The Boy at The Top of the Mountain

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 Berghof house staff essentially serves as Pierrot’s makeshift family while he lives in Germany.

• Out of Herta, Emma, and Ernst, who do you believe is the most influential staff member in the story? (topic sentence)
• Explain why your chosen staff member is the most influential, and then describe the role that character plays in the novel.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, discuss what the character’s personal strength is and why it is important to Pierrot.

2. In Chapter 13, Pierrot discovers that Hitler is dead and Allied forces intend to hold war criminals accountable.

• What is the most likely reason Pierrot does not voluntarily leave Berghof in Chapter 13? (topic sentence)
• Explain why you believe Pierrot decides to stay in Berghof. How do you think Pierrot feels about the mansion? How does Berghof compare to other places where he has lived?
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain whether you believe Pierrot ultimately regrets his decision to stay at the Berghof mansion.

3. The novel concludes with the narrative shifting from Pierrot’s to Anshel’s first-person perspective.

• What is the most likely reason that the author concludes the novel from Anshel’s perspective? (topic sentence)
• Explain the impact the narrative shift has on the reader’s experience of the novel. Why might this shift be important for the conclusion? What does it imply about Anshel and Pierrot’s relationship?
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain the overall effect of having Anshel as a narrator for the novel’s conclusion and why it matters.

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. Reviewers have criticized Boyne’s novels about World War II for their unrealistic portrayals of life under Nazi rule. Do you agree with this assessment of Boyne’s work? What aspects of the novel are the most plausible? What aspects are the most difficult to believe? What is the impact of reading a text where believability is a concern?

2. Though set during the time of Nazi rule and World War II, The Boy at the Top of the Mountain does not put most of its attention on battles, concentration camps, or other historical events. How does Boyne’s approach humanize some of the characters in history? Does Boyne cause the audience to sympathize with those who made poor choices? How does the novel provide a unique understanding of Hitler? What is a likely reason Boyne chose this approach, and is it effective?

3. Boyne’s novel is in large part a story of Pierrot’s corrupted coming of age. Consider some of the key turning points in the novel. What decisions made life difficult for Pierrot? How might Pierrot’s life have been different had he chosen to ally himself with Ernst and Beatrix? What might Pierrot’s mannerisms be like if he had made the decision to avoid Hitler? Do you think Pierrot regrets his choices?