Essay 101 Humanities

Agenda Introductory Paragraph Body Paragraphs Concluding Paragraph Hook Theme/Thesis statement Forecast (your arguments) Body Paragraphs Topic sentences Examples (arguments) Commentary (reflects your theme statement) Concluding Paragraph Summary of main ideas

Introduction Captures the readers attention (HOOK) Sets a tone (serious, light, call to action) Provides general background information Asserts a thesis/theme (CLEAR) Indicates what is to follow in the main body (Forecast)

Hook Can be background information related to your topic Who, what, where, when and why Can be a quote Not from a fictional character OR a Kardashian…Yoda’s cool, but don’t quote him! Scholars, Leaders, Philosophers or the Bible Stats and Data

Theme/Thesis Statement A thesis/theme is a clearly worded answer to a question and/or a clearly worded declaration of the view(s)/ideas a writer will substantiate, assert, or prove in a paper. Should NOT be boring or cliché: “In the novel, Harry Potter gets help from many people.” This theme does not address any specifics Theme/thesis must state your main idea and be clear; for example: “In the novel Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, by J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter relies on many people at Hogwarts to continually help him battle evil.” This theme includes book and author information, and asserts the fact that Harry needs help to fight evil.

Forecast A forecast outlines the subtopics of support that will follow in the essay and does so in the order in which they appear. Forecasts need not be overly detailed or cumbersome. They should simply notify readers of what lies ahead in a concise and manageable statement.

Example Forecast Throughout the novel, Harry relies upon the help of his two best friends, Ron and Hermione; Headmaster Dumbledore and some of the Professors at Hogwarts, to help him defeat the wicked Voldemort and successfully complete his first year at Hogwarts.

Example Opening Paragraph "They were looking straight into the eyes of a monstrous dog, a dog which filled the whole space between ceiling and floor. It had three heads. Three pairs of rolling, mad eyes; three noses, twitching and quivering in their direction; thee drooling mouths, saliva hanging in slippery ropes from yellowish fangs.“ In the novel Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, by J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter relies on many people at Hogwarts to continually help him overcome evil. Throughout the story, Harry gets lots of help from his two best friends, Ron and Hermione; Headmaster Dumbledore and some of the Professors at Hogwarts, to help him defeat the wicked Voldemort and successfully complete his first year at the school for Wizards. Hook Theme Forecast

Body Paragraphs The paragraphs in the body of an essay develop a convincing case to prove the theme/thesis. The body of an essay explores the ideas relevant to the thesis; evidence is presented in a logical fashion and is interpreted in ways that clearly support the thesis. In addition, the body of an essay must continuously remind readers of the thesis and solidify the insight set forth without simply repeating it. Each body paragraph MUST follow this path: Topic Sentence Example Commentary *in an essay, each body paragraph requires 2-3 pieces of evidence, which helps prove your theme/thesis (TEC+EC+EC)

Topic Sentences The topic sentence of each paragraph of the body of an essay introduces some element of the thesis that will become the subject of the paragraph. Rather than simply repeating the thesis or forecast, strong topic sentences develop an aspect of the thesis or forecast that will be further expanded in the paragraph.

Example Topic Sentence “Throughout the novel, Harry receives help from his two best friends, Ron and Hermione, who both support him to overcome the evil Voldemort, and successfully complete his first year at Hogwarts.” This topic sentence relays the importance of Harry getting help in order to defeat evil, and introduces his two best friends as a major factor in his success.

Examples (proof) In order to provide some solid ideas, you will need to provide proof (examples) for your arguments. These examples can be actions or quotes; or data and statistics – depending on your topic. One example of Ron and Hermione helping Harry is: “For example, when the trio are required to play a real life edition of chess as their first test, Ron ‘sacrifices’ himself in order to allow Harry to make it through to the next challenge.”

Commentary & Analysis The analysis or commentary that follows the evidence extends the idea and gives readers the time to absorb the idea, it also helps to prove the evidence more completely: “Because of the help from his two best friends, and the selfless act of Ron, Harry is able to complete all the tests, and eventually retrieves the Philosopher's Stone, and thwarts Voldemort’s evil plan.”

Conclusion The conclusion of an essay should bring the writer and readers back into agreement about what the essay set out to prove and reemphasize the value of the argument. Readers often anticipate the following elements in a conclusion: Summary (more than just a retelling of the thesis statement!) Insight (deepens the significance of the thesis statement; avoid clichés) Does NOT introduce a new topic or idea! Reminds the reader of the value of the essay…