Rumble Fish | 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 Rusty-James resent Steve's presence on the beach?

2. What does Rusty-James' bad grammar and slang tell the reader about his character?

3. How does the author create suspense?

4. What does Steve's confession that he is going to college to be a teacher reveal about his character?

5. What does Rusty-James think about Biff's declaration that he is going to kill him?

6. Why is it important for Rusty-James' friends to go to the vacant lot to watch him fight Biff?