Ground Zero

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. Compare and contrast 9-year-old Brandon and 11-year-old Reshmina.

• Do these two characters share more similarities, or differences? (topic sentence)
• Identify 2-3 examples from the book to support your argument.
• How does The Power of a Single Day change the trajectories of these characters’ futures?

2. Consider the term Pashtunwali from the novel.

• How is the concept of Pashtunwali important for the characters? (topic sentence)
• Select one character and describe how this person incorporates Pashtunwali in their decision-making process.
• How does this character rationalize Pashtunwali when it comes to Refuge Over Revenge?

3. Brandon and Reshmina face dangerous and difficult situations, yet they both persevere.

• Why do you think both of these characters are able to survive? (topic sentence)
• Find 2-3 examples from the novel where they use strength to overcome a difficult situation.
• How does their ability to survive relate to the theme of Survival Requires Teamwork?

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. Consider the role that gender plays in the novel. How does being a girl in Afghanistan affect Reshmina’s life in terms of both her day-to-day life and her future? How does her gender affect her relationship with her family, including her brother Pasoon? How does she fight against this mold?

2. Why do you think Gratz chose to show the 9/11 attack through the point of view of a nine-year-old? How would this narration be different if the main character were an adult? What downsides might there be to having an adult protagonist?

3. This novel was written and published before America withdrew from Afghanistan in August 2021. How might the story be different if it were written today? How might the characters react to the American withdrawal from Afghanistan and the resulting Taliban takeover?