April Morning

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. The primary conflict at the beginning of the novel is Moses’s harsh treatment of Adam.

• What are some of the reasons Moses gives for being strict with Adam? (topic sentence)
• Explain why Moses is strict with Adam, who intervenes on Adam’s behalf, and how Moses’s attitude toward Adam changes.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain whether you believe Moses’s expectations of Adam are unreasonable.

2. Adam and Levi are typical brothers in that they fight and are sometimes competitive, but they are also close to one another.

• How do the battle and Moses’s death change the relationship between Levi and Adam? (topic sentence)
• Compare Adam’s and Levi’s behavior toward one another before and after the battle. How is their relationship different, and how is it the same?
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explore why you believe the relationship between the two brothers changed.

3. The role of women during the Revolutionary Era tended to be more traditional.

• How does Fast portray traditional gender roles for women, and in what ways are those roles challenged in the novel? (topic sentence)
• Explain the traditional gender roles of the characters and townspeople in the novel who uphold them, then explain which characters challenge these roles during the Revolutionary Era.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain why you believe Fast chose to include some of the gender role changes in his novel.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by textual details, and a conclusion.

1. Religion and reason are topics that Adam regularly reflects on. Why does Adam feel conflicted about religion? Why might his family members contribute to these conflicting feelings? What does Adam believe is the function of reason? Ultimately, judge whether Adam prefers religion or reason, and support your argument with examples from the story.

2. At the beginning of April Morning, Adam resents the implication that he is anything less than a man. However, at the end of the novel, Adam mourns the loss of his childhood and is dismayed when his family treats him as an adult. What reasons might Adam have for wishing for his childhood? What kind of responsibilities might he face as a man? In what ways does Adam embrace his newfound manhood?

3. Howard Fast was a Jewish American and well-known communist and atheist. He was also known for his love of America and American history, believing that America’s founding principles were generally enlightened and desirable. What events and attitudes in the novel seem to be impacted by Fast’s own personal beliefs? How might the novel reflect Fast’s knowledge of American history and political ideology? To what extent do these author characteristics likely impact the general reader’s experience? Use details and examples to support your reasoning.