El Deafo

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. 

Scaffolded/Short-Answer Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the below bulleted outlines. Cite details from the play over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Cece feels resentful about her mother’s desire for the two of them to learn sign language.

• What is the underlying reason for Cece’s feelings about sign language? (topic sentence)
• In what other ways does this affect Cece’s life as a young girl?
• How does this tie into an overall theme or idea of the graphic novel?

2. Cece spends much of the graphic novel looking for what she calls a “True Friend.”

• What does having friends mean for a Deaf person like Cece? (topic sentence)
• How do the friends she makes throughout the novel meet or fail to meet the requirements of Cece’s friendship?
• What’s different about the friendships Cece makes at the end of the graphic novel?

3. Graphic novels have their own conventions of formatting and storytelling that are distinct from other types of storytelling.

• Why might the graphic novel form be a significant storytelling choice for Cece’s narrative? (topic sentence)
• What visual elements in the story help represent Cece’s condition and her desire to overcome it?
• How does the visual storytelling enhance the overall purpose of the story?

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. Throughout the graphic novel, Cece’s deafness is a source of shame and alienation, but she eventually begins to find acceptance with her peers through that same trait. Using evidence from the text, trace this narrative arc throughout the story and use it to explain what the story is trying to say about the way Deaf (or other differently-abled) people can overcome their differences with non-Deaf communities.

2. Cece uses a fantasy of being a superhero in order to understand and articulate her feelings. How is this in line with the role superheroes play in modern American society? In what ways does El Deafo reflect the purpose of superhero stories that are inherently about having agency in the world? Feel free to draw comparison to film, comics, or any other Western depiction of a superhero.

3. The afterword in the book details some of the different philosophies that run throughout the Deaf community. How does Bell’s book fit into that larger conversation about deafness as a culture versus deafness as a medical condition?