City of the Beasts

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. Alex’s relationship with Kate is in some ways atypical.

• Why might Alex’s relationship with his grandmother be considered unusual, and how does it change over the course of the novel? (topic sentence)
• Give examples from the beginning, middle, and end of the story that demonstrate the characteristics of their relationship as it changes over the course of the story.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, show how Alex’s changing relationship with Kate supports the novel’s larger thematic concern with Surface Appearances Versus Inner Truth.

2. Alex matures considerably throughout the course of the novel.

• How does Alex’s ability to stay calm, focus, and see the bigger picture grow during this story? (topic sentence)
• Give examples from the beginning, middle, and end of the story that demonstrate the growth in Alex’s ability to calm himself and keep things in perspective.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, show how Alex’s growth as a person supports the novel’s larger thematic concern with Mindfulness.

3. The crystal eggs, Alex’s flute, Nadia’s amulet, the water of health, and the virus-filled syringes are all symbolic items.

• What does one of these items symbolize? (topic sentence)
• Give three pieces of evidence from different places in the novel that demonstrate that your interpretation is correct.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, show how your interpretation of the symbol supports the novel’s larger meaning.

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. City of the Beasts follows a trope that is sometimes called the “white savior” trope. Do some research into this concept and think about the ways it applies to the novel. Allende’s purpose in writing this book is clearly to advocate for Indigenous peoples—but does she do this in a respectful way? Does her novel acknowledge cultural differences between various Indigenous communities? As a cultural outsider, does the author avoid or perpetuate stereotypes about the “noble savage,” shamans, spirit animals, and so on? What do Indigenous people themselves say about these concepts?

Write an essay in which you consider whether the novel’s attempt to make a statement about The Place of the Native Peoples and Natural Resources of the Amazon is compromised by stereotypes and the “white savior” motif. Support your ideas with evidence drawn from throughout City of the Beasts and from reputable outside sources. Be sure to cite any borrowed language and ideas.

2. Several characters in this novel deceive people about their real intentions and motivations. While Nadia and Alex suspect some characters from the beginning of their trip, Allende keeps others’ motivations hidden for a longer time. How does revealing that some characters have bad intentions help hide the bad intentions of other characters? How does Allende plant false clues about Karakawe’s motivations and intentions, and how might this keep readers looking in the wrong direction? How does Allende use the surprise revelation of Torres’s real motivations and intentions to create an ironic twist in the story?

Write an essay in which you analyze the moves that Allende makes to misdirect the reader about the intentions and motivations of Karakawe and Torres and consider what impact these choices have on the reader’s engagement with and enjoyment of the story. Show how these choices support the novel’s concern with Surface Appearances Versus Inner Truth. Support your ideas with evidence drawn from throughout the novel, making sure to cite any quoted material.

3. What symbolic messages are conveyed through the “Beasts” in this novel? The creatures that the People of the Mist consider gods seem to have qualities of both human and non-human animals, alongside qualities that mark them as somewhat supernatural—such as their extraordinarily long lives. What characteristic is supposedly responsible for these long lives?

Write an essay in which you analyze these creatures as a symbol of something larger than themselves. Connect your analysis to the novel’s larger thematic concern with Mindfulness. Support your ideas with evidence drawn from throughout the novel, making sure to cite any quoted material.