Milkweed

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. Although Misha never learns the truth about his family, he builds relationships with various groups of people throughout the novel.

• Discuss how friendship and family intersect in the novel. Do they mean the same things for Misha? (topic sentence)
• Find 2-3 examples where family and friends intersect in Misha’s narrative.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, consider the ways in which The Evolving and Ever-Changing Nature of Identity shapes Misha’s relationship with his family as an adult. Does Misha finally get the family he always wished for?

2. Think about the theme of sacrifice in the novel and consider which items the characters value most.

• What are these characters willing to sacrifice for the things that are precious to them? (topic sentence)
• Select one character and identify 2-3 ways in which this character makes a significant sacrifice for another.
• In your conclusion, make the link between the themes of sacrifice and The Physical, Emotional, and Moral Costs of Survival. How does this character exhibit generosity, even if they can barely survive themselves?

3. Consider how mothers are portrayed in the novel.

• How does the idea that mothers may not exist reflect the way that Misha sees Mrs. Milgrom? (topic sentence)
• Find 2-3 examples to substantiate your point; discuss these in support of your topic idea.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, briefly evaluate whether the boys seem to wish for mothers more than fathers, and if so, why.

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. Consider the title of the novel. What are the different things that the milkweed comes to represent throughout the novel? How is milkweed tied to the discussion surrounding the idea of angels? What is the dichotomy of milkweed’s weight to the gravity of life in the ghetto? Use a structured essay to explore these ideas with a thesis and supporting main points.

2. Misha is a fast child who is perpetually in motion. He is constantly running: to steal, escape from Jackboots, and save Janina. In what ways does Misha’s physical state reflect his inner state of mind? Find at least three scenes or conversations where this is expressed directly or indirectly. At which moment is Misha’s mind able to rest? How is that symbolic? Support your points with evidence from the text.

3. Consider the character of Buffo and his role as a Flop, or member of the Jewish Police. How do the means by which Buffo commits murder reflect his place in the social pecking order of the ghetto setting? What does the position of a Flop say about The Evolving and Ever-Changing Nature of Identity for residents living in the Jewish ghetto? Construct a valid thesis that argues a point about Buffo, and support your thought with examples from the text throughout an organized essay.