1. Setting the Scene
One Type of Hook

2. What Does it Mean to Set the Scene?
To set the scene means to describe the setting which will be the central point of the essay.
This type of hook can be effective since it involves description that can easily grab the reader’s attention.
This type of hook can be used with either first or third person point of view.
This hook will not work for all essays since it centers on a place that will be the focus of the essay.

3. A Sample
The pounding of the waves matched my heartbeat as I lay upon the warm sand. I could feel the warmth of the sun’s rays soaking into my skin as I pondered once again entering the cool of the water. Sea birds squawked, but I couldn’t see them. My eyes were blissfully closed just listening to the waves and enjoying the temperate climate. This was paradise! It was a paradise I was quite familiar with since I visited this same beach every summer. Dewey Beach, Delaware, is my favorite vacation spot because of the family atmosphere, the proximity to much shopping, and the lack of crowds on most summer days. Black – hook Brown – Background White – Thesis/Essay Map

4. Another Sample
It seems as though sand and camels are all that exist in Pakistan. From page one of Suzanne Fisher Staples book Shabanu, the scene of the desert permeates the entire story. From the raging heat to the dangerous sand storms, the characters are affected by the conditions surrounding them. This climate is necessary to the plot of the novel, especially the events concerning Shabanu herself. The young protagonist, Shabanu, must battle the climate of the Pakistani Desert in the three most significant aspects of the novel which include her sister’s wedding, the birth of the baby camel, and the invasion of her village. Black – hook Brown – Background White – Thesis/Essay Map