Lulu appears only briefly in The Birthday Party, but she carries some of the play's most uncomfortable moments. She is a young neighbor who flirts with Stanley, joins the party, and is later treated badly by Goldberg in a scene that students often find troubling. Essays about her can reveal how thoughtfully a student reads the way the play handles gender and power.

A strong prompt avoids asking students to simply judge whether Lulu is a victim. Instead, ask them to analyze how the men around her use charm, flattery, and authority to control her, and what the play suggests about the social pressures women face. This framing invites argument based on the text rather than on the student's opinion alone.

Meg and Lulu also make a useful pairing. Both are treated as decorative or dependent by the male characters, yet they respond differently, with Meg clinging to denial and Lulu retreating in shame. Students who compare the two women often arrive at sharper conclusions than those who write about Lulu in isolation.

What Counts as Strong Evidence

In this kind of essay, evidence should include both dialogue and stage action. Students might point to the moment Lulu tries to persuade Stanley to go out with her, or to the way Goldberg's tone changes when he speaks to her privately. A paper that quotes briefly and explains the shift in power will outperform one that retells the scene at length.

• Look for a thesis about how the play portrays gender, not a general statement that women are mistreated
• Check that quotations are short and tied directly to the claim
• Reward students who consider the audience's reaction to Lulu's treatment
• Value comparisons between Lulu and Meg when they illuminate the argument
• Note whether the student addresses the historical setting of the play

Handling Sensitive Material in Grading

The scene involving Lulu and Goldberg touches on sexual coercion, and students may respond with strong feelings. Graders should make clear that the assignment evaluates analysis of the text, not personal reactions, while still allowing students to express their discomfort as part of an argument. A short note in the assignment sheet about respectful academic language can set the tone.

Feedback on these essays should focus on precision of language. A student who writes that Lulu is "used" might be asked to specify who uses her, in what way, and with what effect on the scene. Precise wording protects the essay from vague moral claims and keeps the discussion anchored in the evidence.

Building Consistency Into Your Rubric

Because this topic invites opinion, a clear rubric is especially important. Define what an acceptable thesis looks like and what level of textual support is expected for a top score. Doing so protects students whose views differ from the teacher's and makes the grading easier to defend if a parent or student asks questions.

It also helps to calibrate with colleagues when several classes are reading the play. Exchanging two or three sample essays and agreeing on their scores reveals differences in how teachers weigh argument and evidence. Those conversations improve the quality of grading across the department.