Introductions and Conclusions Mr. Perry ELA 10

Purpose of an introduction Grab the reader’s attention Establish tone and thesis

Essay Prompt Prompt: What is your mountain to climb in life? (something that you would be willing to risk life and limb for at a chance to achieve success or conquer - any achievement, goal, fantasy, or hope that you have for yourself - something you have always wanted to do but have never attempted - a dream that you would love to see come true provided you were given the opportunity and unlimited resources)

Intro. Method #1 Generalization Just about everyone walking the globe today was born with some sort of fear or phobia in life.  Sometimes that fear is based on scary experiences like surviving a car crash or being trapped in a tight place.  Other times, that fear comes from an imaginary danger like being afraid of germs or large crowds of people.  One very common fear among people is being scared of particular animals or insects.  For as long as I can remember, I have always had an intense fear of spiders.   I can hardly look at one, let alone touch it, without getting creeped out.  My mountain to climb in life would be to overcome my arachnophobia, or fear of spiders.

Intro. Method #2 Anecdotes When I opened the access panel leading into the attic space of my house, I immediately noticed all of the cobwebs. I knew I had no choice but to climb into them in order to run the cable for my new stereo system, but the moment I saw the webs my heart started racing and my feet felt suddenly frozen to the ground. I have always struggled with my fear of spiders for as long as I can remember.  My mountain to climb in life would be to overcome my arachnophobia, or fear of spiders.

Intro. Method #3 Analogy/Comparison For some people, living with a phobia is like going through life with chains around one’s ankles. Fears often get in the way of progress, either slowing one down or stopping forward motion altogether. There have been many times in my own life where I’ve been crippled by my fear of spiders. My mountain to climb in life would be to overcome my arachnophobia, or fear of spiders.

Intro. Method #4 Quotation Publilius Myrus stated in his Maxims that “The fear of death is more to be dreaded than death itself.” As a life-long sufferer of an intense fear of spiders, I guess that means that I should be more afraid of my arachnophobia than of the spiders themselves. Of course, this is not so easy to do. Overcoming a fear like arachnophobia requires quite a bit of determination and perseverance. My mountain to climb in life would be to overcome my arachnophobia, or fear of spiders.

Intro. Method #5 Facts and Statistics   It is estimated by some that throughout life the average human being swallows seven or eight spiders while sleeping. While there is no scientific proof of this supposed fact, just the thought of it is enough to send me into convulsions. Spiders have always been a tremendous source of fear for me, and I have spent the majority of my days avoiding them or squashing them as quickly as possible. My mountain to climb in life would be to overcome my arachnophobia, or fear of spiders.

Intro. Method #6 Irony or Humor The only way to overcome a fear is to face it head on. If this is true, then apparently my next pet ought to be a giant, hairy, venomous, black tarantula. One time, I tried to touch a tarantula in a pet store, and, no matter how many times the store owner told me it was safe, I could not move my finger closer than one foot from the beast. I have never been a fan of spiders; in fact, I hate them. My mountain to climb in life would be to overcome my arachnophobia, or fear of spiders.

Intro. Method #7 Rhetorical Question What is a person supposed to do when his or her greatest fear lurks in every shadow, corner, and darkened crawl space on the planet? While it is true that most, if not all, human beings struggle with a variety of phobias, the fear of spiders is one that never goes away. Spiders are everywhere in my house, and I live with the constant stress of never knowing when one will crawl out of the darkness and make its way up my leg or down my neck. My mountain to climb in life would be to overcome my arachnophobia, or fear of spiders.

Sample Conclusion Overall, I would love to be able to climb my mountain in life by conquering my fear of spiders. It would require a lot of help from others, including the use of a psychologist and maybe even a hypnotherapist. I would need to get used to the touch and look of those eight-legged creatures. Also, I would need to learn and practice different techniques of relaxation. In the end, my life would be more relaxed, and I would no longer get caught freaking out when a spider crawls on my shirt. If it is true that the average human being swallows seven or eight spiders in his or her lifetime, from this day forth I say bring it on. Which method of introduction is being referenced at the end of this essay?