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. 

Scaffolded/Short-Answer Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the below bulleted outlines. Cite details from the play over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. What roles do the women in Concrete Rose take on in the novel?

• Do the book’s female characters experience more struggle or exhibit more wisdom than the men in the book? (topic sentence)
• How do the women in Maverick’s life respond when he shows determination to “man up”?
• What situations and interactions do the women in Concrete Rose experience?
• How does toxic masculinity inform the experiences of the women in the novel?

2. What is the significance behind the names of the characters in Concrete Rose?

• How do names inform the relationships between parents and their children in the novel? (topic sentence)
• What are the hopes encompassed by the parents in the novel when they name their children?
• How do these children fulfill or fail to live up to their names?

3. What role does cash play in the novel for Maverick?

• How does cash frame Maverick’s sense of power or agency throughout the story? (topic sentence)
• Why does cash become a motivating factor for so many characters?
• In what ways do the characters find a balance between the significance of cash and their lives?