Under The Mesquite

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 below bulleted outlines. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. The mesquite is an omnipresent figure in the novel. It means different things to different characters, and it symbolizes different things depending on the circumstances.

• What is the mesquite’s role in the narrative? What does it primarily symbolize? (topic sentence)
• Identify how Lupita and Mami see the mesquite at the beginning of the novel and connect it to their circumstances; then, compare this to how Mami and Lupita feel about the mesquite after Mami returns from cancer treatment. Finally, examine how Lupita views the mesquite after Mami’s death.
• In your conclusion, briefly discuss how the mesquite’s transformation reflects Lupita’s own transformation in the way that she approaches both her own identity and her outlook on life.

2. Mami’s rose garden is prominent in the novel.

• How does Lupita use figurative language surrounding the rose garden to communicate important ideas about family and identity? (topic sentence)
• Identify the analogies, metaphors, and similes Lupita uses to discuss Mami’s rose garden and how she connects it to concepts related to family and identity. Also consider how Mami’s rose garden symbolizes Mami herself and how it transforms after her death; you may want to consider Lupita’s own relationship to the rose garden as well.
• In your concluding sentences, connect your analysis to one of the major themes in the novel.

3. Select one of the poems from the novel and analyze how it adheres to poetic forms and conventions.

• What characteristics of poetry does your selected poem have? How closely does it adhere to a specific poetic form? (topic sentence)
• Identify poetic devices like figurative language, sound, line breaks, rhythm, simile, metaphor, and imagery in your poem. Analyze how each of the poetic characteristics you identified impacts the reader’s experience of the poem and what effect each has on the theme or experience being conveyed.
• Conclude your discussion by connecting it to an analysis of how McCall’s decision to echo poetic structures in the novel contributes to the reader’s experience of the story. Why do you think she chose to structure the novel in this way?

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 role of language and cultural identity in the novel. What is Lupita’s experience with learning English like? What does the Spanish language mean to her? What is the effect of the intermittent Spanish words included in Lupita’s verse, and what does this tell us about Lupita’s characterization and her connection to her heritage? How does it characterize her cultural world and internal landscape?

2. Consider the role of family and “uprooting” in the novel with regard to Lupita’s character arc. How does Lupita’s role in the family impact her characterization? What parts of her relationship with Mami and her family most clearly drive her character development? Analyze the poems from Part 1 and Part 2 and the concluding poem; what parallels do you see between them regarding motifs about family bonds and the experience of being transplanted? Why do you think the author chose to begin and end Lupita’s story this way?

3. Analyze how Lupita’s identity changes throughout the novel. What are the most significant moments that propel her toward change? How does her perspective of herself shift? How do her values shift? How does she react to change in her own life? What is the significance of her final decision to attend college despite her father’s protests, and what does it tell us about her characterization? Connect your analysis to one of the novel’s themes.