Writing Introductions To write a clear and unified introduction. To craft and construct a clear and concise THESIS statement.

Inverted Pyramid Opening lead Author, title Brief context Thesis [hook, killer lead, homicidal] Author, title Brief context [narrow in scope] Thesis [main pt. of paper [road map, expectation, single statement]

Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is a great American novel. In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain develops a contrast between life on the river and life on the shore. Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Twain’s Huckleberry Finn suggests that to find the true expression of American ideals, one must leave civilized society and go back to nature.

Toni Morrison’s Beloved is a poignant look at the Black-American experience in a time when society was dominated by the inhumane treatment of slaves. Beloved’s character provides not only suspense of supernatural forces; but is used to highlight Morrison’s overriding themes of ancestor- elder relationships and the attempt to erase the past. Hook, title, and author, context Thesis

In literature, as in biology, the mantra of form fits function applies and heightens a reader’s appreciation of a writer’s choices and how they contribute to a work. In Tim O’Brien’s collection of short stories, The Things They Carried, the alternating Vietnam and modern day settings shape the author’s world view and reflect his own experience in the 1960s. The short stories within the work, “On Rainy River” and “Speaking of Courage”, set at the Canadian-American border and the Vietnamese field of excretions respectively, establish the overwhelming ambiguity and uncertainty that characterize the experience of O’Brien’s protagonist (himself) and reinforce the author’s message about the relativity of truth.

How to write the Body Paragraph

BEFORE we talk about that body paragraph…. Swap your introduction with someone sitting near you LABEL the necessary parts of the introduction HOOK TAG CONTEXT THESIS Is the thesis arguable? Does it make an interesting point?

Table Analogy Your thesis is like a table top. A table cannot stand without legs under it. Your essay’s topic sentences are those legs. They are directly related to the thesis. THESIS T S T S T S T S

TOPIC SENTENCES First sentence. A topic sentence is usually the first sentence of the paragraph, not the last sentence of the previous paragraph. Link to thesis. Topic sentences use keywords or phrases from the thesis to indicate which part of the thesis will be discussed. Introduce the subject of the paragraph. They tell the reader what concept will be discussed and provide an introduction to the paragraph. Link to the previous paragraph. They link the subject of the present paragraph to that of the previous paragraph. Indicate the progression of the essay. Topic sentences may also signal to the reader where the essay has been and where it is headed through words such as "first," "second," or "finally."

P.E.A. The Point, Evidence, Analysis, So what (PEA) model for body paragraphs asks you to include four parts in each body paragraph. These parts help readers follow your analysis. The parts are described in the following slides.

POINT Each paragraph should begin with a clear topic sentence stating the point that paragraph seeks to make. Your point should be a claim, something that needs to be supported or illustrated with evidence. The point should be *your* idea, not an idea from another source. If you need to cite your first sentence, it is not your point.

EVIDENCE Once you state the point the paragraph intends to make, provide evidence to support that point. That evidence can take a variety of forms: examples, descriptions, quotations, paraphrases, etc. The amount of evidence you include will depend upon the point you make. When using quotes from the text, you must embed quoted words/phrases.

ANALYSIS For each piece of evidence, you need to explicitly explain what you want your audience to notice about it. Help them see what you see. Fully explain a couple pieces of evidence rather than list many pieces of evidence. After you provide and explain your evidence, you need to connect it to your thesis. Explicitly show how it supports your larger claim for the paper. This is where you share your insights about the evidence you have selected.

SO WHAT? Once you have shown how the evidence supports your thesis, explore the implications of this evidence. Tell your audience why it is important to know what your analysis has revealed. Let the audience know the significance of your ideas.

LENGTH of BODY PARAGRAPHS Body paragraphs need not be a particular length, but they need to be long enough to include all of the above components (8-10 sentences is an approximate length to shoot for). If your paragraphs are much shorter, you are likely missing one of the above elements. Label where each of the PEAS occurs in the paragraph to see what is missing. If your paragraphs are significantly longer, you might be including too many ideas in one paragraph. If you have multiple PEAS in one paragraph, split them up into separate paragraphs.

Embedding Quotations Build In Quotations - built-in quotations are built seamlessly in to a sentence. They never stand alone as a sentence. Do not capitalize the first word of these quotes. In the interest of animal sleeping habits, Jane Smith proposes that “dolphins sleep with one eye open.” Poe’s use of words such as “ghastly,” “grim,” and “ungainly” invoke negative images in a reader’s mind.

Embedding quotations is important because the reader can follow the paragraph more easily. This means that there should be no sentences composed entirely of a quotation, or the reader may find it difficult to connect the quotation to the point one wishes to make in the paragraph. USE THE PARTS OF LINES THAT ARE HELPFUL Incorrect: Jane Smith states that there are many good reasons to eat dark chocolate. “Dark chocolate contains many antioxidants.” Correct: Jane Smith states that there are many good reasons to eat dark chocolate, including that “dark chocolate contains many antioxidants.”

Poe’s use of alliteration adds to the intensity of the poem Poe’s use of alliteration adds to the intensity of the poem. In the first stanza, the appearance of the narrator is established as “weak and weary” and he is surprised by the arrival of the raven while he “nodded, nearly napping” This is accompanied by repetition of words, which emphasize the thoughts and actions of both the man and the raven. Repetition is used both in the form of single words being repeated (“rapping, rapping”) as well as phrases and whole lines. The phrase “at my chamber door” is repeated by itself as well as in “visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door”

So, if the thesis is: Through characters and their actions, Ibsen illustrates the theme that pride leads to man’s downfall. TS= The power of pride is clearly seen in the Torvald’s character. + Analysis+embedded text (quote) Torvald’s perception on “what would others think” establish his hubris.

Editing Checklist for analysis Is the paper written in first person? Does it say “this shows/it shows” anywhere? Is everything present tense? Is Poe’s name spelled correctly? It’s ALLAN Label the parts of intro: hook, TAG, context, thesis. Label the parts of the body paragraph: P.E.A.S. Does the body paragraph help prove the thesis to be true? Are all quotes embedded?

Due TOMORROW Complete a final draft of your two-paragraph analysis. Please type or NEATLY handwrite, in pen! Do NOT include your name – use either a symbol or five-digit number at the bottom of your paper You will be assessing other’s writing. It is imperative that you have your work ready to hand in.