The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

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. Consider Bull’s quote from Chapter 13: “[W]e are going nowhere. That, my friend, is the irony of our constant movement.”

• How does Bull’s statement relate to Edward’s experience? (topic sentence)
• Explain how Bull’s statement relates to Edward’s experience, then explain whether you agree with Bull’s statement in regard to Edward’s character.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain the connection between Edward’s mobility and his character growth.

2. Stars are often referenced and serve as an important symbol in the novel.  

• What do the stars symbolize to Edward? (topic sentence)
• Explain what Edward initially feels when he looks at the stars, when he experiences a greater appreciation for the stars, and how the stars relate to his own life.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, describe how Edward connects the stars to those who have loved him.

3. Edward can think and feel, but he can’t move or speak.

• Why is this fact significant for Edward and the characters he encounters? (topic sentence)
• Explain the importance of Edward’s inability to move and communicate with others.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, describe how Edward’s journey may have been different had he been able to communicate.

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. Edward is described as a dynamic character in that he changes dramatically by the end of the novel. Provide three examples of the changes that occur to Edward’s character and the incidents that affect this change. Use examples from the novel to support your claim.  

2. Pellegrina tells the story of a cursed princess who is turned into a warthog because of her inability to love. Consider the comparisons that can be made between Pellegrina’s story and Edward’s story. Examine at least two ways in which the stories are alike and two ways in which they are different. Use quotes from the text to support your answer.

3. In Chapter 26, the antique doll tells Edward that throughout her 100 years, she has learned that “each place is different. And you become a different doll in each place, too.” Examine the ways in which Edward becomes a new doll in each of the places he lives. Provide one example from each place using quotes from the novel to support your answer.