5 Paragraph Essays

1
5 Paragraph Essays
2
Paragraph 1 Introductory Paragraph Paragraph 2
Body Paragraph 1 Paragraph 3 Body Paragraph
2 Paragraph 4 Body Paragraph 3 Paragraph 5
Conclusion
3
Imagine Your Paper Is Like This
Intro
The intro is like a funnel, starting broad and
then getting specific. The last sentence is the
thesis.
Body
Body
Body
The conclusion functions the opposite way. It
starts specific with a restatement of the thesis,
then gets broad, ending with a generalization.
Conclusion
4
What is a Thesis?

• A thesis is a statement of what you are trying to
  prove.
• It is a clear, direct statement of what your
  paper is about. I should know exactly what the
  rest of your paragraphs will be after reading
  your thesis.
• It should be the last sentence of your first
  paragraph.

5
What is a thesis?

• A THESIS always has a WHAT and a HOW
• WHAT what you are attempting to prove about the
  novel
• HOW how the author exemplifies this in the novel

6
Sample Theses
What do all of these have in common?

• In J.K. Rowlings Harry Potter franchise, the
  author presents the reader with a type of
  Christian allegory by presenting Harry as a
  Christ-like figure who must discover his power,
  sacrifice himself, and ultimately resurrect in
  order to save his friends.
• Mark Twains novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
  reflects on the loss of innocence every boy
  experiences by presenting Toms encounters with
  parents, death, and romance in compelling,
  realistic ways.
• In John Steinbecks novella The Pearl, the author
  expresses his belief in the inherent greed of
  humanity by describing Kinos transformation from
  a man of family, to a man of greed, and
  eventually to a man of regret and shame.

7

• In J.K. Rowlings Harry Potter franchise, the
  author presents the reader with a type of
  Christian allegory by presenting Harry as a
  Christ-like figure who must discover his power,
  sacrifice himself, and ultimately resurrect in
  order to save his friends.
• Mark Twains novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
  reflects on the loss of innocence every boy
  experiences by presenting Toms encounters with
  parents, death, and romance in compelling,
  realistic ways.
• In John Steinbecks novella The Pearl, the author
  expresses his belief in the inherent greed of
  humanity by describing Kinos transformation from
  a man of family, to a man of greed, and
  eventually to a man of regret and shame.

8
Thesis Tips

• Use the word by to separate your what and how.
• In the what, always identify both the name of the
  novel and the author.
• In the how, specifically outline what three
  specific things you will be writing about.

9
Intro Paragraph

• Start broad, then get increasingly specific.
• Shoot for at least 5 sentences.

Start with a sentence or two about the historical
context of the novel.
Next, add a sentence or two about the author and
his placement within the historical period as
well as any details that describe his feelings
about his world.
End with your thesis, which clearly states what
you are trying to prove about the novel.
10
Sample Intro paragraph

• The first half of the 20th century in America
  was a time of tumultuous change. Having just
  completed rebuilding a nation that was destroyed
  by the Civil War, American citizens next had to
  confront two World Wars and a Great Depression.

11
Sample Intro paragraph

• The first half of the 20th century in America
  was a time of tumultuous change. Having just
  completed rebuilding a nation that was destroyed
  by the Civil War, American citizens next had to
  confront two World Wars and a Great Depression.
  American author John Steinbeck lived through this
  period and viewed the future of America with grim
  pessimism. Part of the so-called Lost Generation
  of writers, he became disillusioned with life in
  America and the role greed and selfishness played
  in many Americans lives. He often reflected on
  this greed in his writing, perhaps never so
  effectively as in his allegorical novella The
  Pearl.

12
Sample Intro paragraph

• The first half of the 20th century in America
  was a time of tumultuous change. Having just
  completed rebuilding a nation that was destroyed
  by the Civil War, American citizens next had to
  confront two World Wars and a Great Depression.
  American author John Steinbeck lived through this
  period and viewed the future of America with grim
  pessimism. Part of the so-called Lost Generation
  of writers, he became disillusioned with life in
  America and the role greed and selfishness played
  in many Americans lives. He often reflected on
  this greed in his writing, perhaps never so
  effectively as in his allegorical novella The
  Pearl. In John Steinbecks novella The Pearl, the
  author expresses his belief in the inherent greed
  of humanity by describing Kinos transformation
  from a man of family, to a man of greed, and
  eventually to a man of regret and shame.

13
Body Paragraphs

• All three body paragraphs should follow the same
  formula.
• Each paragraph is on a single, specific topic.

14
Remember the formula for the perfect paragraph
and apply it.

• Topic Sentence
• Relevant context
• Primary Source
  Quote
• Explanatory
  Inference
• Conclusion
• Perfect
  Paragraph

15
Perfect Body Paragraph

• As The Pearl progresses, Kino is transformed by
  his greed into an enraged, vicious protector of
  his treasure, no matter the personal cost.

16
Perfect Body Paragraph

• As The Pearl progresses, Kino is transformed by
  his greed into an enraged, vicious protector of
  his treasure, no matter the personal cost. In
  one chilling scene, Juana sneaks off in the midst
  of the night to hurl the pearl back into the sea
  from whence it came. Kino, sensing her
  disloyalty, tracks her to the shore and reacts
  with untamed cruelty.

17
Perfect Body Paragraph

• As The Pearl progresses, Kino is transformed by
  his greed into an enraged, vicious protector of
  his treasure, no matter the personal cost. In
  one chilling scene, Juana sneaks off in the midst
  of the night to hurl the pearl back into the sea
  from whence it came. Kino, sensing her
  disloyalty, tracks her to the shore and reacts
  with untamed cruelty. The author writes, He
  struck her in the face with his clenched fist and
  she fell among the boulders, and he kicked her in
  the side (Steinbeck 59).

18
Perfect Body Paragraph

• As The Pearl progresses, Kino is transformed by
  his greed into an enraged, vicious protector of
  his treasure, no matter the personal cost. In
  one chilling scene, Juana sneaks off in the midst
  of the night to hurl the pearl back into the sea
  from whence it came. Kino, sensing her
  disloyalty, tracks her to the shore and reacts
  with untamed cruelty. The author writes, He
  struck her in the face with his clenched fist and
  she fell among the boulders, and he kicked her in
  the side (Steinbeck 59). The family man to whom
  the reader is introduced in the novels opening
  chapters has been fully transformed into a
  malicious hoarder of treasure. Kino becomes
  willing to injure his wife in order to protect
  both his pride and his prize.

19
Perfect Body Paragraph

• As The Pearl progresses, Kino is transformed by
  his greed into an enraged, vicious protector of
  his treasure, no matter the personal cost. In
  one chilling scene, Juana sneaks off in the midst
  of the night to hurl the pearl back into the sea
  from whence it came. Kino, sensing her
  disloyalty, tracks her to the shore and reacts
  with untamed cruelty. The author writes, He
  struck her in the face with his clenched fist and
  she fell among the boulders, and he kicked her in
  the side (Steinbeck 59). The family man to whom
  the reader is introduced in the novels opening
  chapters has been fully transformed into a
  malicious hoarder of treasure. Kino becomes
  willing to injure his wife in order to protect
  both his pride and his prize. In the smashing of
  her face, the author suggests how far men are
  willing to go in order to profit.

20
Conclusion Paragraph
Start with restatement of your thesis.
Then, explain in a few sentences what lesson
Hemingway is trying to teach the reader with this
novel.
21
A Few More Reminders

• Do not use 1st or 2nd person point of view
• Do not forget to put a citation after every
  quote.
• Do not forget to use 12 point, times new roman,
  double spaced font with an MLA heading.