The Inheritance Games

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. One important theme in The Inheritance Games involves the risky nature of keeping secrets.

• What are the repercussions of keeping secrets in the novel? (topic sentence)
• Select one character, describe the secrets they keep, and explain the consequences of the secrets for the novel’s characters.
• In your concluding sentences, explain how sharing the secret could have created a better outcome for the characters.

2. Throughout the novel, deceased characters consistently influence the actions and reactions of those who knew them.

• How are the characters in the novel influenced by their deceased friends and relatives? (topic sentence)
• Describe the absent/deceased characters in the novel and how they drive the actions of the people who knew them—even after their deaths.
• In your concluding sentences, explain how the characters are motivated by the absent characters in the novel.

3. The differences between social classes is a prominent theme in The Inheritance Games.

• What differences between classes are often highlighted in the novel? (topic sentence)
• Describe how Avery’s mannerisms, speech, and understanding are a disadvantage to her while living with the Hawthornes.
• In your concluding sentences, explain how Avery’s social class may be an advantage to her 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. Hawthorne House, with its secret passageways, complex wings, and many rooms, symbolizes the intricacies of the “inheritance game.” Analyze the mansion’s symbolic significance, referring to precise details. How might the game room, bowling alley, office, and libraries each symbolize the intricacies of the game?

2. At one point in the novel, Xander tells Avery, “If I were white, people wouldn’t look at me like I’m half a Hawthorne.” Describe how the statement makes Avery feel. What is the injustice of Xander’s feelings of “otherness” in comparison to his brothers? How does Avery relate to Xander’s comment?

3. Avery is haunted by the idea that she is just a clue in Tobias’s final riddle—the knife or the glass ballerina. The book’s final plot twist suggests that Avery has more agency than any of the characters realized. Explore the treatment of Avery’s character throughout the narrative, considering her treatment as a puzzle piece versus an active driver of events. How do the Hawthornes treat Avery in relation to her role in the novel?