Becoming Naomi Leon

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. Skyla and Santiago are very different people, with different attitudes toward their children. Reread the reunion scenes in Chapter 2 and Chapter 18, when Naomi and Owen encounter their parents for the first time in seven years.

• What do the differences between those scenes reveal about each parent’s character? (topic sentence)
• In the body of your essay, compare and contrast the dialogue, Naomi’s internal landscape (monologue, memories, feelings), and body language. Draw conclusions from these details that help you make sense of Skyla and Santiago as characters.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, discuss whether Skyla and Santiago are flat or dynamic characters. Are they realistic? Why or why not?

2. Skyla’s return brings mixed emotions to several characters, including Naomi. However, Naomi encounters many other diverse characters throughout the story, who also affect her emotionally and contribute to her personal growth.

• Which characters in the book contribute to Naomi’s character development? (topic sentence)
• In the body of your essay, discuss how at least two characters influence or impact Naomi, including Skyla.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, discuss what the author might be trying to express about the significance of relationships in personal development.

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. The chapters in this novel are named after collective animal nouns. Choose at least three examples and examine the relevance of each title. What is associated with each collective animal noun, and what are the implications of the title? Discuss how the titles connect to the tone and plot of each related chapter.

2. Throughout the novel, Naomi reflects on her ideals about family life and structure, but her reality often fails to compare. What does she learn from this experience? How does the author explore the theme of Family: Ideal Versus Reality? In your response, analyze the characters, dialogue, and/or plot.

3. In the Prologue, Naomi says she never expected to live up to her name. Over the course of the novel, readers learn the meaning of Outlaw, León, and Soledad. How does Naomi live up to each part of her name? Discuss specific scenes in the text and explain how they support your claims.