Breaking Through

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 the beginning of Breaking Through, Panchito relates that he lived in “constant fear […] from the time I was four until I was fourteen years old” (Chapter 1).

• What is the root of Panchito’s fear? (topic sentence)
• Why did Papa instruct his children to tell people that they had been born in Colton, California? Was this smart or ill-advised? Discuss this and other character reactions in support of your topic sentence.
• In your conclusion, discuss how Panchito’s fear relates to injustice and general prejudice toward Mexican immigrants, which was a major source of stress for Papa, as the protector of the Jiménez family.

2. When Panchito’s classmate, Peggy Dossen, invites Panchito home to meet her parents, her mother becomes uncomfortable after asking him about his accent.

• How can Peggy’s mother’s reaction be characterized? (topic sentence)
• How and when does Panchito realize the source of her discomfort? Why do you think she reacts this way? Discuss and analyze this scene in support of your topic sentence.
• In your conclusion, connect this moment to Panchito’s larger awakening with the novel’s theme of Rage Fueled by Injustice.

3. On the eve of his graduation from junior high school, Panchito bathes with Fab detergent and Ajax to remove the stains caused by strawberries.

• What do the strawberry stains symbolize? (topic sentence)
• What figurative stains result from his life as a crop picker? List and discuss at least three.
• In your conclusion, summarize how “stains” also relate to the theme of Solidarity of Family and Community among his family and other immigrants.

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. While awaiting the return of their parents and siblings from Mexico after their deportation, Roberto and Panchito live alone in California. After a burglar steals the cash that the boys had hidden under their mattress, they hide their earnings inside a ceramic bust of Jesus Christ. Consider the attitude toward religion that Mama has instilled in her children. What does the statue represent? What are other moments in the text where spirituality and faith serve as a protective force for Roberto and Panchito, particularly when they become older? Do the boys take more or less refuge in their faith as they grow into young adults?

2. Papa’s irritability, complaints of constant headaches and frequent weeping occur as his chronic back pain impairs him, and his dreams of an independent strawberry farm come to an end. Mama cares for him, and she encourages her children to demonstrate patience and understanding of his behavior and tries to cajole him out of his anger. Evaluate the impact of Papa’s worsening mental state. Would he be treated differently in modern times? Reflect on the deeper motivations of Papa and Mama: Who is motivated by Rage Fueled by Injustice, and who is motivated by The Value of Spirituality and Faith? Discuss how each of these motivations have its pluses and minuses, citing evidence in the text to support your answer.