Call Me Athena: 12 Analytical Essay Prompts for Deeper Understanding

This collection of essay prompts is designed for students and readers of Colby Cedar Smith’s verse novel Call Me Athena. Each prompt targets a specific analytical skill—character change, causality, relationships, contrasting scenes, themes, symbols, structure, foreshadowing, or the ending—while staying grounded in the book’s unique story of Mary Skandalaris, a Greek-French immigrant girl in 1934 Detroit. For each prompt you will find: a brief explanation of why the question matters, a sample thesis direction (not a full essay), and 3–5 evidence leads drawn from scenes in the novel. Use the character and theme pages alongside these prompts to build your arguments.

Prompt 1: The Brush Fire of Grief – How Does Smith Use the Opening Metaphor to Establish Mary’s Emotional Arc?

Why it matters: The novel’s first chapter introduces grief as a brush fire that “consumes / like a brush fire.” Examining this metaphor across the story reveals how Mary’s loss evolves—from helplessness to eventual acceptance. The prompt tests your ability to connect an initial symbol to long-term character development.

Sample thesis direction: Smith transforms the brush‑fire metaphor from a symbol of uncontrollable devastation into one of renewal after destruction, mirroring Mary’s journey from paralyzed grief to active participation in her own life.

Evidence leads:

Chapter 1, “Call Me Athena”: the image of a cinder that spreads despite being stomped, and the “useless bucket” in Mary’s hands.
Later scenes where Mary returns to natural imagery (e.g., rain, ash, new growth) to describe her evolving feelings.
The final chapters: does Mary ever “put out” the fire, or does she learn to live with its embers?
Contrast the opening with any scene in which Mary takes decisive action (e.g., working at the Ford factory or defying her father).

Prompt 2: Father and Daughter – How Does Mary’s Relationship with Her Greek Immigrant Father Drive the Central Conflict?

Why it matters: The father–daughter relationship is a primary source of tension in the novel, embodying the clash between Old World patriarchy and Mary’s desire for independence. This prompt asks you to trace causality—how each confrontation pushes Mary toward self‑definition.

Sample thesis direction: Mary’s father imposes Greek traditions not out of cruelty but from a fear of losing his culture in America; Mary’s rebellion against him is therefore a rebellion against inherited trauma, not just against his authority.

Evidence leads:

Scenes where Mary’s father forbids her from working or associating with certain friends.
Moments when Mary observes her father’s own immigrant struggles (e.g., his work at the Ford factory or his memories of Greece).
The father character page notes his background—use the text’s portrayal of his accent, his pride, and his silences.
The twin sister’s role as either a mediator or an echo of Mary’s defiance.

Prompt 3: Mother and Daughter – How Does Jeanne Skandalaris Represent a Different Kind of Strength?

Why it matters: Mary’s French immigrant mother, Jeanne, offers a quieter, more domestic model of resilience. Comparing mother and daughter reveals the novel’s definition of courage as something that can take both public and private forms.

Sample thesis direction: While Mary seeks independence through public acts of defiance, her mother Jeanne exercises agency through daily survival and careful negotiation within the home, challenging the notion that only outward rebellion constitutes strength.

Evidence leads:

Scenes where Jeanne protects Mary from her father’s anger without openly confronting him.
Jeanne’s own backstory as an immigrant—details from the mother character page.
The moment Mary realizes her mother has sacrificed her own dreams for the family.
Contrast a scene of Mary’s public defiance (e.g., at work) with a scene of Jeanne’s private resistance (e.g., preserving French traditions in the kitchen).

Prompt 4: The Twin Sister – How Does Mary’s Relationship with Her Twin Illuminate Her Struggle for a Separate Identity?

Why it matters: Twins in literature often serve as mirrors or foils. Here, Mary’s sister can be both a confidante and a reminder of what Mary might become if she conforms. This prompt encourages close analysis of their interactions and the ways they diverge.

Sample thesis direction: Although Mary and her twin share a deep bond, the twin’s willingness to accept traditional gender roles forces Mary to reject that path even more forcefully, making the twin an unwitting catalyst for Mary’s independence.

Evidence leads:

Shared scenes of childhood: how do they differ in their reactions to their parents’ expectations?
Any conversation where the twin urges Mary to be careful or to obey.
The twin’s own fate (marriage, family, or career) as a contrast to Mary’s.
Use the twin sister character page to note how the twin is described physically and emotionally compared to Mary.

Prompt 5: Contrasting Worlds – How Does Smith Juxtapose the Immigrant Home with the Public Sphere of Detroit?

Why it matters: The novel shifts between the cramped family home and the wider city (Greektown, the Ford factory, the streets). Analyzing these settings reveals how space shapes identity and freedom.

Sample thesis direction: Smith contrasts the suffocating, rule‑bound domestic space with the liberating but dangerous public space, and Mary’s movement between them maps her growth from a girl defined by her family to a woman who claims the city as her own.

Evidence leads:

Descriptions of the family apartment: smells, sounds, crowding, religious icons.
The Ford factory elevator where Mary works—how does Smith describe that vertical, liminal space?
Greektown as a hybrid space between old and new worlds.
A scene where Mary feels trapped at home versus a scene where she feels invisible or powerful in the city.

Prompt 6: Symbolism of Names – What Does “Call Me Athena” Mean for Mary’s Self‑Image?

Why it matters: The title itself is a declaration. Athena is the Greek goddess of wisdom, courage, and craft. Exploring why Mary (or Smith) chooses that name allows you to discuss the theme of identity and self‑naming.

Sample thesis direction: By calling herself Athena, Mary claims a classical, powerful identity that rejects her father’s Old World expectations and instead aligns her with a goddess of strategic warfare—a fitting symbol for the daily battles she must win.

Evidence leads:

Any scene where Mary introduces herself or thinks about her name.
References to Greek mythology elsewhere in the text (if any; check for these).
The contrast between “Mary” (a common, Christian name) and “Athena” (pagan, learned, independent).
The Author’s Note: Smith wrote the book for her grandmother Mary, who herself defied gender norms—how does that frame the title?

Prompt 7: Gender Roles and Expectations – How Does Mary’s Story Critique the Limitations Placed on Women in the 1930s?

Why it matters: One of the novel’s core themes is the fight for independence in a society that expects women to be wives and mothers. This prompt demands that you use specific scenes to show how Mary challenges or subverts these expectations.

Sample thesis direction: Through Mary’s refusal to quit her job, her pursuit of education or a career, and her defiance of marriage pressure, Smith illustrates that independence requires not only personal courage but also the willingness to disappoint loved ones.

Evidence leads:

Scenes where Mary is told to be “proper” or “feminine.”
Her father’s demands that she stay home to help her mother.
Any moment where Mary chooses work over family duty.
Compare with the gender roles and expectations theme page for additional context.

Prompt 8: The Immigrant Experience – How Does the Novel Represent the Tension Between Assimilation and Heritage?

Why it matters: As the child of Greek and French immigrants, Mary lives between cultures. The novel uses food, language, and memory to show that assimilation is rarely a clean process.

Sample thesis direction: Smith uses sensory details—such as the taste of French pastries or the sound of Greek songs—to demonstrate that heritage cannot be shed; it is carried inside even as one adapts to America.

Evidence leads:

Scenes in the home that highlight traditional food, dress, or rituals.
Mary’s experience at school or work where she feels “foreign.”
Arguments between Mary’s parents about which culture to emphasize.
The immigrant experience theme page for broader themes.

Prompt 9: Foreshadowing and the Author’s Note – In What Ways Does the Author’s Note Shape Our Reading of the Novel?

Why it matters: The Author’s Note is part of the book’s structure. It reveals the real‑life basis and the author’s relationship to the story. Analyzing it as a paratext helps you understand how Smith invites us to read the fiction as both true and invented.

Sample thesis direction: By disclosing her own grandmother’s battle with Alzheimer’s and the loss of stories, Smith frames the novel as an act of rescue—making Mary’s story not just historical fiction but a commentary on the fragility of memory and the power of storytelling.

Evidence leads:

The Author’s Note: the photo of the RMS Olympic manifest and the appearance of “Colby” on it.
Smith’s admission that she changed events “quite a bit” to create compelling narrative.
The dedication to her grandmother Mary, who died without her memories.
How this note might affect your reading of the ending—does it offer closure or a reminder that much is lost?

Prompt 10: Structure and Verse Form – How Does the Novel’s Poetic Form Enhance the Themes of Fragmentation and Wholeness?

Why it matters: Call Me Athena is written in free verse. The line breaks, white space, and music of the language mirror Mary’s inner life. This prompt asks you to analyze form as meaning.

Sample thesis direction: Smith’s use of short, breath‑less lines and stark imagery creates a sense of fragility and urgency that mirrors Mary’s emotional state; the turn toward longer, more integrated stanzas in later chapters signals her growing coherence and self‑possession.

Evidence leads:

Compare the opening poem (Chapter 1) with a poem near the middle or end of the novel—how does the line length or rhythm change?
Look for poems that are mostly one‑word lines versus those that flow into full sentences.
Consider how the form handles dialogue or turning points (e.g., when Mary makes a key decision).
The repetition of certain images (fire, water, light) as structural motifs.

Prompt 11: Causality – How Does a Single Choice or Event Act as a Turning Point in Mary’s Journey?

Why it matters: Novels often hinge on a moment where the protagonist decides to change. Identifying that moment and its causes helps you understand the novel’s argument about agency and fate.

Sample thesis direction: Mary’s decision to secretly apply for a job at the Ford factory is the catalyst that forces every subsequent conflict—with her father, with her twin, and within herself—thereby proving that one small act of defiance can set an entire life in motion.

Evidence leads:

The scene where Mary first learns about the elevator‑girl position or makes the application.
The immediate fallout at home: her father’s reaction, her mother’s silence.
Later scenes where Mary reflects on that decision as the moment she “stopped being a child.”
Contrast with a before‑and‑after depiction of Mary’s posture or voice.

Prompt 12: The Ending – Does the Conclusion of the Novel Offer Hope, Acceptance, or Something Else?

Why it matters: The ending of a verse novel is often elliptical. Looking at the final images and lines allows you to synthesize the book’s message about grief, identity, and legacy.

Sample thesis direction: The novel ends not with a triumphant victory but with Mary standing at a threshold—aware of loss but no longer paralyzed by it—suggesting that the real achievement is the ability to hold grief and hope together.

Evidence leads:

The final chapter or final poem: what imagery appears? Is there fire, water, light, or darkness?
Mary’s last action or line of dialogue: does she speak to anyone, or is she alone?
Compare the ending’s tone to the opening’s brush‑fire despair.
Any reference to the future (e.g., a job, a relationship, a journey).
Use the legacy and memory theme page to connect the ending to the Author’s Note.

These prompts are starting points. For each, return to the text with a specific question and collect evidence. Use the questions and answers page for additional guidance, and consult the book’s main page for a full synopsis and list of characters.