Dear Martin

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

1. In this novel, Stone incorporates various writing styles, including a third-person limited omniscient narrator, letters to Dr. King, and dramatic dialogue.

• What purpose does this mix of styles serve? (topic sentence)
• Discuss why Stone might deploy these three approaches. For example, Stone may want to provide readers with distinct experiences that allow insight into certain aspects of the story.
• Consider what, specifically, each of the three approaches does for the narrative. For example, with the third-person limited omniscient narrator, readers are privy to Justyce's thoughts as well as events that move the plot of the story along. With the letter to Dr. King, readers are given more in-depth access to Justyce's feelings and interpretations of events.

2. Justyce and Jared each experience change over the course of the novel.

• How has each of them changed? (topic sentence)
• Are they more similar at the beginning or the end of the novel? Define Justyce’s and Jared’s core beliefs at the beginning of the novel, and compare them to their core beliefs at the end.
• Conclude with a statement about whether Justyce and Jared are more similar at the beginning or the end of the novel.

3. After a difficult senior year, Justyce moves forward into his bright future with what seems to be a positive attitude.

• Who and what have allowed him and helped him to reach this place by the end of the novel? (topic sentence)
• What are the positive motivating forces in Justyce’s life? Focus on not only real-life individuals in Justyce’s life (like Doc), but also historical figures (like Dr. King).
• What message does Stone seem to be sending about the futures of young, Black men like Justyce? Explain how this positive re-imagining may have real-world ramifications.

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. Stone's novel focuses on Dr. King's teachings, and she includes a quote from him as an epigraph: "I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality." By the end of the novel, would Justyce agree with Dr. King's belief? What experiences and realizations might have led him to that stance?

2. What is the “Black Man's Curse”? How do Quan and Justyce each respond to its existence? Why does each of them respond in the way that they do?

3. Martel is charismatic. Why might young men like Quan and Trey gravitate toward him? Why does Justyce? What might Stone be suggesting about some gang members?