Dominicana

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. Dolls are a recurring symbol in this novel.

• What messages are conveyed by the novel’s doll symbolism? (topic sentence)
• Support your interpretation with at least three pieces of evidence from separate places in the novel.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, demonstrate how the doll symbolism supports the novel’s thematic concern with Women as Powerful Agents of Change.

2. The novel is primarily told from Ana’s point of view, but there are a few passages that focus on Juan’s perspective.

• What is the rhetorical function of including Juan’s perspective in the novel? (topic sentence)
• Support your argument with at least three pieces of evidence from separate places in the novel.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, demonstrate how including Juan’s perspective supports the novel’s thematic concern with Family Versus the Individual and The Pursuit of the American Dream.

3. The historical figure of Malcolm X plays a significant role in this novel.

• What is the purpose of including Malcolm X? (topic sentence)
• Support your argument with at least three pieces of evidence from separate places in the novel.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, show how the novel’s use of Malcolm X supports its thematic concerns with The Pursuit of the American Dream.

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. What are the sources of Ana’s beliefs about marriage and motherhood? How does her relationship to each of these sources change as she matures and gains experience? To what extent has she learned to rely on her own ideas and beliefs by the end of the novel? Write an essay that explores the sources of Ana’s shifting beliefs about marriage and motherhood and demonstrates how changes in her beliefs relate to her coming of age. Connect your discussion to the novel’s thematic concern with Women as Powerful Agents of Change and/or The Family Versus the Individual. Support your arguments with evidence drawn from throughout the text, making sure to cite any quoted material.

2. What is the significance of the novel’s settings? How do the history and culture of New York City and the Dominican Republic impact Ana’s story? What ideas are conveyed by the similarities and differences between these settings? Write an essay that analyzes the significance of the novel’s two main settings. Show how these settings support the novel’s thematic concerns with Women as Powerful Agents of Change, The Pursuit of the American Dream, and The Family Versus the Individual. Support your arguments with evidence drawn from throughout the text, making sure to cite any quoted material.

3. What role does race play in this novel? How does skin color impact the characters’ lives? How does race become hierarchical, and what relationship does this have to the immigrant experience and The Pursuit of the American Dream? Write an essay in which you analyze the characters’ beliefs about race and experiences with race-based discrimination. Show how the novel’s messages about race are linked to its messages about The Pursuit of the American Dream. Support your arguments with evidence drawn from throughout the text, making sure to cite any quoted material.