Essay Warm-Up (and some John Green)

1. Essay Warm-Up (and some John Green) Monday, October 21, 2013

2. Learning Goals • Review the key structure of an essay 2. Begin preliminary work on your own essays by discussing possible connections and examples from the book and/or movie(s)

3. Today • Please hand in your questions • John Green – The Catcher in the Rye Part 2 • Essay Structure and Tips • Explanation of Essay Warm-Up/Timeline • Brainstorming of Connections • Getting Started

4. John Green • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUnQ-wOPGUE • Discuss a quote or comment from the video that resonated with you. Do you agree? Disagree?

5. Your introduction should… • Introduce your topic and argument • an essay is not a novel in which there is a surprise ending • with an essay, state your position at the beginning • Be an example of a *spoiler alert!* • Introduce the various points of your essay without being too specific … save the “guts” of your essay for the body paragraphs

6. Structure of Introduction • Hook (quote, interesting statement, or a question that will be explored in your essay) • Introduction of texts/authors and/or topic • Thesis – specific argument • Introduction of three main points • Final sentence to transition into the first body paragraph

7. Thesis • Make sure it is an argument • Not Arguable: "Computers are becoming an efficient mechanism for managing and transmitting information in large businesses“ (Johnson). • Arguable: "Heavy use of computers may disrupt family cohesion and increase divorce in society” (Johnson). • Be specific • Poor Specificity: "We should not pass the microchip bill” (Johnson). • Good Specificity: "Because the microchip insert causes serious health hazards such as cancer and brain tumors to those who use it, the microchip should not be passed“ (Johnson). • Make it simple – all of your points in your essay should relate back to this statement

8. A Strong Literary Thesis • “In “A Worn Path,” Eudora Welty creates a fictional character in Phoenix Jackson whose determination, faith, and cunning illustrate the indomitable human spirit. • Note that the work, author, and character to be analyzed are identified in this thesis statement. The thesis relies on a strong verb (creates). It also identifies the element of fiction that the writer will explore (character) and the characteristics the writer will analyze and discuss (determination, faith, cunning)” (Literary Analysis Thesis). • “In “The Masque of the Red Death,” Poe uses the symbolism of the stranger, the clock, and the seventh room to develop the theme of death” (Literary Analysis Thesis). • “In “Barn Burning,” William Faulkner shows the characters Sardie and AbnerSnopes struggling for their identity” (Literary Analysis Thesis).

9. Body Paragraphs • Topic sentence of main point! • Make sure the connection between the topic of your body paragraph and your thesis is clear • Sub points that support the main point • Proof with analysis • Quote and explanation of quote • Concluding/transition sentence

10. Conclusion • Restate thesis and summarize main arguments • Keep it relatively short • End the conclusion with something thought-provoking • “say something that will continue to simmer in the reader's minds long after he or she has put down your essay. To leave this memorable impression, try . . . • giving a thought-provoking quotation • describing a powerful image • talking about consequences or implications • stating what action needs to be done • ending on an interesting twist of thought • explaining why the topic is important” (Johnson).

11. Voice • Joyce Carol Oates says that “essay writing…doesn't require a heightened and mediated voice, like prose fiction, but rather a calm, rational, even conversational voice ” (qtd. in “Essay Quotes”). • Avoid using “I” or “you” • Be rational not emotional – let your explanations and proof support your argument • Avoid generalizations like “everyone knows” or “society believes…” • Be assertive in your writing but do not make unfounded claims (instead of saying “the author intends… “ use “this suggests that the author may be intending for…”

12. Be Convincing and Know Your Topic • Constance Baker Motley once said “in high school, I won a prize for an essay on tuberculosis. When I got through writing the essay, I was sure I had the disease” (qtd. in “Essay Quotes”). • Rather than saying “I think this statement demonstrates Holden’s self-imposed alienation” say “this statement is an example of Holden’s self-imposed alienation” • Rather than “this quote makes readers” use “this quote invites readers” (don’t overgeneralize the reader’s response)

13. The Title • James Pay argues that “one would think that in writing about literary men and matters there would be no difficulty in finding a title for one's essay…I find this, however, far from being the case” (qtd. in “Essay Quotes”). • Your title can include • The title of the texts being studied and/or the author’s name • The topic or argument of your essay

14. The Finished Product • Chris Abani states that “it takes me forever to actually finish something like a ten-page essay. But, when I do, I usually love what they are. It's a complicated relationship” (qtd. in “Essay Quotes”). • Take time to edit your essay • Fix grammar and spelling • Diversify word choice (if you are repeating a word over and over look at that word’s synonyms and see if there is another word you could be using) • Vary sentence structure/length

15. Works Cited “Essay Quotes.” BrainyQuote. BookRags Media Network, n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2013. <http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/essa y.html> Johnson, Tom. Ten Steps to Writing an Essay. The American University in Cairo, August 2004. Web. 19 Oct. 2013. <http://www1.aucegypt.edu/academic/wr iters/index.htm> Literary Analysis Thesis. Learning and Tutoring Center, Summer 2011. Web. 19 Oct. 2013. <http://depts.gpc.edu/~gpcltc/handouts/communicat ions/literarythesis.pdf>