Summer of the Monkeys

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. The overnight storm is a complication that creates a unique opportunity for Jay Berry.

• What changes take place in the narrative as a result of to the storm? (topic sentence)
• Explain how the storm creates a resolution for Jay Berry’s conflict, how it changes his motive for catching the monkeys, and what it might symbolize to Jay Berry.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, describe a possible resolution the author might have chosen for his plotline instead of the storm.

2. In many stories in which the protagonist goes on a quest or has a quest-like objective (e.g., the hero’s journey), they may leave their ordinary world to gain knowledge and experience.

• What knowledge is gained by Jay Berry’s two trips to Tahlequah in the story? (topic sentence)
• Describe the knowledge gained in each trip to Tahlequah and whether the characters were successful in achieving their goal as a result of the learned information.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain why Jay Berry’s trips to the river bottoms are a departure from his ordinary world, despite the proximity to the house and farm.

3. The story is set in rural mountain setting in the late 1800s.

• How does the setting of the story contribute to its believability and effectiveness? (topic sentence)
• Explain why the setting is appropriate for the events in the novel, how the author explains the presence of monkeys, and why it is important that Jay Berry lives in a rural area.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, describe how the characters’ actions may have been different in a modern urban setting.

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. In the moment that Jay Berry realizes he must return the paint mare, he passes an important test of moral character. What events, actions, or smaller decisions are most helpful in Jay Berry preparation for that moment? Which characters helped motivate Jay Berry to make the correct decision?

2. In fiction, animal sidekick characters can provide comic relief, serve as a sounding board for their human companion, or mirror the emotions and expressions of their human. Rowdy fits each of these roles as an animal sidekick in the novel. Provide one example of each of these characteristics of Rowdy and explain the author’s purpose in including Rowdy in the narrative.

3. Historical novels often show traditional gender and age roles realistic to the novel’s setting. How do the members of Jay Berry’s family fall into traditional roles for their period and location? What are the exceptions to these roles in the novel? Explain why the author chose to include these exceptions.