DEFINITION ESSAY

1. DEFINITIONESSAY

2. THE WORLD ACCORDING TO ME “I look & I write my book, And I have my say & I draw conclusions” --B. Joel

3. *PERSONAL* UNDERSTANDING • This essay relates your personal understanding of a term or idea. • So, in the end, the reader understands the term as you do.

4. *NO DICTIONARY* • Thus, we are not concerned with a textbook or dictionary definition of the term. • Yes, you may consult your sociology text book or your Funk and Wagnall’s dictionary or encyclopedia for introductory comments, • BUT DO NOT make its definition the focus of your essay—if I wanted their definitions, I’d read their books. Your essay = your ideas. *See the Introduction below.*

5. INTRODUCTION

6. INTRODUCTION *“Funnel Effect”—Deduction: 1) Introduce your topic through the “GQ’S” (generalization, quote, quip, question, stat) 2) Narrow towards your thesis. 3) End with your thesis-definition.

7. Introduce Your Topic GQ’S: 1) Generalization: • a broad statement concerning your topic • Most people listen to music. • Music is a common interest among cultures across the world.

8. Introduce Your Topic GQ’S: 2) Quote: • You can perhaps start with an interesting and relevant quote. • For example, if you were to define the word “music,” you could refer to the following quote from the opening scene of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night: If music be the food of love, play on, Give me excess of it; that, surfeiting, The appetite may sicken and so die.(1.1.1-3) • Then you would begin with: Shakespeare suggests that music is “the food of love,” and most of us would agree with him.

9. Introduce Your Topic GQ’S: 3) Question: • What is the most popular medium with which Americans rewind at the end of a hard day? 4) Statistic: • Ninety-five percent of Americans polled stated they listen to music daily in order to reduce stress (Time).

10. DEDUCTION: Narrowing towards your definition: • To contrast your unique understanding of the term, perhaps you can utilize one of the following: • the common understanding of the term • the textbook definition of the term • *use these only in the Introduction 2) Etymology of the word (if it helps illuminate current meanings and usages) 3) Contrast (what the term is NOT—negation)

11. DEDUCTION: Narrowing towards your definition: 4) Describe the special quality of the term that CONTRASTS it with the rest of the class (the 3 traits will serve this purpose) 5) Tip the Hat: • Mention other, less significant traits. • This forces you to claim that the three characteristics in your thesis represent the 3 most significant characteristics of your term. • Purpose. “So what?!” factor.

12. THESIS-DEFINITION • *THESIS = DEFINITION* • the last sentence in your Introduction • formula: • A flibbertigibbet (TERM) is a person (CLASS) who is silly, scatterbrained, and garrulous (3 CHARACTERISTICS). • Love is a fleeting emotion that results in pain, temporary insanity, and hate. • students’ personal understandings of terms TERM + CLASS + 3 CHARACTERISTICS

13. INTRODUCTION(sample) * When asked, most people would define an alcoholic as a person who drinks too much. While this may be essentially true, I discovered that this definition is a bit more complicated than that. Last year, I came to realize that I had a dependency on, or a “problem with,” alcohol, and through this experience I learned that an alcoholic is a person who is powerless over his/her addiction, who exhibits characteristic behaviors beyond simply drinking too much, and, most of all, who requires the help of a Higher Power to deal with this life-long addiction.

14. BODY

15. BODY CHARACTERISTICS • Some students have a difficulty understanding the concept of “characteristics” or “traits,” especially when dealing with abstractions. • It may then be helpful to think of “characteristics” in medical terms: • as DNA, genes, of a person or abstraction • as the symptomology of a condition, as SYMPTOMS

16. BODY CHARACTERISTICS (1) For example, what are the symptoms of love: —“Doctor, doctor, I’ve been acting really strange lately: I can’t sleep, I can’t eat, I can’t concentrate. I think I’ve caught this thing called ‘love.’ Can you tell me what its symptoms are to see if I’ve got it?” (2) The symptoms of an ill person: —“Doctor , doctor, I’ve been acting really strange lately….Can you look in the DSM-IV to see if I’m turning into a hypochondriac?!”

17. BODY CHARACTERISTICS (3) Checklist: —If you were checking off symptoms or characteristics on a list, these 3 would be mandatory or required; they would be the most significant traits. —I’ve got spandex tights and a cape, does that make me a “hero” according to your definition?

18. BODY CHARACTERISTICS • “Characteristics” are NOT • types • roles • reasons • These are for other rhetorical strategies: • Classification (the types of lovers) • Division (the roles of lovers) • Illustration (the reasons you love him/her)

19. BODY CHARACTERISTIC #1 • Name the trait. • Explain the trait. • Illustrate the trait with specific people, examples, and instances. • *BE SPECIFIC*

20. BAG of TRICKS BODY (SUPPORT) = Other Rhetorical Strategies • Description • Examples (specific person/instance) • Extended Example • Narration • Process-Analysis • Comparison/Contrast • Division/Classification • Negation

21. BODY (sample) * First, an alcoholic is a person who is powerless over his or her addiction. To be powerless basically means that it is not simply a matter of will power, or a lack thereof. Rather, the roots of this addiction involve biological, psychological, and behavioral factors that must be addressed in order to live a sober lifestyle. For instance, I realized that my inability to stop drinking was not due to my being too weak to resist, that I lacked the necessary will power to stop. It was not a matter of simply wanting to get better—that was a good place to start—but I had to realize that my drinking was an addiction and a disease and that I was utterly powerless to fight it on my own. No matter how much money I had or how much weight I could lift, this disease was going to control me unless I got professional help. The irony is that I had to be in a rehabilitation center in order to realize that I needed to be in a rehabilitation center.

22. BODY(more specific) * For instance, I used to have periods in which I did not drink, and I arrogantly and erroneously thought that each time I had my dependency beat. However, all it took was a bad day at work or a fight with my spouse to find myself drunk in my favorite dive bar. What would begin with “only one drink to take the edge off,” repeatedly ended with me hopelessly and helplessly trapped in my addictive, destructive, and dangerous cycle again. Sadly, all that triggered my last binge was an encounter with an idiot driver. (go into detail) It was after this experience, not to mention the consequent jail time and mandatory rehabilitation order, I realized that I was powerless over my addiction and that I needed professional help.

23. BODY CHARACTERISTIC #2 • name trait, • explain trait, • illustrate trait with specifics CHARACTERISTIC #3 • *(Most Important Trait—Emphatic Order)* • name trait, • explain trait, • illustrate trait with specifics

24. *REMEMBER* • PRONOUN REFERENCE • often better to make your term plural • WHO vs/ THAT • who refers to people; • that refers to animals & objects • TRANSITIONS • another, on the other hand, • in contrast, for instance

25. *REMEMBER* • This is neither a CLASSIFICATION (types) nor a NARRATION (story) essay • so follow the proper format for the DEFINITION (characteristics) essay • use terms like traits, characteristics, • features, qualities, aspects, attributes • Define either a person OR an abstraction • an alcoholicORalcoholism • remain consistent throughout essay • whatever you use in your Introduction

26. CONCLUSION

27. CONCLUSION • Refer back to your introduction/ purpose/scenario • Repeat thesis/definition& traits • Clincher sentence

28. LENGTH • 4-6 PAGES • No fewer than 4 • To reach this length: • utilize 2 examples per characteristic • make those 2 examples detailed anddescriptive • go to the lower level of specificity: refer to specific persons in specific instances

29. Definition Essay VSOther Essays

30. TRAITS Characteristics Features Qualities Aspects Attributes FOCUS: Focuses on only 1 type Focuses on 1 term SUPPORT: (for each trait) Examples Narration Description PURPOSE: To define a term through personal understanding. CLASSIFICATION: Types Focuses on 3 types EXAMPLE: Reasons (3) Focuses on proving a point Uses examples to support reasons NARRATION: Detailed story Focuses on telling a story DESCRIPTION Sense details Focuses on supporting a Dominant Impression Uses sense details, similes Definition VS Other Rhetorical Modes

31. TOPICS

32. TOPICS (1) Choose an ORIGINAL word (used with friends or family—just keep it clean, please) OR (2) Choose an EXISTING word (see list below)

33. TOPICS (3) Put a positive spin on a negative term. That is, some words carry negative connotations, so it would original if you were to twist the meaning of such a word. — Examples of such words include the B-word, the N-word, and the F-word. See also Hick, Hayseed, Cracker, Redneck, White Boy, Yank, Homosexual, Homophobe, Catholic?, American?, Republican?, … — See what Meredith Brooks did in her song:

34. “Bitch” I hate the world todayYou're so good to meI know but I can't changeTried to tell youBut you look at me like maybeI'm an angel underneathInnocent and sweetYesterday I criedMust have been relieved to seeThe softer sideI can understand how you'd be so confusedI don't envy youI'm a little bit of everythingAll rolled into one Chorus:I'm a bitch, I'm a loverI'm a child, I'm a motherI'm a sinner, I'm a saintI do not feel ashamedI'm your hell, I'm your dreamI'm nothing in betweenYou know you wouldn't want it any other way So take me as I amThis may meanYou'll have to be a stronger manRest assured thatWhen I start to make you nervousAnd I'm going to extremesTomorrow I will changeAnd today won't mean a thing Chorus Just when you think, you got me figured outThe season's already changingI think it's cool, you do what you doAnd don't try to save me Chorus I'm a bitch, I'm a teaseI'm a goddess on my kneesWhen you hurt, when you sufferI'm your angel undercoverI've been numb, I'm revivedCan't say I'm not aliveYou know I wouldn't want it any other way TOPICS

35. Crime Rape Murder Alcoholism Chocoholism Workaholism Shopaholism Slacker-ness Yuppie-hood Freak/Geek-ness Love/Hate Family Family Dysfunct. Big Bro./Sister-hood Identity Theft Role Model (inspir.) Specific Zodiac Sign Determin./Courage Commitment/Heart Energy/Laziness TOPICS(abstractions 1)

36. Loneliness Honesty Faith Betrayal Disillusionment Will Power Ambition Arrogance Class Common Sense Conscience Danger Curiosity Depression Equality Escape Innocence Freedom Fear Insecurity TOPICS(abstractions 2)

37. Jealousy Nostalgia Obsession Team Spirit Persistence Practicality Rebellion Responsibility Self-Control Holidays Resentment Fairness Boredom Excitement Childhood Sense of Humor Violence Stress Beauty Truth Job Position Cheating TOPICS(abstractions 3)

38. Couch Potato Know-it-all/Brainiac Charmer Snob Con Artist Fair-Weather Friend Good Sport Show-Off Class Clown Jellyfish Leader/Follower Optimist/Pessimist Pack rat Whiner Control Freak Mother Hen Toady/Suck-up Fusspot Clotheshorse Worrywart TOPICS(people)

39. Daydreamer Alcoholic Lover Friend Stress-or Perfect Mate Jailhouse Shyster Hockey Player (goalie, forward, enforcer) Christian Wiccan Depressive Optimist/Pessimist Perfect Boy/Girlfriend Great Song (legend) Hick Faith TOPICS(even more)

40. TOPICS (S’more) • RELIGION: • Faith • God (Allah, Jehovah, Yahweh, …) • Christian, Jew, Agnostic, Atheist, Witness, … • Holidays (Christmas, Thanksgiving) • *Define your Higher Power • FAMILY: • Relationships • Wife/Husband • Big Brother, Little Sister • Adult, Adulthood • Responsibility

41. TOPICS (S’more) • SOCIETY: • Culture • Civilization • Enlightened Society • Leader • Educator (teacher, facilitator) • IDOL: • Classic • Legend, Icon • Hero, Role Model • Champion

42. A B S T R A C T I O N S

43. P E O P L E T Y P E S

44. POP CULTUREVS.A REAL MAN/WOMAN

45. INTRODUCTIONSAMPLE INTRODUCTION #2 (using CONTRAST) Unfortunately, in the contemporary American culture of the early twenty-first century, men are typically defined through pop-culture media in terms of … *adapted from class discussions*

47. INTRODUCTIONSAMPLE INTRODUCTION #2 Unfortunately, in the contemporary American culture of the early twenty-first century, women are typically defined through pop-culture media in terms of …

49. INTRODUCTIONSAMPLE INTRODUCTION #2 However, my conceptualization of a true man/woman remains remarkably different. Despite the pop-culture mythology, I still believe that some of the characteristics of a real man/woman include __, __, and __, and, for me, the three most significant traits are __, __, and __.

50. LOVE IS…