Fifth Business | Short Essay Assignments

Short Essay Questions

The 60 short essay questions listed in this section require a one to two sentence answer. They ask students to demonstrate a deeper understanding of the text. Students must describe what they've read, rather than just recall it.

Short Essay Question - Chapter 1

1. Why does the narrator recall the date the story begins so clearly?

2. At the beginning of the story, what happens when the narrator leaves Percy to go home for dinner?

3. Why do the Dempster's always take their stroll around town during the dinner hour?

4. What does Dunstan, the narrator, tell the Headmaster of the school that he recently retired from, is the point of this book?

5. Although Dunstan's family is not rich, why do they hold a position of privilege in the town?