Stepping on the Cracks

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 and evidence from the novel to support your answer. 

1. Elizabeth and Margaret play the sidewalk game of stepping on the cracks.

• What do cracks initially symbolize to Margaret and Elizabeth? What does Margaret mean when she later says that she feels as if cracks are opening in the ground around her?
• Describe two or three ways that Margaret’s worldview and sense of self changes over the course of the novel. Use examples from the text to support your ideas.
• Finally, discuss how cracks in Margaret’s beliefs reflect the novel’s theme of moral ambiguity.

2. Margaret and Elizabeth have been best friends since they were small, but their friendship is a little unbalanced.  

• Do you think Elizabeth is a good fiend to Margaret? Why or why not? How does each girl feel about the other at the start of the novel?
• Describe three ways the girls’ friendship changes as the novel progresses. Give details from the text to support your ideas.  
• Lastly, detail how these changes make Margaret and Elizabeth’s friendship even stronger.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Choose one of the topics below and write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. Elizabeth believes the war is just, and that sometimes people must fight to stop bad things from happening. Stuart believes that war and killing are morally wrong, and that people should not fight to resolve differences. Compare and contrast their points of view. What reasons does each character offer to support their viewpoint? Do you agree with Elizabeth or Stuart? Or is each character partially right, or wrong? How does this clash of beliefs connect to the novel’s theme of moral ambiguity? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

2. Female gender roles were undergoing a major change during the 1940s as more and more women entered the workforce to support the war effort. Many women, however, retained a traditional role as housewife and homemaker. Elizabeth gets angry when people suggest she cannot do things because she is a girl. Discuss how Elizabeth diverges from the traditional female gender role of the 1940s. In what ways does Elizabeth conform to that role? Consider other female characters, like Margaret, Mother, and Barbara. How does each align to the traditional gender role? How do they deviate from it?

3. Over the course of the novel, many characters keep secrets from each other and even threaten others who might expose their secrets. Think of three characters keeping secrets and describe their reasons for doing so. Are there positive reasons for keeping their secrets? Do you agree with their positions? What are some negative effects of their secrecy? Discuss.