The Parker Inheritance

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. Johnson structures this novel by juxtaposing events happening in several different time periods.

• What messages are conveyed by this juxtaposition of events from the different time periods? (topic sentence)
• Offer at least three examples from the text that support your interpretation of the meaning of this juxtaposition.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, show how your interpretation supports one or more of the novel’s thematic concerns: The Balance Between Justice and Forgiveness, The Path Forward Is Not Always Visible, Racism Is a Catalyst for Conflict, and Hiding to Fit In.

2. The friendship between Candice and Brandon changes over time.

• How do the changes in Candice and Brandon’s friendship demonstrate character growth? (topic sentence)
• Offer examples from the beginning, middle, and end of the novel that show changes in their relationship over time.
• Explain how these changes demonstrate character growth for both Brandon and Candice.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, show how the growth in these characters supports a larger meaning in the novel.

3. Several characters in this novel choose to hide an important part of their identity from others.

• What impact does this choice have on one of these characters? (topic sentence)
• Offer at least three examples that demonstrate the impact of the character’s choice to hide a part of their identity.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, show how the impact of this choice supports the novel’s larger thematic concern with Hiding to Fit In.

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. At the church service in Chapter 18, the pastor tells the congregation how important it is to stay “on the right path, even when you can’t see the Promised Land.” In the context of a Christian church service, what is it likely the pastor means? How does this idea apply more broadly to other situations in The Parker Inheritance—like the quest for civil rights and Candice’s attempt to solve the mystery? How does this support the book’s larger thematic point that The Path Forward Is Not Always Visible? Write an essay where you demonstrate how the pastor’s quote helps convey important thematic ideas in the novel. Support your assertions with evidence drawn from throughout the novel.

2. What role does the idea of “inheritance” play in this novel? What is the inheritance in the novel’s title? What about culture and race—are these forms of inheritance? Are there negative kinds of inheritances in this novel? Write an essay exploring the various forms of inheritance in the book. Show how the motif of inheritance supports one or more of the book’s thematic concerns: The Balance Between Justice and Forgiveness, The Path Forward Is Not Always Visible, Racism Is a Catalyst for Conflict, and Hiding to Fit In. Support your assertions with evidence drawn from throughout the novel.

3. There are three main families at the center of this story: the Millers, the Joneses, and the Washingtons. What messages are being sent by the strong focus on family? In what ways are these families similar, and in what ways are they different? How do their family characteristics impact both individual family members and people outside of the families? Write an essay where you analyze the messages being conveyed by the text’s centering of these three families. Support your assertions with evidence drawn from throughout the text.