How to Write an Essay Without driving yourself crazy Essay Subjects leading to topics for a compare and contrast essay on Lord of the Flies and The Housekeeper and the Professor: power, masculinity, cultures and their rules, order and disorder, negative behaviors and influences, leadership, peer pressure, bullying, coming of age, friendship, love, style, and self- discovery. You may find another you want to pursue.

Brainstorming Good websites: bubbl.us for Good websites: bubbl.us for brainstorming brainstorming template or template or Wordle.net for Wordle.net for word word organization organization

The Thesis Must be debatable Must be one sentence Must be at the end of the opening paragraph Must connect to the meaning of the work as a whole Example: Children require adult care and nurturing to evolve into self-confident, empathic adults as shown character analysis of Ralph and Root; Ralph will be scarred from his experiences and Root will grow into a strong, secure man.

The Opening Paragraph Title Hook Broad Discussion Introduction of author, work, time period Thesis statement

Elements of the Opening Paragraph: “What we desire our children to become, we must endeavor to be before them.”-combe The Hook : statistic, anecdote, quotation, or (not in this class) question (sentence one) Example: Title : Create a title that intrigues, but does not describe The whole paper.

Broad discussion Recently, in a small town in Oklahoma, an Austrailian baseball player died from a gunshort to the back while jogging. The three teenagers arrested attested that they committed the crime “for the fun of it.” Horrified Americans questioned how anyone could act with such cold indifference and malice. Why did these young men find a human life so valueless? So too in Lord of the Flies... Recently, in a small town in Oklahoma, an Austrailian baseball player died from a gunshort to the back while jogging. The three teenagers arrested attested that they committed the crime “for the fun of it.” Horrified Americans questioned how anyone could act with such cold indifference and malice. Why did these young men find a human life so valueless? So too in Lord of the Flies...

Introduction to text, characters, brief summary, historical background. (2-3 sentences)Introduction to text, characters, brief summary, historical background. (2-3 sentences) Lord of the Flies, Golding illustrates children who resort to savage behavior when stranded on an island during World War II. In contrast, the young man in the novel The Housekeeper and the Professor, receives care and nuturing from all he encounters, which results in a young man with values and empathy. Lord of the Flies, Golding illustrates children who resort to savage behavior when stranded on an island during World War II. In contrast, the young man in the novel The Housekeeper and the Professor, receives care and nuturing from all he encounters, which results in a young man with values and empathy. The later Japanese novel written in 2003 by Ogawa shows the world in a positive light with humans interacting most of the time with kindness. The British Golding’s novel, written in 1954 after the carnage of World War II, describes a world where the veneer of civilization can be easily erased when humans feel fear and pressure.

The Thesis:The Thesis: While Ogawa’s appealing vision entices, Golding’s depiction appears more realistic showing humans capacity to behave with savagery and cruelty when the cover of civilization dissolves. While Ogawa’s appealing vision entices, Golding’s depiction appears more realistic showing humans capacity to behave with savagery and cruelty when the cover of civilization dissolves.

Body Paragraphs Topic Sentence/what is the focus of the paragraph/assertion Topic Sentence/what is the focus of the paragraph/assertion Quote-embedded Quote-embedded Explication/commentary Explication/commentary –Identify any literary devices –Extend and expand your discussion connecting to the meaning of the work as a whole –Provide context This woman is frustrated because she did not follow directions, and as a consequence, has nothing to say.

Review of Body Paragraphs: Topic sentence/assertion Topic sentence/assertion Quote Quote commentary-includes context, literary devices and how they connect to meaning of the work as a whole, transitions commentary-includes context, literary devices and how they connect to meaning of the work as a whole, transitions Transition to next quote (depending on the richness of your quotes, you need 2 or 3) Transition to next quote (depending on the richness of your quotes, you need 2 or 3) Last sentence of Paragraph should be a transition to next paragraph Last sentence of Paragraph should be a transition to next paragraph Total length of paragraph should be 12 sentence or 18 if only two body paragraphs Total length of paragraph should be 12 sentence or 18 if only two body paragraphs

Topic sentence The overwhelming majority of the boys in Lord of the Flies gleefully joined in bestial behavior and even murder. The overwhelming majority of the boys in Lord of the Flies gleefully joined in bestial behavior and even murder.

Embedded Quotation The boys grab Robert and shout “Kill him! Kill him!” ; Robert is …screaming and struggling with the strength of frenzy”(114).

Analysis This event happens while the boys hunt for meat, and quickly devolves into a demonstration of group think and group behavior. The exclamation points support their frantic emotions and repetitive shouts demanding murder of one of their fellow students. There exists no personal animosity, rather their behavior resembles a feeding frenzy. The parallel structure and multiple use of the consonant S as in

Analysis cont’d behavior resembles a feeding frenzy, often found in the wild with animals. The parallel structure and multiple use consonant S as in“struggling, screaming, and strength” add to the mood of violence and danger. Much like the boys in Oklahoma, these youngsters want to kill for sport. Later, they join in violence on another peer…

Example: Some characters in Lord of the Flies, notably Piggy and Ralph, tried to resist joining the uncivilized behavior. Ralph states he will not wear war paint “because we aren’t savages”(172). Symbolic of the brutality espoused by Jack, the children paint their faces, to disguise their culpability. Golding uses the battle of good and evil to show how easily humans succumb to brutality and barbarism. Additionally, later on in the text,

The Big Finish or Closing: Reverse the funnel: Restate thesis for no more than 2 sentences Restate thesis for no more than 2 sentences Broad Discussion-Extend and expand your argument. What would the reader be curious about now? Broad Discussion-Extend and expand your argument. What would the reader be curious about now? Zinger-leave the reader energized Zinger-leave the reader energized

Example of closing Reluctantly, Golding’s vision of civilization’s weak control over the inherent savagery found in humans proves compelling. The violent eruptions between factions, the authoritarian suppression of citizens, and amount of weaponry found in the world attest to man’s inability to live in peace. If governments attention focused more completely on maintaining peace than planning for war perhaps our world could be

Closing continued changed. What if countries received monetary, humanitarian, and institutional help by renouncing war and violence, as Japan received after the second world war? By demilitarizing, the country could raise their standard of living, find protection, and live peacefully. But until then, sadly war is the answer.