A Man Called Ove

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.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the below bulleted outlines. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Ove’s measuring of others reveals more about Ove than about those he measures.

• How does Ove measure the value of a person? (topic sentence)
• Analyze and discuss at least three influences in Ove's life that contribute to his judgments about others.
• In your conclusion, sum up whether you find it likely that Ove's opinions of others are justified and why.

2. The story suggests a relationship between critical thinking and having a flexible mind.

• What is Ove's core principle? (topic sentence)
• What are the requirements of critical thinking? When does Ove exhibit any of them? Analyze and discuss at least three examples.
• Under what circumstances, if any, do you think it's possible to hold principles that are black-and-white and still think critically?

3. Sonja's character is not realistic.

• What is Sonja's function in the story? (topic sentence)
• Describe Sonja's positive and negative attributes, including her appearance, demeanor, character traits, and capabilities.
• In your conclusion, evaluate how compelling Sonja would be as a character if she were not Ove's wife; summarize your rationale.

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 Ove's concern about his reputation. He was willing to let people think he was a thief when he worked for the railyard, even though he wasn't. Yet when he plans his suicide, he is very careful to make sure everything is in order. It seems that Ove cares more about what people will think of him when he's dead than when he's among them. How might these two choices both align with Ove's principles? What do they suggest about Ove's sense of self?

2. Consider Ove's first interaction with Adrian, the boy with the broken bike. What are some of the similarities between Adrian's circumstances and Ove's when Ove was a young lovestruck man? What does Ove’s subsequent behavior toward Adrian suggest about Ove's ability to be empathetic? What are some other examples of Ove displaying empathy? What do Ove's actions suggest about his regard for others?