITE A SUMMARY OR
A DEFINITION OF THE FACTION FOR YOUR PAPER!!!!!! The body paragraphs need to be modeled after
the short answer example provided in this packet that shows a topic sentence, evidence in the form of a quote,
and sentences providing the analysis to make your point.
In this essay, please follow these guidelines as, formatting as dictated by MLA 7th addition :
*include textual evidence in the form of direct quotes from your novel (quotes and page
numbers)
*use MLA 7th edition format. (See the Online Writing Center at Purdue
University: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/)
*be no less than two (2) and no more than four (4) pages long.
Elements of a utopian/dystopian literature
A. “For the greater good”
B. Complacency
C. Creation of a cultural memory
D. Freedom through suppression
E. Government structure
F. Inflexibility of gender role identity
G. Lack of privacy
H. Loss of identity
I. Power and control
a. Ruling by fear
b. Resistance
c. Division
d. Control of language
e. Knowledge of power
f. Psychological control
g. Reconstruction after catastrophe
J. Setting-often different enough to be future/similar enough to be recognizable
K. Social commentary on contemporary political or social issue
THE PLAN FOR A WELL-WRITTEN ESSAY
Any good essay begins with a careful reading of the materials needed for success. In this instance, that means
following these steps to a successful essay.
Steps to follow:
1. Read Divergent.
2. Read the essay question carefully. Be sure to have a clear idea of what the question is asking you to
prove.
3. Write a thesis statement. Remember to make a claim (that means have a clear, arguable stance on what
you will be saying. A good thesis statement includes both a topic and an arguable claim (stance).
4. After you write your thesis statement, reread the question. Does your thesis answer the question? If yes,
go on to step 5. If not, go back to step 3.
5. Now that you know what you are going to prove, complete a prewrite.
6. Once you have successfully filled out your prewrite, you are ready to write!!!!
7. Once you have written, please reread, revise, and edit your essay. USE THE CHECKLISTS ON THE
NEXT PAGE!!!! You want your first high school writing to be a positive experience for both you and
your teacher!
8. Once you are done, save your essay in a safe place. You will be printing out a hard copy for your teacher
the first week of school as well as submitting your essay to our online plagiarism detection program, so it
will be necessary to have an electronic copy when school begins. Any paper not submitted on online will
receive a zero, so you may want to back your paper up in a second location to be safe.
General Editing Checklist:
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Have I read the entire paper aloud, one word at a time?
Have I removed all first or second person personal pronouns: I, me, my, mine, we, our, us, you, yours?
Have I identified and fixed sentence fragments?
Have I identified and fixed run-on sentences?
Have I eliminated unnecessary words?
Have quotations been smoothly integrated into the text with my own sentence both before and after
the quote?
Have I named the author and work in my introduction?
Do I refer to the writer by full name the first time and by last name thereafter?
Does the paper have an original, meaningful title?
 For example: “The Divergent essay” is not an acceptable title.
Have I maintained consistent use of verb tense?
Have I used strong verbs?
Have I minimized the use of passive voice?
Have I reviewed my use of diction? i.e. choose meaningful, appropriate words
Have I avoided “fluff words”? i.e. very, thing, good, etc.
Have I checked the grammar and punctuation of the paper thoroughly?
Have I checked to be sure all contractions have been removed from my essay?
Have I checked for spelling errors and typos (Especially homophones such as: to/too/two;
their/there/they’re; your/you’re; its/it’s; past/passed; except/accept; effect/affect)?
MLA Editing Checklist:
 Formal Heading order and format (date???)
 12 Font
 Times Roman
 Double Spaced
 Black ink only
 Documented quotations appropriately?
 Title of book is italicized
 Correctly formatted works cited page (see sample at OWL Purdue)