Gregor the Overlander

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. At the end of the novel, Henry betrays Regalia and his family out of a mistaken belief that power should rest in the hands of the strong. Meanwhile, Gregor sacrifices himself (or so he thinks) to save Boots, his father, and the rest of the questers.

• In what ways do Henry and Gregor foil each other in the novel? (topic sentence)
• How do Henry’s and Gregor’s perspectives and reactions to events in the novel differ? Find and discuss examples from throughout the story.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, connect your analysis to how the author uses the character foil of Henry and Gregor to communicate a theme or themes in the novel.

2. In the Underland, humans live side-by-side with other species that would typically be considered repulsive to Overlanders, including cockroaches, spiders, and rats.

• How does Collins use anthropomorphism to challenge readers’ ideas about these traditionally scorned species and give the species depth and complexity? (topic sentence)
• What are the similarities and differences between the societies in the Underland? How do their differences create conflict between them? How do individuals subvert the usual stereotypes of their species or overcome prejudices in order to work toward cooperation with one another?
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, analyze how the juxtaposition of the animal societies with the human one reinforces ideas about the importance of cooperation and equality and suggests something about the nature of humanity.

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 end of the novel, Gregor rejects the hero’s sword Vikus offers him, and in so doing, rejects some traits that are traditionally associated with a warrior (battle prowess, fighting). How does Gregor’s choice to embrace peace instead of violence subvert the traditional hero/warrior archetype? Does this subversion also paradoxically reinforce other aspects of the hero archetype? Connect your analysis to the novel’s theme on Peace.

2. In Chapter 14, Gregor asks Luxa whether she believes that something deserves to die just because it’s weak. Consider this question. How do the different characters respond to concepts of strength and weakness in the novel? How does the dichotomy of weak and strong play a role in developing the competing philosophies of different characters in the novel like Vikus and Henry? How does the novel ultimately answer this question about the value of different kinds of strength? Connect your discussion to one of the novel’s themes.