HOW DO I START?! 1. FOLLOW DIRECTIONS! 2. IDEAS FOR INTRODUCTIONS TO FOLLOW 3. DUE TODAY 4. INDIVIDUAL WORK The Macbeth outline

Ideas for introductions The simplest introduction includes something about the topic which is relevant but not closely related to the developed discussion in your paper. For instance, if you are writing a paper on Goldilocks, and a main aspect of this character that you are going to discuss is her hair, you probably aren’t going to write about her looks in the introduction. You might, though, include a discussion of what parameters of culture allowed a little girl to wander into the woods alone, particularly if you think her looks indicate something about why she was allowed to wander. The introduction could open in several ways with a focus on: history, background, information on the author, information on the genre of the work, or an important definition. Only information which is relevant to the work and your point should be included.

History You can talk about the history of a work in a character analysis introduction if the work was written in a time period other than present day. Often different time periods carried with them different expectations. If your subject is a female character in a mid-19 th century British novel, the expectations are that she is subservient, quiet, and a rule follower. This is particularly important to know if your character does not meet the social expectations of the day. Or, given the expectations for modern women, it might be just as important if she does.

Background of the novel You can talk about the background of the work if it has an interesting story behind it or if its background is particularly relevant to your character. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was written for a little girl, and there are many inside jokes and references to the girl’s friends and family. If Alice is your subject, then this background would be important.

Background on the author You can talk about the author if, for example, the work is very biographical. If you are talking about the main character in Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar, then you should be talking about the author because the work is very biographical. Another reason to talk about the author is if he/she is well-known for the type of work that you are examining. If you are looking at a satire by Jonathan Swift, it could be important to discuss the types of satire he used. William Shakespeare is known for his tragedies, comedies and histories (plays) as well as his poetry, writing for his patron King James. Incorporate what you know about Shakespeare in an introduction to one of his works as you lead up to the thesis, which is the last sentence of the first paragraph.

Genre (category of literature) Information on the genre of the work is important if it is an early example, such as Frankenstein and science fiction, or one of the Arthur Conan Doyle detective Sherlock Holmes’ pieces and the mystery genre. Even though you are talking about a character, genre can make a difference in expectations of the characters. If you are writing about a child in a fairy tale, there is the expectation that life is about to go horribly wrong, but will be righted by the end of the story.

Thesis frames your essay The final sentence of the first paragraph is the thesis sentence. This is where you tell your reader what you are going to be discussing throughout the paper. Everything that follows in the body paragraphs should connect to thesis. Every paragraph needs a topic sentence that develops thesis elements in order as presented in the thesis.