Son of the Mob

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. Vince’s stated goal, at both the beginning and the end of the novel, is to get as far away from his family as possible.

• Does Vince find a way to escape his family? (topic sentence)
• Explain why Vince wants to escape his family, how his motivation for escaping changes, and whether he finds a way to escape his family.
• In your concluding sentences, explain whether you think the ending of the novel is happy or sad.

2. Vince’s family is unusual in some ways, but they are also typical in other ways.

• In what ways does Vince’s family exhibit typical family traits? (topic sentence)
• Describe three separate instances in the novel when the Luca family demonstrates traits of an average family.
• In your concluding sentences, explain why you believe Korman chose to portray the Luca family in this way.

3. Ray Francione is one of the more complicated characters in the novel.

• Is Ray a good person, or is he a traitor? (topic sentence)
• Explain Ray’s betrayal in the novel, what his motives are for betraying the family, and whether he is a good or bad person.
• In your concluding sentences, explain whether Ray is justified in his duplicity against the Luca family.

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. In what ways does Vince exhibit characteristics of a normal teenage boy? What desires motivate him? Do you think they are typical desires of a teenage boy? Though most teenagers do not have the additional pressures of a Mafia family, do you think Vince’s experience with familial pressures is normal? What other activities does Vince participate in that make him a typical teenager?

2. In Vince’s extended crime family, there are several men he calls “Uncle.” Why do you think these men are nicknamed in this way? What does the name reveal about the Mafia and how they conduct business? What, do you think, is the importance of family to the Mafia? How does Vince view the men he calls his uncles?

3. Vince inhabits two seemingly separate worlds: that of his ordinary high school and that of his Mafia family. Do you think there is an overlap between these two worlds? How does Vince attempt to reconcile his family life with his public life? In what ways does having two separate lives create problems for Vince? How would you advise him to resolve his contrasting identities?