Piecing Me Together

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. 

Scaffolded/Short-Answer Essay Questions

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

1 The sociological concept of Intersectionality can be teased out through an examination of Jade’s relationship to others in the book.

• Define the concept of “intersectionality” drawing from scholarly sociological texts as well as characters’ experiences in the book. (topic sentence)
• Compare and contrast Jade’s relationship with 3 other primary characters in the book (e.g., Sam, Maxine, and Lee Lee). What are their similarities? What are their differences?
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain why intersectionality is crucial to understanding Jade’s identity.

2. The fictional group “Woman to Woman” is a mentorship organization that is supposed to empower young Black girls; when Jade first joins the group, however, her contentious relationship with her mentor Maxine raises questions about the nature of Authentic Mentorship.

• Trace the evolution of Woman to Woman throughout Piecing Me Together, discussing how it transforms from a less-authentic to a more-authentic organization. (topic sentence)
• What are the key indicators that the organization has changed at its very core? Include examples from the beginning, middle, and end of the book.
• Finally, in your concluding sentences, explain the benefits of community-based organizations that respond to the needs of its constituents, rather than impose their own beliefs on members.

3. Jade’s learning to speak up for herself is the engine that enacts change in Piecing Me Together within her family and her community.

• Explore how language and self-advocacy are closely linked throughout the novel. (topic sentence)
• Examine the different forms of “language” seen throughout the novel. For example, discuss Jade’s relationship to the Spanish language; consider the poems featured throughout the book; reflect upon collaging and art as its own kind of “language.”
• In your concluding sentences, explain how systems of oppression impact voices of marginalized people and ways in which self-advocacy/language can help individuals overcome and find personal—if not political—freedom.

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 historical figure of York serves as a symbol of Black freedom and personal expression throughout the book. Drawing on themes of Identity and the Unique Experience of Black Girls, explain why Jade feels a special kinship with York. In what ways is Jade an “explorer” and in what ways is York an “artist”? Review and analyze the moments when York appears in the book, especially those chapters in which York is the focal point—for example, in Chapter 68, when the narrative breaks from Jade’s own perspective to that of York. Discover the ways in which York represents freedom from oppression, and how the legacy he began influences Jade’s present-day life.

2. Analyze Lee Lee’s poem “Black Girls Rising” in Chapter 75. Select 3 stanzas in the poem and connect them to the larger themes in the novel around race, Identity, and oppression in America for a modern-day Black girl. Think of the ways in which a poem is a “collage,” looking for disparate elements in the language/imagery that are pulled together. How does Lee Lee’s poetry echo the look and feel of Jade’s collages? What are the benefits/drawbacks to each artistic medium, when trying to communicate self-expression? Consider the ways in which historical oppression within each art tradition might make one modality more difficult for marginalized communities to use for self-expression compared to the other.