Life on the Mississippi

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. Twain learns the basics of steamboat piloting from Bixby, Brown, and others.

• What are the three most important things a pilot should know according to Twain? (topic sentence)
• Describe the three most important things to know as a steamboat pilot, then provide examples of steamboat pilots in Twain’s narrative who use these important skills.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain why you believe Twain chose to include these important elements of steamboat piloting in his memoir.

2. Twain is saddened by the decline of the steamboat industry after the Civil War but concedes that growth is necessary and important.

• What are examples of growth Twain encounters upon his return to the Mississippi River? (topic sentence)
• Describe the positive changes that have been made on the Mississippi River and explain how they are examples of growth in America.