Code Name Verity

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 below bulleted outlines. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Friendship is a central theme in Elizabeth Wein’s Code Name Verity.

• What is the mark of a good friendship in the novel, as portrayed by Wein? (topic sentence)
• How is this idea developed in at least 2 different friendships in the novel?
• In your conclusion, discuss how the themes of Friendship and Valor are connected in the novel, paying special attention to how this played out in Julie and Maddie’s relationship.

2. At the end of the novel, Maddie must make an incredibly difficult decision involving Julie.

• How does Maddie’s decision define her character (or not)? (topic sentence)
• Why does Maddie make this difficult decision? Examine and explicate what Maddie’s options were in this situation, weighing the pros and cons of each.
• In your conclusion, explain whether Maddie’s choice reveals a strength or a weakness in her character. What does it say about her as a Friend?

3. Anna Engel plays a central role in enabling the Resistance to successfully complete Operation Verity.

• What kind of person is Engel? Does she exhibit more Valor or less compared to other women in the novel? (topic sentence)
• Discuss her character in terms of Maddie’s description of her as a “slave girl.” In what ways is Engel enslaved? Is she any more of a “slave,” as Maddie defines it, than other Women in World War II?
• In your conclusion, elaborate on Engel’s primary motivations for helping the Resistance and explain whether Maddie’s assessment of her was fair or unfair.

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. Is Verity a trustworthy person? Define the concept of trustworthiness, and then explain the ways in which she is (or is not) trustworthy. How does trustworthiness help us determine if someone is a “good” or “bad” person, in general but also in the context of the novel and how it defines The Nature of Truth? Include at least three characters in your discussion, choosing from the following: von Linden, Jamie, Maddie, Paul, Etienne Thibaut, Georgia Penn, and the Bloody Machiavellian English Intelligence Officer.

2. Distinguishing between truth and lies becomes difficult in this novel. How does it affect the meaning of the novel that Julie tells so many lies in her portion of the narrative? In particular, how does it affect Julie’s relationship with Maddie, and what does it say about the overall nature of Friendship? What is true, ultimately, and what is a lie? Explain your answer in terms of the surprise twists in the novel, including the revelation that Julie didn’t give the Nazis any useful information.

3. What does Wein achieve by having the narrative divided into two parts, each narrated by a different character? What effect does this structure have on the meaning of the novel? Explain how the structure of the novel relates to The Nature of Truth—for example, is either Julie’s or Maddie’s account more truthful than the other? Can just one part be considered “true,” or must both parts be told to constitute the whole and complete truth?