A Scanner Darkly Papers & Assignment Topics

Essay Topics/Writing Assignments

These 20 essay questions can be used as essay questions on a test, or as stand-alone essay topics for a take-home or in-class writing assignment. Students should have a full understanding of the text in order to answer these questions. They ask for a thorough analysis of the text.

1. Choose two of the following and examine how it affects the tone of the novel and helps to express characters and themes:

1) Setting
2) Point of view
3) Structure
4) Language

2. Examine Dick's representations of the following areas and decide how close Dick's representations are to the real thing and how Dick makes his representations seem and feel real:

1) Drug addiction
2) Undercover police work
3) Drug dealing

3. Choose one of the characters in the book and compare him/her to their character in the film A SCANNER DARKLY. What...
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