The Boy at The Top of the Mountain

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 Berghof house staff essentially serves as Pierrot’s makeshift family while he lives in Germany.

• Out of Herta, Emma, and Ernst, who do you believe is the most influential staff member in the story? (topic sentence)
• Explain why your chosen staff member is the most influential, and then describe the role that character plays in the novel.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, discuss what the character’s personal strength is and why it is important to Pierrot.

2. In Chapter 13, Pierrot discovers that Hitler is dead and Allied forces intend to hold war criminals accountable.

• What is the most likely reason Pierrot does not voluntarily leave Berghof in Chapter 13? (topic sentence)
• Explain why you believe Pierrot decides to stay in Berghof.