Introductions and Conclusions

Introduction An introduction is your first chance to make a good impression. Without a good introduction, the rest of your paper will suffer because you have failed to capture your reader’s interest.

Introduction Your introduction should be arranged from general to specific. In other words, the first sentence of your introduction should not reveal to me what your paper is about, but by the last sentence (the thesis statement) this should be clear. Start with something that will grab your reader’s attention.

The First Sentence – Finding the Right Attention Getter Surprising fact: The United States has more than five times the amount of nuclear weaponry necessary to destroy itself. Quotation: Bill Cosby once said that “Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers. And once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it.” Curiosity: In the nineteen fifties, many families built fallout shelters to protect themselves from nuclear attack, not knowing that they were putting themselves in even more danger. Definition: Natural selection is the process by which traits become more or less common in a population due to consistent effects upon the survival or reproduction of their bearers.

The Middle Once you have found your attention getter or hook and your thesis statement is written, the remainder of the introduction needs to be spent transitioning from point A to point B.

The Result Point A: The Attention Getter Point B: The Thesis Statement Dante Alighieri once said, “Avarice, envy, pride, three fatal sparks, have set the hearts of all on fire.” In James Hurst’s short story “The Scarlet Ibis” it shows how pride can be beneficial in some ways and harmful in other ways. The narrator is overtaken by his own pride, and as a result, the outcome is fatal for his brother. Hurst uses irony and personification to suggest pride has the ability to cause destruction. Point B: The Thesis Statement

The Conclusion Your concluding paragraph is the last paragraph of the essay. It may sum up your ideas, reflect on what you said in your essay, or say more commentary about your subject. The conclusion is ALL COMMENTARY and DOES NOT INCLUDE CONCRETE DETAILS. It does not repeat key words from you paper, especially not from your thesis and introductory paragraphs. It gives a finished feeling to your essay.

The Result Irony and personification are prominent throughout the story. These literary elements serve to emphasize the theme that pride leads to destruction. The author shows his reader that those who can accept their family for who they are and not be embarrassed of them have better relationships and fewer regrets.