The War That Saved My Life

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. The concept of lying is explored from various angles in the novel.

• What lies does Ada tell? (topic sentence)
• Describe Susan’s definition of someone who is lying versus someone who is a liar, then explain which of Ada’s lies are and are not okay according to this definition.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain whether you agree with Susan’s assessment of the difference between lying and a liar and whether there are circumstances in which it is okay to lie.

2. Initially, Ada goes away inside her head when difficult conversations or situations present themselves.

• Why does Ada resist going away in her head as the novel progresses? (topic sentence)
• Explain specific scenarios Ada chooses to escape from by thinking of something else, then explain why Ada chooses not to escape later as often as she did before.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain why it is meaningful that Ada chooses to no longer escape her circumstances.

3. Ada teaches herself to walk and to ride, but she initially resists Susan’s help with learning to read, write, and sew.

• Why does Ada turn down help when it is offered? (topic sentence)
• Explain why Ada refuses Susan’s offer to teach her, what Susan’s reaction is to Ada’s refusal, and why Ada ultimately decides to learn to read, write, and sew.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain why Susan’s approach to Ada is important for Ada’s eventual success in reading, writing, and sewing.

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. Susan, Ada, and Jamie each play a role in teaching each other and helping each other to grow. How does Susan help Ada and Jamie to grow and change? In what ways do Jamie and Ada contribute to Susan’s character growth? Why are each of the characters important to one another for healing? Does one character help and contribute to healing more than others?

2. Describe the stages of the developing friendship between Ada and Margaret throughout the novel. How does Ada meet Margaret? Why do Margaret and Ada bond over shared personal struggles? How does the bond between Margaret and Ada continue to grow even when Margaret is away at school? To what extent might Margaret’s friendship with Ada be an important aspect of Ada’s own character growth?

3. Butter is especially important to Ada in later stages of the novel. What does Butter come to symbolize in the story? In which moments or scenes is Butter’s symbolic value most clear? Discuss these scenes in terms of Butter’s deeper meaning to one or more characters and analyze how Butter’s presence and role in the book are connected to other characters’ changes.