Introductions & Conclusions

1. Introductions & Conclusions “A Rhetorical Angle” TS English/Fall2012

2. Introductions & Conclusions • There are a lot of different ways to write introductions and conclusions – no one right way to do it. • Nevertheless, they are important for rhetorical reasons – they help your argument in a number of different ways. • The Question: Not what Intros & Conclusions “ARE” but “WHAT DO THEY DO?”

3. What does an Intro do? • Narrows and Specifies the Context of the Argument • Of all the possible angles, which one are you taking? • Locates your particular topic and claim amongst a whole variety of possible topics and claims • “Stoker’s novel Dracula is often thought about in relation to…” • “One of the biggest issues facing 19th Britain was…” Your claim The General “Conversation” Line of Inquiry

4. What does an Intro do? • Acts as a “Roadmap” for the Argument • Think about your argument/line of inquiry as a “journey” where our goal is to “arrive” somewhere new • You want your audience to be able to follow you • WHERE ARE YOU TAKING US? (Claim) • HOW ARE WE GETTING THERE? (Method) “To study this topic I will examine how…” • WHAT ROUTE ARE WE TAKING? (Archive) “I am particularly interested in parts of the novel that…”

5. EVIL Intros!! • The “Massive Generalization” Intro “Since the beginning of human civilization…” “People in society have always…” • Introduces the idea that your thinking is based on massive and unsupportable assumptions • The “List” Intro “In this essay I will say THIS, and then THIS, and then…” • If you tell me absolutely every sub-point, then why should I actually read the paper?

6. What does a Conclusion do? • Wraps up and Resubmits • Draws together (but does not list) all evidence/analysis • You have created some new knowledge, what is it good for? What new questions or issues does it suggest? • Resubmits your ideas back to the conversation • “My idea suggests that scholars of the 19th C need to…” • “In my paper, I have attempted to insist upon the importance of X…” Conclusion The General “Conversation” Line of Inquiry

7. What does a Conclusion do? • Elaborates upon the “Destination” • If your intro is a “roadmap” and the line of inquiry is a “journey” then by the time you hit the conclusion “you’ve arrived”! (Don’t be afraid to be suggestive) • WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE THERE? “My argument here has shown how…” “These conclusions suggest that there is…” • WHY IS THIS A DESIRABLE DESTINATION? “From here we can see how…” “This perspective provides us with a way of thinking about…”

8. EVIL Conclusions! • Besides being distracting or ineffectual rhetorically, “evil conclusions” often suggest problems with your argument • The “Intro” Conclusion • Just repeats the intro claim and main points • Suggests that your analysis (the journey) has not gone far enough since we ended up right back where we started • Don’t just recap the journey! You should be somewhere new now!

9. EVIL Conclusions • The “Ambivalent” Conclusion “As we can see Dracula is human. And he is also not human. Actually he is both…” • Indicates that your claim is descriptive. What are the ramifications of the idea that he is “both”? • The “Retreating” Conclusion “Even though I have done all this work to support my claim, I will use my conclusion to express doubt about my own ideas.” • Counter-claims and disclaimers are dealt with in the analysis • If you are not convinced, how can the reader be? • Conclusions are for stating what you are willing to stand on!