1. The Secret Life of Bees Conflict Essay Notes on Introduction Paragraph

2. OBJECTIVE
The objective of the Introduction Paragraph is to accomplish three (3) things:
Grab reader’s attention and create interest
Provide background and context about the subject & book
Provide a thesis statement, asserting the essay’s main idea

3. Start GENERAL, but INTERESTING
(sentences 1 and 2)
Start with something interesting/ thoughtful to get the reader interested in your overall topic
a question
a controversial or thoughtful statement
a famous saying or quotation
a statistic

4. Introduction Paragraph Example
(sentences 1 and 2)
A young mother who no longer loves the man she married can be easily tormented by feelings of sadness, desperation, and hopelessness.
She is torn apart by the need to be free of her husband, while knowing she is not strong enough to individually care for her young daughter.

5. Begin to connect your overall topic to the novel
Provide BACKGROUND and CONTEXT
(sentence 3)
Begin to connect your overall topic to the novel
Refer to the book title and author’s name

6. Introduction Paragraph Example
(sentence 3)
In the novel The Secret Life of Bees, author Sue Monk Kidd tells a brave story about how a young mother’s personal struggles deeply affect the future of the young daughter she leaves behind.

7. Provide more BACKGROUND and CONTEXT
(sentences 4 and 5)
Continue to expand on your overall idea, providing more background, including the character’s name, that will lead to your thesis

8. Introduction Paragraph Example
(sentences 4 and 5)
That mother, Deborah Fontanel Owens, feels completely empty and lost when she decides to leave her daughter, Lily, behind to seek comfort in the Boatwright home.
She finally realizes her mistake and returns for Lily, but her husband’s fear of losing her results in tragic consequences.

9. THESIS STATEMENT
(sentence 6)
Clearly make a strong statement with a main idea/point about the character and how conflicts affected her

10. Introduction Paragraph Example
(sentence 6)
Deborah Owens’ conflicts lead to her horrible death, but they also lead to feelings of guilt and self-doubt for Lily.

11. Do NOT immediately start with your thesis
Things NOT To Do
Do NOT immediately start with your thesis
Do NOT immediately start with the book or author
Do NOT use a quotation from the book