Salt to the Sea

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 throughout your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Salt to the Sea is written from four first-person narratives throughout the novel.

• How is Septys’s decision to use four first-person narratives the most effective way to tell the story? (topic sentence)
• Explain why it is essential for Salt to the Sea to be told from a first-person perspective from four different characters. Then explain what the novel would lack if told from only one character’s perspective.
• In your concluding sentences, explain whether the author could have added other narratives to clarify the novel.

2. Eva is a unique character in the narrative and serves an important role in explaining the historical context and themes in the novel.

• What impact does Eva’s character have on the novel? (topic sentence)
• Explain what Eva’s size, bold personality, and understanding of history and major themes provide for the novel.
• In your concluding sentences, summarize Eva’s primary role in the narrative.

3. Throughout the novel, characters often hear gunfire and related sounds of warfare.

• How is sound used to add meaning to Salt to the Sea? (topic sentence)
• Explain how sound is used as a motif in the novel, describe specific instances in which sound is used, and explain what effect sound has on the characters and plot.
• In your concluding sentences, explain why the author used sound as a motif in the novel.

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. Explain how human kindness plays out in the war’s victims and perpetrators. Why have some of the characters and historical figures in the novel lost their connection with their humanity? How does this loss impact other people in the novel? How have some of the heroes in the novel adopted their own philosophies that may cause them to be aloof or fail to build relationships with others? How is this reaction related to wartime violence? Why do some characters like Joana lean into relationships during challenging times? Who do you think has a healthier outlook on life?

2. How do you think the author wants us to understand Alfred? Does his portrayal allow the reader to have compassion for him? What character traits does Alfred have that are unforgivable? Do you think Alfred exhibits a personality flaw or is something deeper causing his behavior? What evidence can be found in the novel to support your opinion of Alfred?

3. Explore how the novel’s theme of Reinventing the Familial Unit appears. What effect does the war have on families and children? How does the diverse group of refugees form a special kind of family? Why is it important that this family is created in the context of war? What are the implications of this new family on future generations?