Introducing… Introductions.
What have you heard about introduction in the past? Talk amongst yourselves…
Illogical Jobs for Intros (The “Do Not’s”) Start with a quotation It’s your essay with your ideas. Start with your writing. Start with a question Why? We just started. Why are you asking me a question? To get me to think? Talk abstractly This has more potential to confuse than to clarify Try to be “cutesie” You’re an academic writing academic things. You don’t need to be clever.
Logical Jobs for Intros (The “Do’s”) Start generally but start with the novel, work towards your thesis Thesis at the end (or 2nd to last sentence). Start with “broad context.” Mention the author’s name (as it appears on the book) and the title (in italics). So when we get to the thesis, we can just call him by his last name. Be clear and direct Get to the point. We’re not reading an essay on a book to be entertained. I want to understand, so clarity is goal #1. Be concise (don’t be long-winded) Say as much as you can in as little space as possible.
But what goes in the actual writing? The “Broad Context” Preview JUST the content necessary to understand your thesis and the context of the part of the text you’re discussing. What’s happening in the book? Who are the major players? What ideas do you need to preview (think big motifs/topics)? Begin to frame your topic (education, violence, etc.) in the way you’ll be discussing it. Stay in the book the whole time.
Example Thesis T.H. White uses Pattern: Wart’s animal adventures in Book I to suggest Theme: education helps develop personal judgment and decision-making Because Statement: because it allows a person to make correct choices based on informed experience rather than impulse.
What Parts Need Context in our Intro? T.H. White uses Pattern: Wart’s animal adventures in Book I to suggest Theme: education helps develop personal judgment and decision-making Because Statement: because it allows a person to make correct choices based on informed experience rather than impulse.
Example Intro for That Thesis In The Sword in the Stone, T.H. White’s first book in the larger tetralogy of The Once and Future King could seemingly be viewed as a fantasy novel about a young boy who is turned into animals and shown different worlds. These adventures, though, have their purpose in trying to educate The Wart by providing him the experience necessary to see, understand, and evaluate different types of leadership. As the goal is educating Wart to become King Arthur, the further purpose of these adventures is to teach Arthur to make the right choices when he rules, to make him into a thoughtful and understanding leader. T.H. White uses Wart’s animal adventures in Book I to suggest education helps develop personal judgment and decision-making because it allows a person to make correct choices based on informed experience rather than impulse. Broad context Intro’ing topic and focus of topic discussion. Still book context Focusing discussion around ideas in thesis Thesis at the end