Ungifted

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 statue of Atlas plays an important role in the plot of the novel.

• What is the symbolic significance of this statue? (topic sentence)
• Give at least three pieces of evidence from the novel that support your interpretation of the statue’s meaning.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, show how the symbolism of this statue supports the novel’s larger meaning.

2. The novel’s characterization of the intellectually gifted students at ASD—at least prior to Donovan’s arrival—is as “socially inept,” robotic rule followers.

• Does research back Korman’s stereotyping of the intellectually gifted? (topic sentence)
• Give three pieces of evidence from the story that demonstrate how Korman stereotypes the intellectually gifted.
• Give three pieces of evidence from a reputable outside source that demonstrate why this stereotype is or is not accurate. Cite the source of your evidence.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, comment on how this stereotype contributes to the novel’s thematic concern with Human Growth and Development.

3. Noah’s character spends much of the novel grappling with his sense that life is too predictable.

• What lessons does Noah learn about predictability and unpredictability? (topic sentence)
• Give at least three examples of how Noah’s thinking about this subject changes over the course of the novel, and explain what events cause his thinking to change.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, comment on how Noah’s character contributes to the novel’s thematic concern with The Value of Unpredictability.

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 message about extremes is conveyed in the settings of the two schools that Donovan attends? What different values and qualities do these two places represent? How do the events of the novel demonstrate that the most satisfying experiences lie somewhere in between the extremes? Write an essay analyzing the symbolic value of these two settings. Show how these settings support one or both of the novel’s thematic concerns with Human Growth and Development and The Value of Unpredictability. Support your assertions with evidence drawn from throughout the novel.

2. What ideas are conveyed by the novel’s allusions to The Wizard of Oz? What is the larger meaning of Mr. Osborne’s nickname? What does it mean that Donovan is the one to give Tin Man a name, and what does that name convey? Why does Ms. Bevelaqua make a reference to The Wizard of Oz? Write an essay analyzing the novel’s allusions to The Wizard of Oz. Show how these allusions support the novel’s thematic concern with Human Growth and Development. Support your assertions with evidence drawn from throughout the novel.

3. Ungifted is narrated from multiple perspectives. How does this impact the reader’s ability to empathize with and understand the novel’s characters? How does it add humor and suspense to the story? How might reading this book be a different experience if Korman had chosen just one character to narrate the entire story? How does shifting from narrator to narrator reinforce the novel’s message about The Value of Unpredictability? Write an essay analyzing the novel’s use of multiple perspectives. Support your assertions with evidence drawn from throughout the novel.