WRITING AN ESSAY STEP ONE: UNDERSTANDING THE TOPIC a) Look at the key words in the prompt, and pay particular attention to the verbs. What is the question asking? This question is asking me to. b) Make a list of synonyms and literary terms that might relate to your topic. Work to further define the question. Sample prompt: Synonyms and literary terms. In The Chrysalids by John Wyndham, as David experiences conflicts in the novel, he learns that people s prejudice can be a destructive force. Show how the conflicts David experiences develop both his character and the theme of the novel. Key Literary Terms: conflict, character, theme, characterization Develop: change, grow, development theme - people s prejudice can be a destructive force prejudice - pre-judgement; biased opinion STEP TWO: NARROW TOPIC AND CHOOSE A THESIS If the topic is something general, like the World, then it must be narrowed. To do this, determine what the essay will prove or show based on what the prompt is asking. For example: Topic: the World Narrowed topic: International efforts to stop global warming Thesis statement: The international community is not doing enough to care for God s creation. 1
The thesis statement is an argument. It presents the reader with the scope of the discussion for the essay. ALL sentences and words in the essay exist for only one reason: to prove the thesis is true. Sample narrowing of topic to develop a working thesis: Topic: David s character and theme Narrowed topic: David changes as he experiences conflict (working) Thesis statement: As a result of the conflicts David experiences, he loses his innocent view of the world as he learns about the destructive force of prejudice. The thesis is only a working thesis at the moment because it may change with brainstorming and the development of the body of the essay. For now, it provides a framework with which to approach our brainstorming. STEP THREE: BRAINSTORMING a) Generate Ideas: Come up with as many examples as you can to prove your thesis. Do not edit or second guess at this stage. Make sure to record page numbers and sources for easy follow up later. *Take a sheet of paper and answer the following questions in point form: What is my topic? Who is involved? Why? What are the purposes? Where? What is the situation? When? Are there past, present, or future elements to consider? How? What are the reasons? What are the causes? What are the effects? What are the consequences? Why is it important? Eliminate the ideas that are not relevant to the topic and organize the remaining ideas into an understandable order. 2
b) Map it Out 1. Begin with a central idea or main topic. Is it possible to reduce the question into one or a few words? Write this word (or these words) in the middle of a piece of paper. 2. Think about everything that relates to this idea. Draw a line from the middle word(s) and attach any new idea to this central idea. Write down everything that comes to mind. 3. Think about the secondary ideas. Follow these ideas until they are exhausted. Continue to ask questions like why? and how?. 4. Group similar ideas and eliminate any unrelated ideas. As a result of the conflicts David experiences, he loses his innocent view of the world as he learns about the destructive force of prejudice. For this topic, the brainstorming will focus on David s reaction to conflict. His initial state of innocence, his experience of the conflict, and his changed state will need to be found. Then take each conflict and break it down further by adding sub-points 1) initial state, 2) agent of change, and 3) changed state. For example: 3
Conflict Initial State Agent of Change Changed State Example of conflict from the story goes here David is innocent; unaware. He follows rules without understanding, and he does not understand the concept of prejudice. STEP FOUR: RE-VISIT THE THESIS Take another look at your working thesis after you have developed your brainstorming. What is it that you are going to prove? Does your thesis reflect the support found? Is your thesis an argument that is supported by your research and brainstorming? Let s pretend our brainstorming reveals that David is most changed after witnessing Sophie s conflict. So, our original thesis... As a result of the conflicts David experiences, he loses his innocent view of the world as he learns about the destructive force of prejudice....might change a bit to something like this: As a direct result of Sophie s conflict with the laws of Waknuk, David loses his innocent view of the world as he learns that prejudice is a destructive force. This is still a working thesis. STEP FIVE: CREATE AN OUTLINE Using the thesis as a guide, select the best examples from the story and put them in the order in which they will be used in the essay. The best order could be: causes to effects David begins to question his beliefs as a result of either experiencing or witnessing conflict. Conflicts are an agent of change; catalysts. He begins to question the act of prejudging others based on the laws alone. David has lost his innocence by becoming aware of the way his world and society function. He has learned that prejudice is a destructive force. chronological from least to most important For the sample essay, it makes sense to use a chronological organization to show the development of character over the course of the novel. Then, create a template like this in your notes to organize your ideas: 4
Support 1 Point or sub-topic a) horses were allowed to live Quote a) Point or sub-topic b) repentances Quote b) ---- Essay Outline Graphic Organizer Introduction Paragraph TOPIC- The destruction of mutants. POD or Support 1 - reasons are based on fiction 2- lack of proof of evil 3- jump to conclusions; prone to error Thesis - The people of Waknuk have no good reason to destroy mutants. Support 2 Point or sub-topic a) Quote a) Point or sub-topic b) Quote b) Support 3 Point or sub-topic a) Quote a) Point or sub-topic b) Quote b) Final Thought Summary: Conclusion Paragraph Re-stated thesis: 5
STEP SIX: WRITE THE BODY PARAGRAPHS Body Paragraph #1 - ROUGH Copy NOTE: This paragraph will prove David s initial state. He is unaware of the harm that prejudgement can cause. He has not experienced conflict yet. Topic Sentence: Initially, David does not question the beliefs he has been taught to hold. Point: David reveals that, before he had met Sophie, he had been raised to believe that mutations are evil, and that he did not question this teaching. CONTEXT - the point provides the reader with W5, 1H Proof: He recalls that a blasphemy [is], as it [had] been impressed upon [him] often enough, a frightful thing (Wyndham 14). Comment: David has not wondered about the truth of this teaching, but rather he has allowed it to be impressed upon him. When something is impressed, it is taught in a forceful way to someone who may not be discerning. He has been taught to see a mutant as being frightening and evil before getting to know anything about him or her. Transition: In addition to this impression, other lessons have been ingrained into David s belief system. Point: The books read in David s house act as a constant reminder of the dogma to which David has been forced to subscribe. Proof: The Repentances has been discussed so much in David s house that frequent references to these texts have made me familiar with the words long before I was able to read...i knew them by heart (Wyndham 18). The texts include statements such as Blessed is the Norm (Wyndham 18). Comment: David has spent his entire youth being told that only people who are normal are blessed. The frequency of these messages almost amounts to propaganda. He has learned to pre-judge these people as sinners without even considering their humanity. Conclusion: David does not question the teachings of his elders, and he does not yet understand prejudice. 6
In paragraph form, the first body paragraph looks like this: Initially, David does not question the beliefs he has been taught to hold. David reveals that, before he had met Sophie, he had been raised to believe that mutations are evil, and that he did not question this teaching. He recalls that a blasphemy [is], as it [had] been impressed upon [him] often enough, a frightful thing (Wyndham 14). David has not wondered about the truth of this teaching, but rather he has allowed it to be impressed upon him. When something is impressed, it is taught in a forceful way to someone who may not be discerning. He has been taught to see a mutant as being frightening and evil before getting to know anything about him or her. In addition to this impression, other lessons have been ingrained into David s belief system. The books read in David s house act as a constant reminder of the dogma to which David has been forced to subscribe. The Repentances has been discussed so much in David s house that frequent references to these texts have made me familiar with the words long before I was able to read...i knew them by heart (Wyndham 18). The texts include statements such as Blessed is the Norm (Wyndham 18). David has spent his entire youth being told that only people who are normal are blessed. The frequency of these messages almost amounts to propaganda. He has learned to pre-judge these people as sinners without even considering their humanity. David does not question the teachings of his elders, and he does not yet understand prejudice. Body Paragraphs #2 and 3 - These paragraphs are not being written for this handout. Just pretend. The gist of them is as follows: Body Paragraph #2 - This paragraph will show that David begins to question his beliefs as a result of either experiencing or witnessing Sophie s conflict. He begins to question the act of pre-judging others based on the laws alone. Body Paragraph #3 - This paragraph will show that David has lost his innocence by becoming aware of the way his world and society function. He has learned that prejudice is a destructive force after experiencing conflict. 7
STEP SEVEN: WRITE THE INTRODUCTION, THE CONCLUSION, AND THE TITLE INTRODUCTION PARAGRAPH The introduction paragraph is made up of four parts: the lead, the link, the P.O.D. and the thesis. LEAD - sometimes called motivator; hooks the reader; a general opening that introduces the theme of the essay, but does not yet introduce the novel or any specifics; one to three sentences LINK - includes the name of the novel(s), author(s), and further suggests the theme of the essay; mentions characters involved POD - plan of development; three sentences; these sentences are basically just the re-worded topic sentences from each paragraph in order of appearance THESIS - argument; what the essay will prove Sample Introduction Paragraph In literature, many characters lose their innocence as they learn from their experiences. This change is one that many people witness in real life as they experience conflicts and learn about the way the world works. In the novel, The Chrysalids by John Wyndham, David, the protagonist, experiences this transformation. Initially, David is innocent, and he does not question the beliefs of his society. As he experiences conflict in the story, he begins to question his beliefs. At the end of the story, David has lost his innocence, and he has a more realistic view of human nature. As a direct result of Sophie s conflict with the laws of Waknuk, David loses his innocent view of the world as he learns that prejudice is a destructive force. LEAD - In literature, many characters lose their innocence as they learn from their experiences. This change is one that many people witness in real life as they experience conflicts and learn about the way the world works. LINK - In the novel, The Chrysalids by John Wyndham, David, the protagonist, experiences this transformation. POD - Initially, David is innocent, and he does not question the beliefs of his society. As he experiences conflict in the story, he begins to question his beliefs. At the end of the story, David has lost his innocence, and he has a more realistic view of human nature. THESIS - As a direct result of Sophie s conflict with the laws of Waknuk, David loses his innocent view of the world as he learns that prejudice is a destructive force. 8
CONCLUSION PARAGRAPH Witnessing Sophie s struggles as a deviant with the laws of Waknuk, David loses his innocence and realize the harm that prejudice can cause. The happy and unaware boy that he is at the beginning of the story does not last for long. At an early age, he does not question the dogma he has been force fed. As a result of experiencing Sophie s conflict with society he begins to wonder about his beliefs. Her person vs. person conflict causes his person vs. self conflict. By the end of the story, he has developed his own opinions of the world around him. These new opinions that David has are those of a person who has experienced conflict and learned about the destructive force of prejudice. The lesson David learns can be applied to everyday life. When a person is pre-judged by another based on appearance alone, this prejudice can prevent the person from being able to reach their true potential. Prejudice can be a barrier to knowledge and communication that prevents meaningful relationships while promoting hate. People will only see the person in front of them when prejudice is removed. The conclusion paragraph is a reverse of the introduction paragraph. First the thesis is stated and explained. Second, the POD is presented as proven. Lastly, the reader is left with a closing idea or thought. NEVER put any new information in the conclusion. TITLE Seeing the Truth: David s Journey from Innocence to Experience STEP EIGHT: PROOF READ, PEER-EDIT, AND REVISE STEP NINE: MLA FORMAT AND WORKS CITED Formatting refers to the way your essay is presented. MLA is the format that most people use to shape the way their essay looks. It says: 1) On page one, in the upper left, include your name, your teacher s name, the course code, and the date. 2) On every other page, include your last name with the page number on the top right corner. 3) The title should be centered and bolded. 4) The font used should be easy to read, Times or Helvetica, and size 12. 5) The essay text should be double spaced. Each new paragraph should be indented. 6) Page margins should be one inch all the way around. 7) The works cited should follow the essay on a new page. Works cited will change depending on the book(s) being used. Use the library as a resource for writing a works cited. 9
Sample Page One Student Name Teacher Name ENG2D November 1, 2009 Title xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Sample page two, three, etc. There are many more rules for MLA formatting. Follow these rules above for now. More will be added as you learn more about the essay. Lastname # xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 10