Gilead 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. "Gilead" has a structure like few other novels. Discuss why Robinson chose to not use chapters or other obvious breaks, how this adds or takes away from an understanding of the book, and how such a narrative propels the plot. Consider: Could "Gilead" have been improved by the inclusion of chapter breaks or other demarcations?

2. In the first section of the book, pages 1 - 8, discuss what expositional elements emerge. Identify and describe the thematic and narrative foundations found in this section and how these themes are carried through the rest of the novel....
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