The Compound

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 from the play over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Eli begins the novel with long hair that he never cuts. Shortly before he makes his escape from the Compound, he asks his sister to cut his hair off. What does his hair symbolize?

• How does Eli’s long hair symbolize his shame and guilt? (topic sentence)
• How does the reader know that this is what his hair signifies? What events in the novel motivate Eli to want to make a change? (development)
• What does his haircut demonstrate about Eli’s shame and guilt? (concluding sentence or sentences)

2. Does Rex regret what he has done to his family, or does he believe what he has done is right, all the way to the end?

• What is Rex’s attitude toward the choices he has made for his family? (topic sentence)
• What does the evidence from the ergot poisoning scene suggest? What are two pieces of evidence from later in the novel that support this idea? (development)
• What does Rex’s attitude about his own actions demonstrate about power and control? (concluding sentence or sentences)

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. How does Eli grow as a person during the novel? Think about who he seems to be at the beginning of the novel, especially as it concerns shame, guilt, and relationships and innocence and experience: is this his true personality, or do his circumstances explain some of his behavior and thinking? Then consider the changes in his thinking and behavior as the novel progresses. Write an essay in which you make and defend a claim about what causes Eli’s behavior and thinking and what causes these to change. Be sure to support your ideas with textual evidence and to cite all quotations.

2. What does Eli’s mother’s behavior show about people and their relationships? What drew her to Rex in the first place? How did she feel about him building the Compound, and why did she allow him to trap their family inside? Once they are in the Compound, why does she not challenge or question his power and control? What causes her behavior to change, finally? Write an essay that makes and defends a claim about the causes of Eli’s mother’s initial cooperation with, and eventual defiance of, her husband’s wishes. Be sure to support your ideas with textual evidence and to cite all quotations.