CENTRAL IDEAS AND WELL-DEVELOPED PARAGRAPHS How to write a 2-3 paragraph, text-based response

What is a central idea? The central idea is the central, unifying element of the story, which ties together all of the other elements of fiction used by the author to tell the story. The central idea can be best described as the dominant impression or the universal, generic truth found in the story. Hmm, that sounds like theme!

Coming up with YOUR central idea Begin your response with a statement/sentence that explains how your central idea is used in the passage. Example: In the short story “The Necklace,” Maupassant uses irony to emphasize the central idea of greed. CENTRAL IDEA HOW IT’S USED IN THE TEXT

DO NOW: Come up with a central idea for the text of your choice.

WELL DEVELOPED PARAGRAPHS INCLUDE: CO: A conclusion sentence(s) o Wrap up the main point of your paragraph I: An introduction to a quote o Every time you use a quote it should be introduced o How does the quote you’re going to use relate to the TS? o This can be 1-2 sentences C: Cite a quote/ piece of text evidence E: Explain the quote in your own words (1-2 sentences) TS: A strong topic sentence(s) that provide the focus for the paragraph o This can be 1-2 sentences ICE, ICE BABY

In the short story “The Necklace,” Maupassant uses irony to emphasize the central idea of greed. The main character, Mathilde Loisel suffers as a result of her incessant pride and obsession with wealth. She constantly wishes she were rich, and fantasizes about a better life. When she finally gets the chance to attend a ball she tells her husband, “it annoys me not to have a single jewel, not a single stone, nothing to put on. I shall look like distress. I should almost rather not go at all” (Maupassant 2). Mathilde constantly wants more than what she already has. When her husband has already spent all his savings to buy her a dress, she is still greedy enough to ask for more. She states that “there’s nothing more humiliating than looking poor among other women who are rich” (Maupassant 2). Her pride and obsession with appearing rich drives her to borrow a necklace from her wealthy friend. The necklace becomes an object of extreme value to Mathilde, representing her supposed wealth to the people at the ball. EXAMPLE PARAGRAPH 1 TS I C E E CO

EXAMPLE PARAGRAPH 2 The conclusion to the story exhibits situational irony, as Mathilde loses the necklace and has to spend her life in the opposite way that she had wished for. Years later, after she has purchased a new necklace to return to her friend, and worked off the money to pay off the resulting debt, she summons the courage to tell her friend that cause of her strife. Her friend responds saying, “oh, my poor Mathilde! Why, my necklace was paste. It was worth at most five hundred francs” (Maupassant 6). The necklace, which was of so much value to Mathilde, was actually worth very little. The ironic conclusion emphasizes the negative effects of greed. Because Mathilde was concentrated on appearing wealthy, rather than appreciating what she already had, her life took an ironic twist and placed her in the situation opposite of what she had always wished for. TS I C E CO

DO NOW: Begin working on your 1 st paragraph.