How to Steal a Dog

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. Luanne Godfrey is described as Georgina’s best friend early in the novel.

• What kind of character is Luanne, and how does she influence Georgina’s actions? (topic sentence)
• Describe Luanne’s character based on the author’s use of direct and indirect characterization. Choose and analyze at least two examples that demonstrate how Luanne’s friendship influences Georgina’s actions.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, evaluate the likelihood of a continuing friendship between Georgina and Luanne now that Georgina has a place to live.

2. Many of the characters, including Georgina, are prejudiced toward individuals.  

• What is the overall role of prejudice in O’Connor’s novel? (topic sentence)
• Describe three instances in which prejudice affects Georgina, then explain how each example supports the role of prejudice in the novel.