Chasing Vermeer

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Chasing Vermeer conveys many messages about effective ways to see the world.

• What does Mrs. Sharpe mean in Chapter 21 when she says that “looking and seeing are two very different things”? (topic sentence)
• Offer three pieces of evidence—plot details, characterization, word choice, etc.—that support your interpretation of Mrs. Sharpe’s comment.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, show how Mrs. Sharpe’s comment supports the novel’s theme of Perceiving Patterns.

2. Calder’s pentominoes feature prominently in Chasing Vermeer.

• What is the symbolic significance of Calder’s pentominoes? (topic sentence)
• Offer three pieces of evidence from different places in the text that support your interpretation of the importance of Calder’s pentominoes.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, show how the pentominoes support one or both of the themes of The Oneness of All Things and Perceiving Patterns.

3. Early in the novel, Ms. Hussey declares that the letter is dead.

• Do the events of the novel support or refute Ms. Hussey’s statement about letters? (topic sentence)
• Offer three pieces of evidence from different places in the text that support your claim about whether the novel supports or refutes Ms. Hussey’s beliefs about letters.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, show how the appearance of letters in the plot of Chasing Vermeer supports the novel’s meaning.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. Chasing Vermeer conveys many ideas about the nature of art. It asks questions about what art is, why it is important, and how people should react to it. Choose one of the messages that this novel communicates about art. Explain the message, how it is conveyed in the story, and how it impacts key characters. Then, show how the message you have chosen supports the book’s theme of Defining Art. Use evidence from throughout the text to back up your claims.

2. What is Charles Fort’s theory of how the world works? Which characters in Chasing Vermeer seem to agree with Fort, and how does his work influence their thoughts and actions? How do the events of the story support or contradict Fort’s theories? Write an essay in which you explain Fort’s theories, how they impact the story’s characters, and whether they are supported by the story’s action. Then, show how Fort’s theories support the book’s themes of The Oneness of All Things and Perceiving Patterns. Use evidence from throughout the text to back up your claims.

3. A Lady Writing is prominently featured in Chasing Vermeer. Why would Balliett have chosen this particular painting to illustrate the book’s ideas? What does this painting look like, and how does it relate to typical characteristics of Vermeer’s work? How does the painting relate to the plot and characters in Chasing Vermeer? Write an essay in which you explore the features of this painting and discuss why it is effective for conveying themes and ideas important to Balliett’s novel. Use evidence from throughout the text to back up your claims.