The Last House Guest

In hindsight, readers often discover that a novel’s first chapter, or its opening scene, introduces some of the work’s major themes. Write an essay in which you analyze this novel’s first chapter, examining how it functions in this way.

Sometimes a character who appears briefly (or does not appear at all) is still a significant presence. Choose one such character from the novel and write an essay in which you explore how this character affects action, theme, and/or the development of other characters.

The town of Littleport is surrounded by a distinctive natural landscape, one with several natural dangers. How does the setting become more than just a background for the novel’s action? Select two contrasting locations—interior/exterior, natural/man-made—and examine how these different spaces contribute to and enhance the action that occurs there.