Literature debate topics for the classroom

In literature lessons, students embark on captivating journeys into other worlds, immersing themselves in the stories and lives of diverse characters. These adventures through texts provide a rich source of material as debate topics for students.

To facilitate these literary explorations, we have compiled a list of thought-provoking literature debate topics suitable for students of all ages. Many of these topics are already available on Kialo Edu, or you can create your own. So, check out our list and and turn the page to your next literary debate!

Literature debate topics for elementary school students

• Has Sadako’s wish from Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes been granted?
• In A Long Walk to Water, what is the biggest challenge Salva faces when he moves to America?
• In Bridge to Terabithia, should Jesse choose to conform to societal expectations?
• In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, was Willy Wonka good at heart?
• In Charlotte’s Web, is Templeton more of a hero or a villain?
• In Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan, which character is the bravest?
• In Every Leaf a Hallelujah by Ben Okri, is Mangoshi right to venture into the forest to find the flower?
• In Fire by Jackie French, should Matilda’s family evacuate rather than staying and defending their home?
• In Goodnight Mister Tom, was Tom Oakley right to bring William back to Little Weirwold?
• In the Harry Potter series, should Hogwarts be open to Muggle-born students?
• In “Jack and the Beanstalk,” was Jack right to steal from the giant?
• In Matilda, which of her parents is the worst?
• In Oranges in No Man’s Land, was Dr. Leila right to ask Abu Bashir to take Ayesha home?
• In Pig-Heart Boy, is Cam right to accept the pig heart transplant?
• In “Puss in Boots,” is Puss a good guy?
• In Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, is TJ an inherently bad character?
• In The One and Only Ivan, is the zoo the right place for Ivan and Ruby?
• In The Railway Children, was Mother right in keeping Father’s circumstances secret?
• In The Silver Sword, is Captain Greenwood right that people like Jan are beyond remedy?
• Is Goldilocks a villain?
• Is Sade right to always tell the truth in The Other Side of the Truth by Beverley Naidoo?
• Should animals be used in warfare, as depicted in War Horse by Michael Morpurgo?
• Should children be sent to correctional facilities like Camp Green Lake, as shown in Holes?
• Should Isabel align herself with the loyalists or the patriots in Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson?
• Was Isabella right to join the mission to save Lupe in The Girl of Ink and Stars by Kiran Millwood Hargrave?
• What is the biggest challenge faced by Mercy Wong in Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee?
• Which child is the bravest in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe?
• Who is responsible for the tragedy in “The Highwayman” by Alfred Noyes?

Literature debate topics for middle school students

• Does Call of the Wild portray a negative depiction of the relationship between humans and animals?
• Does the internet have a positive impact on Lydia, Travis, and Dill in The Serpent King?
• Does the novel Freak the Mighty convey its message of looking beyond stereotypes more effectively than its film adaptation The Mighty?
• Do you agree with the principle from Astonishing the Gods that we must repeat every experience until we live it fully for the first time?
• In Abomination by Robert Swindells, is Martha right to stand up for her beliefs?
• In Among the Hidden, is Luke right to join the hidden community?
• In Front Desk by Kelly Yang, are Mia’s parents right to hide immigrants?
• In I Hadn’t Meant to Tell You This, should Marie tell someone Lena’s secret?
• In Inside Out and Back Again, what is Hà’s biggest challenge in adapting to life in America?
• In Midnight Without a Moon, should Rose Lee Carter prioritize her personal aspirations over the civil rights movement?
• In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, is Junior right that poverty is inseparable from racism?
• In The Diary of a Young Girl, do you think Anne Frank believes she will survive the war?
• In The Hobbit, should Bilbo Baggins have joined the dwarves on their adventure?
• In The Prison Healer, should Kiva risk her own life to protect others?
• In Trash, were Raphael, Gardo, and Rat right to tell lies?
• In Watership Down, is Bigwig right to join the Watership Down rabbits?
• In We Are Wolves, should Luka and Emilia prioritize their own survival over helping others?
• Is Cao Wenxuan’s Bronze and Sunflower a good way to learn about Chinese history?
• Is Manny right to want to be a “vato firme” in Parrot in the Oven?
• Is The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn too racist to be taught in schools?
• Was Beowulf a hero?
• What is the greatest challenge Leif has to overcome in NorthWind?

Literature debate topics for grades 9 and 10

• Does Fahrenheit 451 condone violent revolution against oppression?
• Does Ishiguro present us with an optimistic vision of human nature in Never Let Me Go?
• Does Lord of the Flies present an accurate picture of human nature?
• Does Miss Havisham’s past justify her actions in Great Expectations?
• Does The Crucible portray it as justifiable to sacrifice personal principles for the sake of societal norms?
• Does the plot of Their Eyes Were Watching God advance a feminist worldview?
• Does The Scarlet Letter portray religion as a primarily negative force in society?
• In Animal Farm, should the pigs’ leadership give them special privileges?
• In Journey’s End, is Captain Stanhope an ideal leader of men?
• In Life of Pi, is Pi right to sacrifice his beliefs to survive?
• In 1984, is the Party entirely evil?
• In The Merchant of Venice, is it morally acceptable for Portia to disguise herself to achieve justice?
• In The Things They Carried, should Tim have gone to war?
• In Things Fall Apart, does Achebe suggest that resistance to social change is futile?
• Is Desdemona’s naivety about men the main reason for her downfall in Othello?
• Is it possible to feel sympathy for the character of Sikes in Oliver Twist?
• Is Jane Eyre a feminist novel?
• Is the society in Brave New World dystopian rather than utopian?
• Should Ebenezer Scrooge be forgiven at the end of A Christmas Carol?
• Should Gar leave Ballybeg at the end of Philadelphia, Here I Come!?
• Should the children in The Lord of the Flies be held responsible for their actions?
• Should To Kill a Mockingbird still be taught in schools?
• Was George right to kill Lennie in Of Mice and Men?
• Was Hamlet justified in seeking revenge for his father’s murder?
• Was Macbeth a victim of fate?
• Were Romeo and Juliet really in love?
• Which poem takes a more convincing view on the deaths of World War I: “Dulce Et Decorum Est” or “In Flanders Fields”?

Literature debate topics for grades 11 and 12

• Are the intercalary chapters in Grapes of Wrath a good idea?
• At the end of A Doll’s House, is Nora’s decision to walk away justified?
• Does Katherina’s transformation into an obedient wife provide an uplifting end to The Taming of the Shrew?
• Do you agree that in Hard Times, those who have power use it irresponsibly?
• Do you agree with the view that all men are at war with themselves in Regeneration?
• Do you agree with the view that the poems in Feminine Gospels are characterized by anger and bitterness?
• How effective is Tim Winton in giving his message about environmental protection in The Boy Behind the Curtain?
• In All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, is Marie-Laure’s father right to hide the jewel?
• In As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow, should Salama stay in Syria to help the injured?
• In A Streetcar Named Desire, does Tennessee Williams portray Stanley Kowalski as a mere brute?
• In Atonement, do criminals get away with their crimes?
• In Birdsong, are all soldiers degraded by their experience of war?
• In Crime and Punishment, is Raskolnikov right that individuals who possess exceptional talents or intellect are justified to break societal norms and laws for the greater good?
• In Kokoro by Natsume Sōseki, should the protagonist continue to stand by Sensei and support him despite his flaws and past actions?
• In “Maihime (The Dancing Girl)” by Ogai Mori, is Otama right to pursue her passion for dance?
• In Rainbow’s End by Jane Harrison, what is the biggest challenge faced by Dolly in pursuing her personal ambitions?
• In The Invisible Man, does education empower the protagonist?
• In The Kite Runner, is Rahim Khan presented as simply a kind-hearted and honorable rescuer of others?
• In the Mahabharata, is Karna right to remain loyal to Duryodhana?
• In the Ramayana, was Rama right to go into exile?
• In “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” are the agents who punish the Mariner cruel and unforgiving?
• Is Dream of the Red Chamber a feminist novel?
• Is grief the main theme in Vertigo by Amanda Lohrey?
• Is impermanence the most significant theme in The Tales of the Heike?
• Is John Donne’s “The Flea” a misogynist poem?
• Is King Lear really “a man more sinned against than sinning”?
• Is Nick Carraway a reliable narrator in The Great Gatsby?
• Is Oh! What a Lovely War unpatriotic?
• Is resistance shown to be futile in The Handmaid’s Tale?
• Is Shen Congwen’s depiction of rural life accurate in Border Town?
• Who is the true hero of Heart of Darkness?

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