Call Me American

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 memoir over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Abdi loves American films and frequently mentions them.

• What effect do Abdi’s references to American films have on the narrative? (topic sentence)
• Discuss 3 of Abdi’s references to specific American movies to support your claim. What do they demonstrate about Abdi’s character and goals?
• Finally, in your concluding sentence or sentences, explain how Abdi’s view of America from movies is altered when he arrives in the United States.

2. The life of Abdi’s mother, Madinah Iftin, is very different at the end of the book from where it started.

• What is the overall arc of Madinah’s character? (topic sentence)
• Using 3 examples from the text, describe how Madinah changes over the course of the book.
• Finally, in your concluding sentence or sentences, connect Madinah’s character arc to Abdi’s journey.

3. Animals and plants appear frequently in Call Me American.

• What might animals and plants symbolize in the book? (topic sentence)
• Choose 3 examples in which Abdi and/or his family members encounter plants or animals and connect them to your argument.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, connect your discussion of animals and plants to the theme of Cultural Differences.

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. Consider the fact that Abdi begins the story by focusing on his parents’ nomadic roots. What role does tribal identity play in this novel? How does it continue to affect Abdi’s life even after he leaves Somalia? How does it inform his vision for the future? As you compose your essay, provide at least three examples from the text that support your argument, and ultimately connect it to the theme of Cultural Differences.

2. Abdi is first fascinated by the United States via film. How does his view of the United States grow or change over the course of the book? How does it affect his own identity as “Abdi American”? What happens when he arrives in the United States? Make an argument with a strong central thesis and provide at least three quoted examples from the text to support it. Ultimately, connect your argument to the theme of Loss of Innocence.

3. Is the story of one person or of a community? Consider the assistance that Abdi receives from others throughout the memoir and make an argument about how this shapes his ability to get to the US. How does the help that Abdi receives shape his development as a person as well? As you write your essay, give three examples in which Abdi received help from others (or helped someone himself) to support your argument. Be sure to connect your thesis to the theme of Individualism Versus Collective Action.