Fiddler on the Roof

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. In the song “Anatevka,” the people mourn for their village as they prepare for their departure.

• How does this song capture the melancholic mood of their departure? (topic sentence)
• Identify 2-3 lines from the song to substantiate your point.
• How does this song’s lyrics speak to the larger theme of Jewish Tradition and Cultural Erasure?

2. Throughout the play, Tevye references the importance of upholding the traditional Jewish household structure in Anatevka.

• What point do you think the musical makes about tradition and the role it plays in a culture? (topic sentence)
• Use examples and evidence from the text to support your answer.
• What is the connection between Jewish Tradition and the Concept of Home?

3. In the song “Matchmaker,” Hodel and Chava sing about their parents’ wishes for their future husbands: “for Papa make him a scholar, for Mama make him rich as a king.”

• How does this lyric speak to the different expectations that the traditional community has for husbands? (topic sentence)
• Identify 2-3 examples from the play where the characters sing about certain expectations for husbands and wives in marriage.
• How do these marital norms and expectations relate to The Effects of Wealth and Poverty on Cultural Roles?

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. Consider how Tevye’s monologues function in the play. When does he speak to God? When does he speak to the audience or to himself? How is the timing of his monologues significant overall? How do these instances create meaning in the musical?

2. Consider Tevye’s relationship with his three eldest daughters. How do each of his daughter’s wishes represent change and progress? How does Tevye react to each of his daughter’s requests? How do his responses indicate Tevye’s growth as both a father as well as a member of his Jewish community?

3. How would you describe Tevye’s character? Consider his relationships to his family as well as to members of his community. What kind of person is he? Is he particularly admirable, particularly deserving of shame, or neither? How might his character have been perceived differently in 1905 when the play takes place, in 1964 when the play opened on Broadway, and now? How has societal change affected the way he is perceived as a character?