Essay Topics
for 9th Grade Honors
Spring 06

1. Discuss the use of theme in your book and show how the writer uses the characters to convey his/her world view.

2. Choose two characters in the book you are reading and compare and contrast them. How are they similar? How are they different? Be sure to use specific quotations and examples from the book to give a clear idea of what kind of people they are. Do these characters reflect the world view or theme of the author?

3. Choose a scene from the book that best illustrates the theme of the book. By using examples from the book show how this scene illustrates the theme the best.

4. Discuss the conflict in the book. By giving specific details from the story (quotations and examples) show how the author uses the conflict to illustrate the theme.

5. Choose one aspect of the novel that you find the most intriguing and discuss it. It can be character, conflict, point of view, or figurative language. Be sure to give examples to show why you find that aspect of the novel so intriguing.

6. Discuss the author’s use of setting in the novel. Could the novel work if the setting were changed? Does the novel’s success depend entirely on the setting or could the story work if placed in a different time or place?