The Mighty Miss Malone

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

1. Deza feels grateful each time someone gives her a gift. Brainstorm a list of gifts that Deza receives from someone in the story.

•  What might gifts and gift-giving represent on a symbolic level to Deza? (topic sentence)
• Which three gifts do you think are most important to Deza? Discuss each gift you chose using details from the story.
• Collectively, what do the gifts show you, the reader, about the time period and struggles during the Great Depression? Explain your answer in your concluding sentence or sentences.

2. Deza begins and ends her narrative with the Malone family motto: “We are a family on a journey to a place called Wonderful.”

• In your topic sentence, describe what you think Father means by this motto.
• What are three scenes or chapters in between the first and last chapter that demonstrate how the Malones’ motto fits their family? Include details from the scenes or chapters to show your points.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, discuss the connection between this motto and one of the themes of the novel (family unity, success and survival, struggles during the Great Depression, racism and discrimination, secrets, kindness, and hopes and dreams).

3. Deza shows physical and emotional strength, kindness, and resilience throughout the story.

• In a strong topic sentence, list three additional characters who also demonstrate one or more of these traits.
• In what ways are each character’s inner qualities similar to Deza’s? How can you tell—in other words, what scenes and details prove your points? Compare each of your chosen characters to Deza in a paragraph.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, summarize how strength, kindness, and resilience impact the plot.

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. While each family member is certainly well-characterized individually, the author also offers traits and qualities of the Malone family unit as a whole. What interesting quirks or shared ideas make the Malones special? What might each unusual trait represent to Deza? Why did the author probably show the Malones’ interesting particularities?

2. The Mighty Miss Malone is set amid the struggles of the Great Depression, but the characters never discuss the causes, politics, or recovery efforts associated with this long-lasting historical event. Instead, through Deza’s eyes, the reader gets a deeply personal view of the time period. What effects and impacts of the Great Depression come across most strongly in the novel? What plot events are directly or indirectly caused by it? Use text details to support your answers.

3. Several times in The Mighty Miss Malone, one of the family members keeps a secret from at least one of the others. Name at least three occurrences of this secrets motif. Usually, a motif serves to strengthen a theme of a novel; what theme might the secrets motif support? Use book details to support your answer.