logo

67 pages 2 hours read

Alice Oseman

Heartstopper: Volume One

Fiction | Graphic Novel/Book | YA | Published in 2018

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Essay Questions

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 below bulleted outlines. Cite details from the graphic novel over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Nick develops feelings for Charlie but feels confused and unsure about moving forward.

  • Why is Nick conflicted about having feelings for Charlie, and how does he deal with it? (topic sentence)
  • Examine how Nick’s feelings for Charlie build over time and the discrimination he faces even before he ever thinks about dating Charlie. Analyze and discuss how Nick deals with the experiences he and Charlie have.
  • In your conclusion, outline how Nick’s inner conflict represents a bigger issue for LGBTQ+ youth in general.

2. Charlie and Nick meet in January, and by April their relationship has transformed.  

  • What do the changing seasons symbolize, and how does the imagery in the graphic novel exhibit those changes? (topic sentence)
  • Visually analyze the pages of the text to discover how the seasons change and what events occur in correlation. Discuss how these changes illustrate Charlie and Nick’s relationship through the months.
  • In your conclusion, discuss the effectiveness of the seasonal imagery.

3. Visual characterizations are prominently featured in the text.

  • How do facial expressions and body language serve to characterize Charlie and Nick? (topic sentence)
  • Examine and discuss the ways the characters look at each other, their mannerisms, and how they physically act with one another.
  • In your conclusion, summarize the reasons the author might have chosen to make facial expressions and body language more significant than dialogue in many scenes.

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. What role does Charlie’s sister Tori play in Nick and Charlie’s relationship? How does she function as a literary device in the story? How important is this role in the story, and how might the narrative change if Tori were an antagonistic influence as opposed to a supportive one? Add textual and imagery details to your discussion for support.

2. Charlie and Nick face issues like bullying, stereotyping, and peer pressure that affect the way their relationship unfolds and the way they view themselves and the world. How does the setting of an all-boys school contribute to the issues Nick and Charlie face? How might the relationships presented in the graphic novel be different without the influence of these negative experiences and specific setting? How might they be the same? Incorporate quotes and/or descriptions of graphic elements from the text for support.

3. Heartstopper is one of the first Western graphic novels to depict a gay relationship between teen boys. How do the graphic elements enhance the emotional and symbolic impact of the story? In what ways are these elements better represented by this graphic format than they might be in a traditional novel? Include examples from the text to support your discussion.

blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text