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1
An effective introduction

• All you need is a beginning statement that
  launches the topic, a few elaborative statements
  to amplify the topic, and a powerful, theme-based
  thesis statement.

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An effective introduction

• Starting the introduction can be
  accomplished a number of ways a general
  statement, a quote, a statistic (rare in literary
  analysis), an observation. Then there should be
  a few sentences that build off the general idea
  (thematic topic) asserted in the first sentence.
  These sentences elaborate on the topic, and
  foreshadow some of what will be specifically
  discussed in the rest of the paper, to help the
  readers brain forecast the papers content for
  better clarity.
• Example
• John Donne once wrote No man is an island.

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An effective introduction

• John Donne once wrote No man is an island.
  Humans by nature are social creatures. Though
  all individuals require time alone to think and
  create, prolonged isolation can produce damaging
  effects. Sometimes an individual chooses
  isolation, while other times solitude is a
  consequence. In either case, an individual who
  experiences long periods of time alone suffers,
  and can often cause others to suffer as well.

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An effective introduction

• John Donne once wrote No man is an island.
  Humans by nature are social creatures. Though all
  individuals require some time alone to think and
  create, prolonged isolation produces damaging
  effects. Sometimes an individual chooses
  isolation, while other times solitude is a
  consequence. In either case, an individual who
  experiences long periods of time alone suffers,
  and often causes others to suffer as well. In
  life, as in literature, individuals need
  interaction and socialization with others. When
  this fails to occur, the negative effects of an
  individual left in isolation become readily
  apparent.

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About those Body Paragraphs

• Major Works 4-5 paragraphs
• No mini-introductions, just a sentence (or maybe
  two) of transitionExample Few literary works
  emphasize the dangers of isolation better than
  Joseph Conrads novel Heart of Darkness. Each
  paragraph should discuss a literary device or
  element (and how it reveals your prompts theme),
  using the Beefing Up Commentary format (textual
  example 2 commentary statements X 2). The
  character Kurtz abuses power to elevate his
  status at the Inner Station to that of a god
  (example). This abandonment of all morality and
  ethics he learned and lived by in Western Europe
  gives way to his utter depravity (commentary 1).
  As he remains alone in the heart of the Congo,
  Kurtz succumbs to mankinds most base and selfish
  desires, illustrating how isolation leaves an
  individual without accountability for his
  thoughts, decisions, and actions (commentary 2).
  In contrast, the character Marlow journeys to the
  heart of the Congo and turns away from its evil
  offerings (example). Seeing what Kurtz has
  become shows Marlow that he is just as
  susceptible to the temptations Kurtz could not
  resist (commentary 1). However, Marlow, in
  recognition of his own capacity for evil, chooses
  to return home, where social order and
  interaction with others would prevent him from
  letting his individual fantasies run riot
  (commentary 2).

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Example without explanatory words

• Few literary works emphasize the dangers of
  isolation better than Joseph Conrads novel Heart
  of Darkness. The character Kurtz abuses power to
  elevate his status at the Inner Station to that
  of a god. This abandonment of all morality and
  ethics he learned and lived by in Western Europe
  gives way to his utter depravity. As he remains
  alone in the heart of the Congo, Kurtz succumbs
  to mankinds most base and selfish desires,
  illustrating how isolation leaves an individual
  without accountability for his thoughts,
  decisions, and actions. In contrast, the
  character Marlow journeys to the heart of the
  Congo and turns away from its evil offerings.
  Seeing what Kurtz has become shows Marlow that he
  is just as susceptible to the temptations Kurtz
  could not resist. However, Marlow, in
  recognition of his own capacity for evil, chooses
  to return home, where social order and
  interaction with others would prevent him from
  letting his individual fantasies run riot.

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Constructing Body Paragraphs

• Not sure where to get ideas of what to talk
  about? Consider the prompt and how all aspects
  of the work contribute to ithow do the
  characters, setting, point of view, and plot
  reflect the theme that you are investigating.
  You may also consider literary elements such as
  diction, imagery, details, and language.
• Major Works 4-5 paragraphs
• Minor Works 3-4 paragraphs

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Choices

• Your paper must include a well-developed
  introduction that ends with a thematic thesis
  statement, as well as a solid concluding
  paragraph. Between those two paragraphs, you
  must discuss 6 works that compose the papers
  BODYfor major works, write 4-5 paragraphs, and
  for minor works, write 3-4 paragraphs
• Body paragraphs should deal with various aspects
  of the books content. You may choose from the
  following considerations character, setting,
  point of view, conflict, diction, use of detail,
  imagery, language, and syntax
• For each body paragraph, discuss the
  element/device incorporating at least TWO
  examples from the text. Use this formula to
  guarantee that you are truly discussing
  analytically (not telling the story!)
• Make an introductory statement (topic sentence)
• Make your first observation (statement of fact,
  example, detail)
• Then write two sentences of commentary that
  explain the significance of the observation in
  terms of the work and your thesis
• Make a second observation
• Write two commentary statements for the second
  observation
• Write a final commentary statement that considers
  how the observations relate to the thematic
  thesis statement of the paper.

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Body Paragraph Example

• (topic sentence) F. Scott Fitzgeralds
  fascination with the Roaring Twenties was
  obvious, as he receives credit for naming that
  era the Jazz Age. (observation) A period of
  decadence and opulence, it provided the perfect
  backdrop to Jay Gatsbys tragedy. (commentary)
  Gatsbys failure to consider the future as he
  obsessively endeavored to cross paths with his
  beloved Daisy matches the general mood of the
  time, where many people reveled in abundance
  without concern for the future. (observation)
  Narrator Nick Carraway comments that the conduct
  of Gatsbys party guests was both wasteful and
  messy they conducted themselves according to
  the rules of behavior associated with an
  amusement park (41). (commentary) In this
  manner, Gatsbys extravagant, continual parties
  at his ostentatious mansion in West Egg, where
  new money attempted to brush up against the
  generational wealth of East Egg, indicate
  carelessness and excess that afforded
  opportunities for people to indulge their more
  base desires. (observation) Yet, nothing lasts
  forever, and consumption leads to waste, clearly
  made evident through the Valley of Ashes.
  (commentary) As a particularly important aspect
  of the novels setting, it is a physical
  manifestation of wastefulness in that time, and
  mirrors how Gatsby wasted much of his life
  attempting to resurrect a love affair that had
  long since expired. (final commentary related
  back to the thematic thesis) Throughout the
  novel, the decadence, carelessness, and
  wastefulness of the 1920s surround and amplify
  how Gatsbys obsession leads to his ruin.

10
Paragraph without explanatory words

• F. Scott Fitzgeralds fascination with the
  Roaring Twenties was obvious, as he receives
  credit for naming that era the Jazz Age. A
  period of decadence and opulence, it provided the
  perfect backdrop to Jay Gatsbys tragedy.
  Gatsbys failure to consider the future as he
  obsessively endeavored to cross paths with his
  beloved Daisy matches the general mood of the
  time, where many people reveled in abundance
  without concern for the future. Narrator Nick
  Carraway comments that the conduct of Gatsbys
  party guests was both wasteful and messy they
  conducted themselves according to the rules of
  behavior associated with an amusement park (41).
  In this manner, Gatsbys extravagant, continual
  parties at his ostentatious mansion in West Egg,
  where new money attempted to brush up against the
  generational wealth of East Egg, indicate
  carelessness and excess that afforded
  opportunities for people to indulge their more
  base desires. Yet, nothing lasts forever, and
  consumption leads to waste, clearly made evident
  through the Valley of Ashes. As a particularly
  important aspect of the novels setting, it is a
  physical manifestation of wastefulness in that
  time, and mirrors how Gatsby wasted much of his
  life attempting to resurrect a love affair that
  had long since expired. Throughout the novel, the
  decadence, carelessness, and wastefulness of the
  1920s surround and amplify how Gatsbys obsession
  leads to his ruin.

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Topic sentences for body paragraphs

• In addition to characterization, Conrad uses
  conflict to show the impact of isolation on a
  person.
• Another element which illustrates the effects of
  isolation is imagery.
• A final technique Conrad uses to impart the
  destructive nature of isolation is setting.

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An Effective Conclusion

• Re-word and re-state your thesis, then add a
  sentence for each work discussedshowing how the
  common theme unfolds in that particular work,
  then finish with a generalized statement that
  applies the theme to life, the world, or people
  today.

13
An effective Conclusioneasier than the
Introduction!

• In life, as in literature, prolonged isolation
  proves to be more damaging than beneficial.

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An Effective Conclusion

• In life, as in literature, prolonged isolation
  proves to be more damaging than beneficial. In
  both Crime and Punishment and Heart of Darkness,
  characters who select isolation over
  socialization are able to abandon morals and
  standards of acceptable behavior to disastrous
  effects. Dr. Manettes mental fragility is the
  result of being forced to endure eighteen years
  of solitary confinement. Hamlets fixation on
  seeking vengeance for his fathers murder causes
  him to drive away nearly everyone who loved him.
  Miss Brills extended existence on her own
  distorts her self-concept and view of life.
  Madame Bovary, Nora Helmer, and Addie Bundrens
  unspoken misery in their marriages leaves each
  woman feeling lonely and unfulfilledleading to
  desperate acts that further isolate them from
  others.

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An Effective Conclusion

• In life, as in literature, prolonged isolation
  proves to be more damaging than beneficial. In
  both Crime and Punishment and Heart of Darkness,
  characters who select isolation over
  socialization are able to abandon morals and
  standards of acceptable behavior to disastrous
  effects. Dr. Manettes mental fragility is the
  result of being forced to endure eighteen years
  of solitary confinement. Hamlets fixation on
  seeking vengeance for his fathers murder causes
  him to drive away nearly everyone who loved him.
  Miss Brills extended existence on her own
  distorts her self-concept and view of life.
  Madame Bovary, Nora Helmer, and Addie Bundrens
  unspoken misery in their marriages leaves each
  woman feeling lonely and unfulfilledleading to
  desperate acts that further isolate them from
  others.Clearly, mankind requires interaction with
  others. Prolonged isolation takes away needed
  communication and accountability that keeps
  civilization and order moving forward.