MR PIP WRITING PROMPTS
Min 1 page Max 2 pages typed, double-spaced 12 pt font.
Value 100 points
*Must incorporate at least two pieces of text from the novel into your essay.
Must be handed in by April 29th, can come in before that time. Must be emailed if not in class on April 29th followed by a paper copy
1. When Mr. Watts tells the students they are going to be introduced to someone called Mr. Dickens, they all assume they will be meeting a real person. How is reading a writer’s book different from meeting the writer himself? How are the two kinds of meetings similar? In a short essay, explain your thoughts on this topic; if you wish, you may use examples from a book you have read
recently to illustrate your point.
2. When Matilda’s mother visits the class at the beach, she says: “Stories have a job to do. They can’t just lie around like lazybone dogs. They have to teach you something” (86). Do you agree with this statement? Explain your point of view in a persuasive essay, using examples from books or stories you’ve read.
3. When Matilda finds Mr. Watts’ missing copy of Great Expectations, she doesn’t return it to him. Why not? Discuss her moral dilemma in terms of her loyalty to Mr. Watts and to her mother. Is her choice correct, in your opinion? What factors must she consider in making her decision?
4. When Matilda learns that Mr.Watts used to be an actor, she wonders whether the behaviors she saw in the classroom were really Mr. Watts “or an actor playing Mr. Watts the schoolteacher”(244). Is there a difference between these two options? Does it matter? Argue your point of view in an essay, using examples from the text
Min 1 page Max 2 pages typed, double-spaced 12 pt font.
Value 100 points
*Must incorporate at least two pieces of text from the novel into your essay.
Must be handed in by April 29th, can come in before that time. Must be emailed if not in class on April 29th followed by a paper copy
1. When Mr. Watts tells the students they are going to be introduced to someone called Mr. Dickens, they all assume they will be meeting a real person. How is reading a writer’s book different from meeting the writer himself? How are the two kinds of meetings similar? In a short essay, explain your thoughts on this topic; if you wish, you may use examples from a book you have read
recently to illustrate your point.
2. When Matilda’s mother visits the class at the beach, she says: “Stories have a job to do. They can’t just lie around like lazybone dogs. They have to teach you something” (86). Do you agree with this statement? Explain your point of view in a persuasive essay, using examples from books or stories you’ve read.
3. When Matilda finds Mr. Watts’ missing copy of Great Expectations, she doesn’t return it to him. Why not? Discuss her moral dilemma in terms of her loyalty to Mr. Watts and to her mother. Is her choice correct, in your opinion? What factors must she consider in making her decision?
4. When Matilda learns that Mr.Watts used to be an actor, she wonders whether the behaviors she saw in the classroom were really Mr. Watts “or an actor playing Mr. Watts the schoolteacher”(244). Is there a difference between these two options? Does it matter? Argue your point of view in an essay, using examples from the text