Paragraph Organization The SIEL Method

Key to Idea Organization S = State it! I = Illustrate it! E = Explain it! L = Link it!

S = State it! Stating it! means 1) giving your reader the main idea of the paragraph, and/or 2) answering the prompt. Example prompt: Characterization of Daisy Buchanan. While at first glance she seems superficial and shallow, Daisy Buchanan possess understated and profound wisdom.

I = Illustrate it! To illustrate your point or idea, you must give examples from the text to support your point of view. Example: The initial indication of Daisy’s character appears in her conversation with her long-lost cousin, Nick, about the birth of her daughter. Daisy confides that her greatest hope for little Pammy is that she becomes “a beautiful little fool” (21).

Our paragraph so far…. While at first glance she seems superficial and shallow, Daisy Buchanan possess understated and profound wisdom. The initial indication of Daisy’s character appears in her conversation with her long-lost cousin, Nick, about the birth of her daughter. Daisy confides that her greatest hope for little Pammy is that she becomes “a beautiful little fool” (21). So we have our State it! and our Illustrate it! Let’s move onto our longest and trickiest part….

E = Explain it! In the explanation part, you must explain to your reader how the quote (Illustrate it!) proves your idea (State it!). This should be twice as long as your Illustrate it!. Example: The idea that her one wish for her child is that she becomes gorgeous and stupid seems almost cruel for a mother to say; however when stated after a particularly scandalous dinner party where the reader learns Daisy’s husband, Tom, is having an affair, the wisdom in Daisy’s words becomes clear. In Daisy’s mind, she wishes she has been more of a fool so she would not have noticed her husband’s infidelity, and her life would be blissful. Since most mothers’ wish is that their children be happy, Daisy’s lamentable statement reveals that in her world, the only way to achieve that is to be beautiful and stupid.

L = Link it! Now Link it! is the very last part of your answer or paragraph. So you must decide…are you finished, or do you need to include more examples? The answer is in your prompt and your State it!

Look at your State it! Your State it! said: While at first glance she seems superficial and shallow, Daisy Buchanan possess understated and profound wisdom. Are you done? Have you given enough examples to sufficiently prove your argument? If not…go back to State it!

Your paragraph so far… While at first glance she seems superficial and shallow, Daisy Buchanan possess understated and profound wisdom. The initial indication of Daisy’s character appears in her conversation with her long- lost cousin, Nick, about the birth of her daughter. Daisy confides that her greatest hope for little Pammy is that she becomes “a beautiful little fool” (21). The idea that her one wish for her child is that she becomes gorgeous and stupid seems almost cruel for a mother to say; however when stated after a particularly scandalous dinner party where the reader learns Daisy’s husband, Tom, is having an affair, the wisdom in Daisy’s words becomes clear. In Daisy’s mind, she wishes she has been more of a fool so she would not have noticed her husband’s infidelity, and her life would be blissful. Since most mothers’ wish is that their children be happy, Daisy’s lamentable statement reveals that in her world, the only way to achieve that is to be beautiful and stupid. Here I would add evidence from later in the book, but we have not gotten there yet, so I do not want to give anything away. After this, I would of course explain my evidence which would be twice as long.

Helpful Hint Whether you are proving one characteristic or four, you need to be sure to always include as many examples as possible. If you are proving four characteristics, you need at least one example for each. If you are proving one characteristic, it is always a good idea to give your readers at least three or four examples (illustrations) of that characteristic!!!

Lastly…Link it! When you have completed all the necessary State it!, Illustrate it!, and Explain it!, then you need to link your paragraph back to the main idea. Example: Ultimately, her simple, yet profound words prove the hardships for women in her position, a topic that was just beginning to emerge, and demonstrate the quiet wisdom that Daisy retains.

While at first glance she seems superficial and shallow, Daisy Buchanan possess understated and profound wisdom. The initial indication of Daisy’s character appears in her conversation with her long-lost cousin, Nick, about the birth of her daughter. Daisy confides that her greatest hope for little Pammy is that she becomes “a beautiful little fool” (21). The idea that her one wish for her child is that she becomes gorgeous and stupid seems almost cruel for a mother to say; however when stated after a particularly scandalous dinner party where the reader learns Daisy’s husband, Tom, is having an affair, the wisdom in Daisy’s words becomes clear. In Daisy’s mind, she wishes she has been more of a fool so she would not have noticed her husband’s infidelity, and her life would be blissful. Since most mothers’ wish is that their children be happy, Daisy’s lamentable statement reveals that in her world, the only way to achieve that is to be beautiful and stupid. Ultimately, her simple, yet profound words prove the hardships for women in her position, a topic that was just beginning to emerge, and demonstrates the quiet wisdom that Daisy retains.

Time to Practice!! Respond to the following prompt with a paragraph using the SIEL method. Using one of the other characters introduced in the novel so far, make a claim about his/her character. Remember: State it! Illustrate it! Explain it! And Link it!