Schaffer Essay Writing Writing with good concrete detail and commentary

Parts of an Essay Introduction Thesis statement Body Paragraphs BT-Body thesis (TS-topic sentence) CD-Concrete details CM-Commentary CS-Concluding sentence Conclusion

Introduction 1 st paragraph of the essay Includes a clear thesis statement Should have a hook, attention grabber, or some universal statement about the topic Should also include some background to set up the reader for the thesis

Introduction- Thesis Statement The thesis statement is usually the last sentence in your introduction Says what your essay is going to be about Includes topic, opinion and sometimes examples Must be proved effectively throughout your essay

Introduction- Sample Joe Larson Period 3 September 23, 2003 Mrs. Blomquist Literary Analysis Essay: “The Cold Equations” Writers of short stories use carefully chosen techniques to captivate their readers and transport those readers into another world. Tom Godwin takes his readers to a futuristic world where the fate of a character lies more in the hands of nature than in those of humans. In “The Cold Equations” Tom Godwin uses conflict, symbolism and irony to communicate that the laws of nature are unchangeable and cannot be controlled by humans.

Body Paragraphs Five sentences: one chunk; Eight sentences: two chunk; 11 sentences: three chunk Each paragraph should be at least 100 words long (for a two-chunk) Body thesis should mention which topic is being dealt with in that particular paragraph CDs should be integrated quotes CMs should be thorough and should show how CDs prove thesis

Body Paragraphs- BT and TS Body thesis and topic sentence are the same thing. The body thesis is a sentence that expresses an opinion about the topic of the body paragraph. Sets the focus of the paragraph

Body Paragraphs- CDs Are usually well integrated quotations about which you have plenty to say in your commentary. They are on the topic of your thesis and body thesis. If you are writing about how the symbolism in a story reveals the theme, your CDs must have something to do with symbolism in the story. They should also be quotes that allude to the theme of the story you are writing about. With your lead-ins, please explain what is going on with your quote. What happened before? Who is involved? When is this happening? That helps your reader (me) to understand why you chose the quote you chose. Remember, if a couple words are making it difficult to integrate a quote into a sentence, drop them! Restate those words in your lead-in.

Body Paragraphs- CDs Synonyms Evidence Reasons Examples Support Proof Quotations Paraphrase Plot references

Body Paragraph- CDs Integrated Quotations Give a little background for your quote: While he lived with his daughter, Mr. Carpenter realized that “all he had to do was look as busy as possible in a chair without rockers” (314). Explain what’s going on around your quote Remember that quotes that you pick do not have to be in quotation marks.

Body Paragraphs- CMs Synonyms Insight Analysis Interpretation Inferences Evaluation Opinion Reflection Personal response

Body Paragraphs- CMs Is your opinion, interpretation, insight, analysis, explication, reaction, feelings, evaluation or reflection about the topic. Explains your quote. Why is it important? What does it reveal about the character, theme, tone, etc? Tells me how your quote proves your thesis and your body thesis.

Body Paragraphs- CMs Does not include words like: I, me, we, us, would, should, could, may, or might. These words encourage you to leave the story and become preachy or make assumptions that are not there. Avoid if- then scenarios: example- If the old man would have lived with his daughter, he would have been much happier. Instead, try- Because the old man refused to live with his daughter, he missed out on a loving home and a good relationship with his family. Remember, if you are stuck, use "This shows that..." to start your commentary. You are stating what the quote shows about your topic and the story. Take out “this shows that…” in your final draft.

Body Paragraph- Sample 1 st Chunk Conflict is the basis of the theme in “The Cold Equations” because of the futility of the internal conflict, man v. self, and the desperation in the external conflict, man v. nature. When the main character realizes that he has no choice but to jettison the girl, he dreaded that he would “only have the memories to remind him; only the nights of fear, when a blue-eyed girl in gypsy sandals would come into his dreams to die again” (22). It does not matter how much the main character wants to save the girl because the laws of nature have decided that she cannot be on the ship. His internal conflict is futile because he does not really have a decision to make; his decision is either to allow one to die or hundreds to die.

Conclusion The final paragraph Do not repeat key words, but repeat key ideas in new ways Bring closure to the essay Add universal statements, allude to themes and include final thoughts

Conclusion- Sample When man and nature compete, nature has the advantage. Tom Godwin carefully chose to set the story in space to illustrate how dependant man is on nature. He effectively used conflict, irony and symbolism to capture the reader’s interest and reveal the truth that there are some things in the universe that man simply cannot control.