Introductions and Conclusions

1. Introductions and Conclusions Writing About Literature

2. Parts of an Introduction • Hook • Connecting Sentences • Thesis

3. Let’s work with this thesis… • In his short story “The Tell-Tale Heart,” Edgar Allan Poe uses the eye, the heart, and the old man as symbols to help readers understand the detrimental effects of guilt.

4. Hook • A hook makes the reader interested in what they are about to read.

5. Hook • Quote • Geoffrey Chaucer once wrote, “The guilty think all talk is of themselves.” • Question • Have you ever experienced real guilt? Have you ever felt as if something was gnawing at your insides because you did something you shouldn’t have done? • Anecdote/Quip • When I was nine years old, I stole money from my father’s wallet…

6. Now what? • Geoffrey Chaucer once wrote, “The guilty think all talk is of themselves.” ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..In his short story “The Tell-Tale Heart,” Edgar Allan Poe uses the eye, the heart, and the old man as symbols to help readers understand the detrimental effects of guilt.

7. Connecting Sentences • The connecting sentences in the introduction connect the hook to the thesis statement. • BRIEFLY elaborate on your topic

8. Full Introduction • Geoffrey Chaucer once wrote, “The guilty think all talk is of themselves.” When one feels guilty of something, especially when the wrongdoing has yet to be confessed, life cannot go on comfortably for the average person. Instead, the guilty party walks around in fear that his or her secret will be revealed, suspicious, as Chaucer suggests, that those around already know. This is no way to live life, and Edgar Allan Poe knew this. In his short story “The Tell-Tale Heart,” Poe uses the eye, the heart, and the old man as symbols to help readers understand the detrimental effects of guilt.

9. Introduction Graphic Organizer • Decide on a “Hook.” • Transcribe your thesis statement. • Write your connecting sentences.

10. What about the conclusion? • “Reverse” your introduction • Restate the thesis into different words • Move from specifics about the reading to more general ideas • Hit hard on the “So What?” • Include a final epiphany or lasting statement

11. Examine and Annotate • Examine the conclusion on your page. • Discuss with your group members the purpose of each sentence. • Comment on what the author did well or could improve upon.

12. What does each part accomplish? • In conclusion, throughout the entire story The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway, Santiago refuses to surrender to the forces working against him.

13. What does each part accomplish? • He ignores the comments of those who think he is unlucky, endures great physical pain, and rises up from the depths of sorrow over the lost Marlin to find happiness in what he does possess.

14. What does each part accomplish? • Hemingway’s quote “a man can be destroyed but not defeated” truly does display the amount of determination that Santiago shows throughout his life, and we could all take a lesson from this.

15. What does each part accomplish? • No one’s life is without hardship. No one’s life sidesteps pain and suffering; however, if we learn to cope with that pain and suffering with grace, as Santiago did, our lives will be much more meaningful.