2012 Essay Questions

Please note that for the essay you are required to select one of the below novels and answer the questions listed under the novel. For example if you selected Geek Fantasy Novel by E. Archer, you are required to answer all the questions listed under Geek Fantasy Novel. The novelists selected the questions for their novels.

Questions for Geek Fantasy Novel by E. Archer
One of the book’s themes amid all the comedy is self-reference. It is a send-up of conventions of the fantasy genre, but is also about the dangers of self-awareness. On page 245, the narrator says: “It is a thrill that we all turn to in our selfish moments, the vanity of thinking about ourselves thinking about ourselves. but it’s a thrill that can easily turn to paralysis and despair.” How has self-awareness played a role in your own life? Is it a source of humor, like in much of Geek Fantasy Novel, or something to be approached with caution? How does Geek Fantasy Novel’s recurring self-reference reflect on your own life?

Questions for How To Say Goodbye In Robot by Natalie Standiford
What do you think about the relationships between parents and children in this book? Do they understand one another? Are they fair to one another? Is there anything you wish you could change about Beatrice's parents' behavior toward her, or her attitude toward them? What about Jonah and his father--what would you change about their relationship? Why did Jonah decide to disappear at the end of the book? What do you think became of him?

Questions for Alive and Well in Prague, New York by Daphne Grab
Matisse is quick to judge people in her first days at Milo High.  Why do you think this is and how does she change by the end of the book? What character in the book is most like you and why? What is something you would have done differently if you were in Matisse's shoes and why? What do you think happens to the characters after the book ends?

Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman(From ArtLit Committee)
Maus portrays the Holocaust, a great tragedy that befell the Jewish people. Do you know of any recent genocides? As citizens of a global society what roles can we play to ensure that genocide is a thing of the past? This is a graphic memoir. A graphic memoir tells a persons life through text and drawings. Why does Art Spiegelman use Mice instead of people to portray characters in the story? What do the Mice represent?

What will you submit?
You are required to write a 6 page (a title page and a 5 page essay) double spaced essay on one of four selected novels and submit the essay as a word attachment. Your essay must have a title page containing your name, telephone number, email address and the school you are attending. The essay must be your original work. Your essay must contain answers to the above questions based on the novel you select. You are allowed to submit only one essay.

“Through life’s rush
never forget compassion”