O Pioneers! | 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 - Part 1 Chapter 1

1. What does Alexandria tell Carl when she meets him in town at the beginning of the book, and how does he respond?

2. What does Carl do to cheer Alexandria up when she returns home at the beginning of the book?

Short Essay Question - Part 1 Chapter 2

3. What caused John's father's disgrace?

4. What kind of hardships has John Bergson faced in his attempts at farming?

Short Essay Question - Part 1 Chapter 3

5. What does Emil think of Ivar's cave?