Paragraph Development

1. Paragraph Development Fall 2006

2. What is a paragraph? • Subdivision of a text • Each section deals with one idea • Everything in the section deals only with that idea • Collection of sentences • Sentences are arranged in a logical order

3. What makes a paragraph? • One controlling idea = TOPIC • Supporting ideas = DEVELOPMENT • No unrelated ideas = UNITY • Logical order of ideas = COHERENCE • Each paragraph is like a mini-essay!

4. What does a topic sentence do? • Sets up the paragraph • Identifies the controlling idea – what is this paragraph about? In ‘Everyday Use’, Alice Walker naturally chooses to tell the story through the voice of Mrs. Johnson.

5. What comes next? • Explain the controlling idea • Try rewording the statement, or show how it relates to the essay thesis. Because Mrs. Johnson is the mother, the reader expects an unbiased look at the two sisters and their very different ideas of “heritage.”

6. How much development do I need? • Depends on the length of the essay • At least one example + explanation pair If the story were told from Maggie’s perspective, the tone would be influenced by Maggie’s resentment of the sister who “has held life always in the palm of one hand” (Walker 64).

7. How do I know if I need more? • Consider length • Consider logical flow On the other hand, if Dee, a.k.a. “Miss Wangero,” were narrating, no doubt her conviction that her mother and Maggie “just don’t understand” their heritage would sway the reader in another direction (69).

8. How do I finish the paragraph? • A paragraph is like a mini-essay – so it needs a conclusion. • Essay conclusion reflects on development • Paragraph conclusion reflects on examples Since both sisters are represented by their mother, neither representation of heritage is given deliberate preference.

9. Should I include a transition? • Yes and no – • Be very, very careful • Remember that each paragraph has to be UNIFIED around one controlling idea • Do not introduce the idea of the next paragraph • Try to leave something for the next paragraph to hook onto – just a HINT…

10. So where’s the transition? • Use the first sentence of the next paragraph to ‘hook’ onto the previous paragraph

11. So not like this… In ‘Everyday Use’, Alice Walker naturally chooses to tell the story through the voice of Mrs. Johnson. Because Mrs. Johnson is the mother, the reader expects an unbiased look at the two sisters and their very different ideas of “heritage.” If the story were told from Maggie’s perspective, the tone would be influenced by Maggie’s resentment of the sister who “has held life always in the palm of one hand” (Walker 64). On the other hand, if Dee, a.k.a. “Miss Wangero,” were narrating, no doubt her conviction that her mother and Maggie “just don’t understand” their heritage would sway the reader in another direction (69). Since both sisters are represented by their mother, neither representation of heritage is given deliberate preference. On the other hand, it is clear that Mrs. Johnson does not relate to her older, more sophisticated daughter, Dee.

12. Like this… In ‘Everyday Use’, Alice Walker naturally chooses to tell the story through the voice of Mrs. Johnson. Because Mrs. Johnson is the mother, the reader expects an unbiased look at the two sisters and their very different ideas of “heritage.” If the story were told from Maggie’s perspective, the tone would be influenced by Maggie’s resentment of the sister who “has held life always in the palm of one hand” (Walker 64). On the other hand, if Dee, a.k.a. “Miss Wangero,” were narrating, no doubt her conviction that her mother and Maggie “just don’t understand” their heritage would sway the reader in another direction (69). Since both sisters are represented by their mother, neither representation of heritage is given deliberate preference. On the other hand, it is clear that Mrs. Johnson does not relate to her older, more sophisticated daughter, Dee.