Writing an essay

1. Writing an essay Step by step

2. Begin with the information about your name and class. • Student’s Name • Teacher’s Name • Course Code • Date Jennifer Jones Mrs. Dlugokecki ENG 2DI-05 30 April 2014

3. Next comes the title • Your title should be centered on the page. • You need a two part title. • Do not underline your title. • Underline or put in italics the name of the book. A Friend in Need: The Importance of Siobhan in the Life of Christopher in Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

4. Your introduction • Start with a “hook”. A hook is something that relates to the idea you will be discussing. • Introduce your novel, author and your characters • Outline what you will be proving. There is a saying that to truly understand someone, walk a mile in his shoes; yet, sometimes all that is needed to understand someone is knowledge and patience. In Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, the protagonist, Christopher Boone, has a form of Autism; thus, he has very unique needs. Although Christopher’s parents and teachers try to understand him and meet these needs, they often fail because of their own personal issues and lack of understanding. Siobhan, Christopher’s only “friend,” works with him at his school; her interactions with Christopher show that she has a deeper understanding of him than his parents and teachers. In fact,Siobhan is the only person who truly understands Christopher and his needs. Siobhan speaks to him in terms he can understand, giving clear instructions and not using figurative language. Moreover, Siobhan accepts Christopher’s unique logic in how he perceives the world, while his other teachers often find him illogical. Lastly, Siobhan is the only person who encourages and helps Christopher to write his detective story.

5. My hook to gain the reader’s attention. There is a saying that to truly understand someone, walk a mile in his shoes; yet, sometimes all that is needed to understand someone is knowledge and patience. In Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, the protagonist, Christopher Boone, has a form of Autism; thus, he has very unique needs. Although Christopher’s parents and teachers try to understand him and meet these needs, they often fail because of their own personal issues and lack of understanding. Siobhan, Christopher’s only “friend,” works with him at his school; her interactions with Christopher show that she has a deeper understanding of him than his parents and teachers. In fact,Siobhan is the only person who truly understands Christopher and his needs. Siobhan speaks to him in terms he can understand, giving clear instructions and not using figurative language. Moreover, Siobhan accepts Christopher’s unique logic in how he perceives the world, while his other teachers often find him illogical. Lastly, Siobhan is the only person who encourages and helps Christopher to write his detective story. Thesis Statement Introduce the author and the book plus a little review of the plot. Use 2 sentences to review as a guide. Topic #1 to be discussed Topic #2 to be discussed Topic #3 to be discussed

6. What the beginning of your essay should look like: Jones 1 Jennifer Jones Mrs. Dlugokecki ENG 2DI-05 30 April 2014 A Friend in Need: The Importance of Siobhan in the Life of Christopher in Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time There is a saying that to truly understand someone, walk a mile in his shoes; yet, sometimes all that is needed to understand someone is knowledge and patience. In Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, the protagonist, Christopher Boone, has a form of Autism; thus, he has very unique needs. Although Christopher’s parents and teachers try to understand him and meet these needs, they often fail because of their own personal issues and lack of understanding. Siobhan, Christopher’s only “friend,” works with him at his school; her interactions with Christopher show that she has a deeper understanding of him than his parents and teachers. In fact,Siobhan is the only person who truly understands Christopher and his needs. Siobhan speaks to him in terms he can understand, giving clear instructions and not using figurative language. Moreover, Siobhan accepts Christopher’s unique logic in how he perceives the world, while his other teachers often find him illogical. Lastly, Siobhan is the only person who encourages and helps Christopher to write his detective story.

7. Writing the “body” of your paper: • When you begin writing, start with your topic sentence. The topic sentence is your #1 topic that will be discussed. As you move through, add the “proof” or quotes to back up what you have stated. This will convince your reader to believe you have the right opinion.

8. Body Paragraph Topic sentence Take each of your quotes and form them into sentences to support your idea. Teacher example Siobhan speaks to Christopher in terms he can understand, giving him clear instructions and guidance rather using figurative language. Christopher says he finds “people confusing” (14). He has difficulty understanding instructions that are not literal. Metaphors and idioms are particularly challenging for him, such as when his father tells him to keep his “nose out of other people’s business” or his mother states that he will “catch his death of a cold” (20, 195). Christopher states that “Siobhan understands” his confusion (29). She outlines instructions clearly for him so that she ensures Christopher’s understanding. Siobhan informs Christopher of how to wait politely for a chance on the swings at school. She says he must never push other children off the swings, rather he should ask for his turn and then wait until they are finished (30). Because Siobhan is always clear in her instructions, there is no evidence of any confusion or antagonism between her and Christopher. In fact, Christopher clearly recalls advice Siobhan provides because it is clear and easy to follow. When he is alone on his quest to find his mother, he remembers that Siobhan taught him how to “make [himself] calm” by creating a pattern with the noise around him (179). She is clear in addressing Christopher’s strengths and needs which help him cope. Clearly, Siobhan has a better understanding of Christopher’s need for clear, literal instructions. Proof 1-explain the challenge of figurative language Proof 2 an example Proof 3 another example with explanation Review in a different way what you have proven.

9. For each of your body paragraphs follow this pattern: She outlines instructions clearly for him so that she ensures Christopher’s understanding. Siobhan informs Christopher of how to wait politely for a chance on the swings at school. She says he must never push other children off the swings, rather he should ask for his turn and then wait until they are finished (30). Because Siobhan is always clear in her instructions, there is no evidence of any confusion or antagonism between her and Christopher. • Point • Proof • Explain

10. Writing a conclusion • When you get to the end of an essay, you need to write a conclusion which summarizes what you have been focusing on. • Try rephrasing your opinion to start the wrap-up. • Review your points that you made

11. Many people in Christopher’s life fail to understand his specific needs and thus what he has to offer. Siobhan is the only person who truly understands Christopher. She is able to understand how to communicate with him so that he can become independent in the world. She accepts his logic and viewpoint of the world for what it is and does not try to change him. Siobhan encourages and supports Christopher’s novel-writing which lead him to understand that he “can do anything” (221). Connection to my opening paragraph and rephrasing of my thesis List of my three proofs Finish with a strong statement